USDA abdicates GMO Oversight; Roundup killing butterflys; March to STOP GMOs!

By Jeffrey Smith

Now you can listen to a Spilling the Beans Podcast, with comments and analysis of this issues' stories, with editors Jeffrey M. Smith and Claire Robinson. Listen and download

USDA abdicates GMO oversight and welcomes Roundup Ready lawns

The US Dept of Agriculture just dropped a bomb on GMO regulations in America. Their announcement, released on the Friday afternoon before the July 4th weekend to reduce the media coverage, eviscerated government oversight over a whole new class of GMOs. The USDA announced that Roundup Ready Kentucky bluegrass would be exempt from regulation. That means that a new variety GM grass, produced by Scotts Miracle-Gro, will hit US markets without any government review, not from the USDA, EPA, or FDA. The modified grass, destined for lawns, playgrounds, soccer fields, and golf courses, is designed to survive applications of the weed killer Roundup. This will dramatically increase the use of the toxic herbicide, which is linked to birth defects, cancer, and reproductive problems. Its overuse will also speed up the spread of Roundup-resistant superweeds, requiring a return to other acutely toxic herbicides scrapped decades ago.

The approval also means that biotech companies can now exploit the same loophole used by the GM grass to put their crops on the market without anyone in government paying attention. The significance of this cannot be overstated. The USDA's loophole is based on the fact that they regulate GMOs using two "regulatory hooks;" the GM crops must pose the threat of a "plant pest" or a "noxious weed." In the bluegrass decision, the USDA signalled that it won't apply those hooks to any GM crops that are not created with pest material (e.g. bacteria or viruses). The GM bluegrass was created with a gene gun, and not from bacterial infection; the inserted gene was not from bacteria; and it did not have the normal "promoter" taken from a virus - which is used as the "on-switch" for most other GM crops on the market. Even without these materials, the GM grass still carries huge risks.

In a letter to Scotts, for example, agriculture secretary Vilsack acknowledged concerns that GM bluegrass will contaminate non-GM bluegrass, destroying markets in the process. Vilsack's suggestion? Scotts should talk to "stakeholders" and work out ways of minimizing cross-contamination. In other words, industry can regulate itself - but only if it wants to. See Mother Jones' excellent two articles here and here, Wired, or the New York Times.

GMO T-Shirt Contest

Visit the creative submissions for the GMO T-Shirt contest. The chosen designer gets $500 cash, a $500 gift certificate, and an iPad 2; and sales of that T-shirt will help fund the Institute for Responsible Technology. Please be a judge or a submitter. Designs are accepted till August 15th and are posted for 7 days. Judging is now through August 22nd.

Roundup Ready crops killing off monarch butterfly habitat

GM Roundup Ready soy and corn monocultures in the Midwestern US are killing off the habitat of monarch butterflies, according to a new study. The research shows a drop over the last 17 years of the area occupied by monarchs in central Mexico, where many of them spend the winter. The study attributes the decrease partly to the loss of milkweed, on which monarchs lay their eggs. Milkweed is killed by Roundup, which is sprayed liberally on Roundup Ready crops. This adds to other causes for milkweed loss, including land development, illegal logging in Mexico, and severe weather. "It [glyphosate] kills everything," said Lincoln P. Brower, an entomologist who is also an author of the paper. "It's like absolute Armageddon for biodiversity over a huge area." Read the New York Times article, or the study.

White House pact with industry to plant GM crops in wildlife refuges

In an effort to boost exports, the Obama White House has entered into a joint venture with industry to remove barriers to the spread of GM crops, even on national wildlife refuges, according to documents obtained by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). PEER has sued the White House and the State Department to force release of documents detailing their partnership with industry.

PEER said that in late 2010, White House worked with the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), a lobby group whose most prominent member is Monsanto, to pave a legal path for GM plantings on 75 refuges in 30 states. The White House formed an interagency "Agriculture Biotech Working Group" consisting of more than 35 officials from ten agencies to promote GE agriculture. "With all the environmental challenges facing this country, why is the White House priority putting wildlife refuges under the thumb of Monsanto?" asked PEER staff counsel Kathryn Douglass. "It is frankly depressing that the top White House official for ecosystem recovery is hustling genetically altered soybeans on slivers of land set aside for wildlife."Read the article

Recommended Video: Farmer to Farmer: The devastating impact of GM crops

In a must-see video, a farmer investigates the harsh reality of growing GM crops in the US 10 years after their introduction. A story emerges of:

• Roundup-resistant weeds that have to be hand-weeded
• lost markets because of GM contamination
• removal of farmers' rights to save even non-GM seed
• huge price hikes of non-GM seed to match GM seed prices
• complete removal of choice in seeds and chemicals once a region's farmers have gone down the GM route.

Watch it now

Pitch In for a Non-GMO Future

The Institute for Responsible Technology is a victim of our own successes, now struggling to keep up with the huge new level of non-GMO opportunities, requests, and offers. The GMO buzz in America is rising fast and we desperately need more staff time to handle it all.

We literally have thousands of people ready and waiting to be organized into national outreach groups, targeting parents, healthcare practitioners, campuses, chefs, religious groups, etc. We have a growing list of organizations offering to distribute our materials to their members and readers. We have dozens of hours of outstanding footage ready to be converted into short and medium videos. What we don't have is enough hours to harvest all this low-hanging non-GMO fruit.

Please help by making a contribution today. Every single dollar is highly leveraged into more and more successes. Let's do this together.

ACTION ALERTS

March from NY to D.C. in October over food labelling

To raise awareness and pressure the government to label GM foods in the US, there will be a two-week GMO Right2Know March between New York and Washington, DC, October 1-16th. Thousands of marchers are expected to walk part or all of the 313 miles from the United Nations' Headquarters to the White House, which will feature daily events. The marchers are looking for support from communities along the route, which can be viewed at Right2KnowMarch.org

Tell the Australian Government that you won't swallow GM bread.

People in any country can support this petition.
Sign it now!

Videos needed: Animals avoiding GMOs

Eyewitness reports all over the world show how a wide variety of animals avoid GMOs when given the choice - cows, pigs, geese, squirrels, elk, deer, raccoons, mice, rats, and buffalo. We are seeking video footage showing animals choosing the non-GMO feed. The world needs to see this! (Even if you don't have a video, feel free to send us your eyewitness reports.) Contactinfo@responsibletechnology.org

NEWS FROM THE NETWORK OF NON-GMO ACTIVISTS

From Hawai'i

Do you know that Hawai'i is ground zero for GMO crop experimentation? The Hawai'i islands activists are among some of the most vigilant and successful. Here are a few of their accomplishments:

• Launched a GMO papaya cleanup campaign, empowering farmers and gardeners by providing them with contamination test kits, teaching them how to save GMO-free seed and sharing cultivation solutions that are alternatives to GMOs.
• Shepherded an agreement among the Hawai'i coffee industry stating that they do not want GMO coffee grown in Hawaii at this time.
• Produced and distributed "Facing Hawai'i's Future," a 70-page educational booklet explaining the state of GMOs in the Hawaiian Islands.
  Read more

GMO Free Los Angeles/ GMO Free Southern California

Last March we had a big rally in Los Angeles along with the Millions Against Monsanto campaign to label GMOs. We were so excited to see Jeffrey Smith show up at our rally and he also helped us organize our activists while speaking at the Health Freedom Expo in Long Beach. That meeting spawned 3 different groups in the Los Angeles vicinity - W. Los Angeles, Pasadena and North Los Angeles - Ventura.

Recently, a woman named Pamm Larry started the process of putting a GMO labeling initiative on the California 2012 ballot. This prospect has ignited an excitement in thousands of Californians and has helped us grow so big that we have had to change our Facebook name to GMO Free Southern California. We now have 7 activist groups in Southern California and we are still growing. Check out our Facebook page: GMO Free Southern California to keep informed of our activities. Read more