STANISLAUS CONNECTIONS
Working For Peace, Justice, and A Sustainable Environment
September 2003
Living Lightly
GE
Foods: Seeds of Deception?
By
CAROLINE MITTON, M.A.
In trying to force the
European Union (EU) to end its moratorium on approving the importation of
genetically engineered (GE) foods, the U.S. has requested a formal dispute panel
from the World Trade Organization (WTO). These panels are made up of corporate
and trade lawyers and officials. The meetings are secret and can apply various
penalties up to economically severe sanctions.
The EU has developed
legislation that will go into effect in September to label and trace GE foods.
After the companies involved have had time to comply with the new rules, the EU
will look at removing the moratorium. The U.S. says this is not satisfactory and
will proceed with their suit.
Many Europeans say they
will not eat GE foods, and several of the large grocery chains say they will not
stock them because they won't sell. A consumers' boycott of McDonalds, Coca Cola
and Budweiser has already started and will likely be extended to all American
products if the U.S. persists in what the Europeans see as bullying tactics.
The U.S. has claimed the EU
is responsible for Africa's raising questions about GE foods and their refusal
of them in food aid. Since GE Foods have not been tested as a main part of
anyone's diet, and starving people have weakened immune systems, some scientists
think GE foods might do more harm than good. In addition, Zambia refused the
food and then worked its way out of its food crisis by itself. But such charges
by our officials have not endeared us to the Europeans.
Some think the actual
target of this case is the smaller countries that are working on their own
safety, traceability and labeling legislation. A UN Biosafety Protocol was
completed in 2000, over U.S. protests, and went into effect in June. It calls
for tracking bulk GE commodities. By next year, countries making up half the
world's population will require pre-market safety approval of GE products.
The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) approval is misleading because it was based on the
companies' assurances that the products were safe. They submitted only summaries
of their data -- the procedures and full data remained secret. The FDA took
their word for it, and asked no questions, even though their own expert
scientists voiced serious objections. We have since found that some of those
objections were optimistic. The actual experiences were worse than expected.
Roundup (herbicide)-resistant weeds developed sooner and are harder to
eradicate. The modified DNA is not broken down in our intestines but can be
taken up by the bacteria living there, possibly making them resistant to
antibiotics.
The companies claim the GE
foods are "substantially equivalent," but analyses shows their
chemical compositions to be different, with concentrations of several harmful
substances significantly higher. Animal testing has shown a number of worrisome
affects from feeding GE foods, from changes in the gut lining to less weight
gain to reproductive problems to early death.
A public interest lawyer
sued the FDA to divulge over 44,000 pages of its internal files on GE foods so
some of the information on the company procedures is now available to the
public. A book is coming out that documents the methods the industry has used to
rig their studies. Called Seeds
of Deception by Jeffrey Smith, early reviews say it is a complete and
easy-to-understand description of rigged testing, harassed whistle blowers and
the technology's dangers.
As serious as all that is,
the U.S. actions may end up destroying the WTO. At a meeting in Doha, Qatar in
2001, the poor nations were promised that the rich nations would reduce their
agriculture subsidies substantially. They have reneged on that promise. A draft
document being discussed for approval at the meeting in Cancun, Mexico next
month permits the rich countries to continue to dump their surplus, subsidized
products on the poor countries. This ruins their economy and their own
agriculture system. If that is the final version, the poor countries will walk
out, and the conference will have broken down without any resolution. Bilateral
talks may then be worked out without the WTO.
One writer suggested that
the obvious thing to do is to stop plowing massive resources into genetic
engineering and instead foster the development of safe and sustainable organic
agriculture.
The author’s graduate
degree in nutrition is from Eastern Michigan University.
Landscaping
in a water-short world
By
MYRTLE OSNER
"Coping with the
dwindling supply of clean water will be a serious global challenge in this
century. Gardening as we know it must change. So let us focus on those plants
that will flourish with little water, those ground covers, grasses and flowering
perennials that will dominate our future dry gardens"
— Sandra Corry, San
Francisco Chronicle, July 23, 2003
A letter to The Modesto Bee
demanding a new water superintendent instead of water meters showed us how
really unrealistic the view of most people who live here is. It is hard to
accept that the supply of water in the Central Valley is limited when you just
turn on the faucet and water comes out.
But millions of people
around the world are dying for lack of water. Famine brought on by drought is a
leading cause of death in some countries.
We are so spoiled, but at
least we could conserve water here by recognizing that not everybody needs to
have huge green lawns requiring lots of water. There are grasses that don't
require as much water as we give ours, and there is always the possibility of
taking out lawns and planting native plants. Here are some suggestions that have
worked for me:
Get rid of your lawn first.
If you don't, you will fight bermuda grass forever, even in low water
landscapes. (Hint: Bermuda grass and its relatives don't need as much water as
other lawns, if you do want a lawn.) Put in a low-flow mini-sprinkler system.
Most drought tolerant plants still need some summer water to survive.
Fall is the best time to
plant, so your plants can get a foothold when it's cool and rainy. If you want
wild flowers, you MUST plant them in the fall. Spring is too late. My entire
front yard was a sea of California poppies this year, and I didn't plant seeds
this year. I tell everyone the birds planted them. You can get native flower
seeds; try the Mediterranean mix for a variety, or those labeled California, at
least.
Plants that have worked for
me are mostly shrubs. The sages (salvia, and there are many, large and small)
all have nice flowers that attract hummingbirds and bees, especially those with
red flowers. Artemisia is related to the sagebrush you see on the ranges all
over the west. My favorite is Artemisia, "Powis Castle." It spreads
and roots as it goes, so cut it back in early spring, way back. You can plant
some grasses that make tufts waving in the breezes, such as Texas needlegrass,
no trimming or mowing needed.
For a truly lovely scent,
plant several varieties of lavender; they will perfume your whole yard. People
often remark as they pass by my house at the pungent odor.
My pride and joy are the
shrubs, most of which have grown in about 8 years to a tall wild border between
me and my neighbor (you can cut them back all you want). Interesting natives are
lemonade berry, spice bush, coffee berry, and manzanita. One of the ones hard to
grow has flourished for me: Carpinteria, which blooms in spring only with
flowers that look just like white anemones, so its common name is tree anemone.
It will die if you give it too much water in summer.
One of the shrubs that
grows well under a tree, liking partial shade at least, is Ribes viburnifolium,
or evergreen current. It is green all year and has no berries). The canes loop
over and root wherever they can get a foothold so in a few years you will have
lots more than you want. They do need some summer water but have handsome shiny
leaves and tiny red flowers in spring.
For other ground covers I
have had spectacular success with zauschneria (also known as California fuchsia,
though it’s no relation). Practically no water is needed, unlike other ones
that are thirsty every day, wilting at the drop of a hat. You'll also love
penstemons, and coreopsis, both perennials, for lots of colors and they bloom
pretty much all summer.
Finding these plants is not
always easy. You may have to ask your nursery to order them, or go to the annual
Native Plant Society sale.
Anyone wanting to see what
I have is welcome to come by and walk the paths anytime; 1104 Wellesley, you
can't miss it.
Great
Valley Center has a new home
By
MYRTLE OSNER
A nice article in the
Modesto Bee showed us what intelligent remodeling of a historic building can do
for downtown Modesto. The original Centenary Methodist Church on Needham has
received more than a facelift.
From the main floor with
its great room and Great Valley mural, to the top and bottom floors, it is a
building flooded with natural light. Every effort has been made to embody the
ideals of recycling the best of the old, as well as using new materials that
speak of conservation of natural resources. Wood floors come from forests
certified by the Forest Stewardship Council to be well-managed.
Many furnishings are
restored old pieces, simple but elegant. All three floors bear testimony to the
creation of workable space and quiet beauty, with books and art work everywhere.
Embodying the "green" principles of its founder, the building is a
model of recycling and conservation of resources. Even its library is open to
the public.
Carol Whiteside, former
Mayor of Modesto, is its president, guiding the focus of a vision for the Great
Central Valley.
Carol says, "We are
not a think tank. We are a non-profit community foundation that provides support
as the Valley confronts the challenges of its own future." Looking for
leaders with vision, the Center gives grants for study of the Valley's problems
and challenges.
The Great Valley Center
encompasses 19 counties, 450 miles long, from Redding to Bakersfield. Modesto is
the headquarters. By seeking out other organizations which are working on the
shared problems of the entire valley, the Center can link them up and down the
valley with others of like vision.
"We are trying to
enhance the capacity of the Valley by helping people to plan ahead. The
decisions we make today will affect the future." says Carol. Listing the
main challenges gives you an idea of the scope:
