Help make Surrey a GE Free Zone

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/407/935/550/ge-free-surrey-resolution/

After Richmond, we are now going to make Surrey a GE Free zone. Please sign our petition for municipal politicians there, and if you would like to get involved with the campaign, email gefreebc07@yahoo.com

Okanagan Regional District resolution against the GMO apple

One of our major campaigns right now is against the non-browning apple being development by Okanagan Specialty Fruits in Summerland, BC. We are working on this with CBAN, the True Food Foundation, the Council of Canadians Kelowna and the Okanagan Greens. The Okanagan Organic Festival on the 23rd September in Kelowna will focus on the GMO apple. And now the Regional District of the Okanagan and Similikameen has unanimously passed a resolution against the GMO apple, which will go to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities this September. We will be posting a letter you can send to your mayor and councillors in advance of this September meeting. The resolution follows:

GM “Enviropigs” Meet Dead End

Remaining GM pigs euthanized at the University of Guelph

June 22, 2012. Ottawa. Yesterday Postmedia reported that the University of Guelph has euthanized its genetically engineered (also called genetically modified or GM) pigs as it shuts down what was poised to be the first GM food animal in the world.

American Medical Association calls for testing of GMOs

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/stew/chi-gmos-should-be-safety-tested-before-they-hit-the-market-says-ama-20120619,0,4405082.story

Join the protest against spraying of pesticides in the Okanagan

Join NO Spray Rally:  Bee SAFE and other groups are opposed to having 20,000 litres of Foray 48B pesticide sprayed at the top of our watershed because it is NOT A SOLUTION to anything and it is not inoffensive as the Ministry would have us believe. Fill up a car, bring pots and pans, and join us Saturday at 1:30 at Franks’ store in Cherryville for a NO spray Rally. See the letter Bee SAFE wrote the Ministry explaining why spraying pesticides is the wrong way to go. We are asking to restore forest health instead of causing more harm.

For details email huguette.allen@gmail.com

It’s official – GE crops don’t work and are bad for us

http://earthopensource.org/files/pdfs/GMO_Myths_and_Truths/GMO_Myths_Truths_press-final_EU.pdf

This is a really important study so we are posting the summary in full. This is probably the most definitive report to date to show us we don’t need GE foods.

Why genetically engineered food is dangerous: New report by genetic engineers Earth Open Source 17 June 2012

The report called “GMO Myths and Truths, An evidence-based examination of the claims made for the safety and efficacy of genetically modified crops”, by Michael Antoniou, PhD, Claire Robinson, and John Fagan, PhD is published by Earth Open Source. The report is 123 pages long and contains over 600 citations, many of them from the peer-reviewed scientific literature and the rest from reports by scientists, physicians, government bodies, industry, and the media. The report is available here:http://earthopensource.org/index.php/reports/58 A shorter summary version will be released in the coming weeks. Below are some key points from the report.

Help make Surrey, North Vancouver and Vancouver GE free

After our success in Richmond we have targeted Vancouver, North Vancouver City and Surrey in the Lower Mainland as the next municipalities to go GE Free. If you are interested in helping out in any way, please get back to us.

We need people to get petitions out, lobby their councillors, educate others, put material in their local stores, and come to the council meetings.

For Surrey contact Phil Harrison at thebigph@gmail.com, he is coordinating the work there.

For Vancouver and North Vancouver reply to gefreebc07@yahoo.com

Please circulate to your lists. We look forward to hearing from you.

Two new natural non-browning apples released

Two new apple varieties released in Australia and neither is genetically engineered – so why exactly do we need a GE apple?

http://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2012/03/20/season-commences-for-new-apple-varieties-in-australia.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AustralianFoodNews+%28Australian+Food+News%29

Deconstructing Dinner’s Reincarnation onto the Screen

June 14, 2012

Dear Friends of Deconstructing Dinner and Supporters of Good Food,

I’m really excited to announce that this week marks the launch of an important online fundraising campaign, which, if successful, will support the production of a six-part Deconstructing Dinner online-accessible television series. I’m writing to ask for yours’ and your organization’s support in helping spread the word of this campaign to your friends, colleagues, members, supporters and networks.

Urgent! Virus threat to salmon

CALL TO INDIGENOUS SALMON DEFENDERS!

VIRUS THREAT TO INDIGENOUS/WILD SALMON!

WARNING FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND FISHERS!

Deadly European viruses have been discovered in our indigenous/wild
salmon and may lead to their extinction in less than five years! The
human health effects of these viruses are unknown. We have to act now!

How to set up a GE Free zone in your community

After our success in persuading Richmond Council to become a GE Free zone, we have had a lot of requests from communities around the Province wanting to do the same. So we have uploaded campaign material in our resources section – either go to that section directly from the top bar of this blog, or click on the link below:

http://gefreebc.wordpress.com/resources-for-ge-free-bc/

How pesticides hurt bees

We’ve been having a lot of discussions recently at GE Free BC about bees pollinating apples and the implications of this for the plans for a genetically engineered non-browning apple. Here are a couple of related articles on how pesticides affect bees.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/science/neocotinoid-pesticides-play-a-role-in-bees-decline-2-studies-find.html?_r=2&src=me&ref=general

Harry Burton on why we don’t need a GE apple

Apple Cravings by Harry Burton

(Source COG: http://www.cog.ca/news/55/68/Not-in-My-Lunchbox/)

The first tree of every apple variety grew from a single seed. To create that seed, pollen from another apple variety (the male), landed on the stigma of an apple blossom where it germinated. This fertilization process combines DNA from two apple varieties, so that the apple seed, just like any child born, is different from the parents. Thus, every apple seed that grows produces a TOTALLY NEW APPLE VARIETY.

Are Bt toxins safe to eat?

Apparently not! Check out this link

http://www.watershedsentinel.ca/content/are-bt-toxins-safe-eat

OKANAGAN TAKES BITE OUT OF PLAN FOR GENETICALLY MODIFIED APPLE

http://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/news/158172985.html

Our campaigning is working. South Okanagan Regional Council are opposing the planned GE apple. Check back to this blog for updates on the GE apple campaign, and if you want to get involved in a campaign against GE crops and apples in your community email us at gefreebc07@yahoo.com

Why we don’t need a GE apple

I am writing this letter as president of the Similkameen Okanagan Organic Treefruit Growers Association regarding the CFIA application GD 743 and GS 784 – the request for approval of the sale/distribution of the Arctic tree/apple. We request that the following points be considered in evaluating it.

Loss of Organic Production

   The inevitable measureable impact of the “Arctic” apple on the local economy will be a loss of at least $4,000,000 annually. Because of cross-pollination [bees fly as much as 4 miles from a hive], organic producers will not get certification. This will cost organic tree fruit growers in the Okanagan-Similkameen  (based on 16,000 bins of apple production) $2,500,000 in revenue annually . The Cawston Cold Storage Packinghouse will close: they cannot remain open running just soft fruit, costing local jobs and eliminating a payroll approaching $1,500,000. Next to School District #53, CCS is the biggest employer in the Similkameen. It is unclear, whether the other two organic packing sheds, Harkers and Organics Plus can stay open but in any scenario the loss of organic apples will result in job cuts. The total impact on the economy, the loss to suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, truckers, local business, is hard to gauge but will be in the millions.

First super weeds, now super insects?

http://www.nationofchange.org/first-super-weeds-now-super-insects-thanks-monsanto-1338362046

Head of Ag Committee in South Delta supports GE crops

Read this article about South Delta, BC, in the wake of the decision by neighbouring Richmond to pass a GE Free zone resolution

http://www.southdeltaleader.com/news/157869875.html#storyComments

How California could force the rest of the US to Label GMOs

—By Tom Philpott

http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/05/california-gmo-labeling

Thu May. 31, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

In November, California voters will decide on a ballot initiative that would require labeling of all foods containing ingredients from genetically modified crops. The initiative made it to the ballot after almost 1 million Californians signed a petition in favor of it—nearly double the 504,760 signatures needed under the state’s proposition rules. The campaign that organized the push to get the measure on the ballot focused on

possible health effects of GMO foods