To receive periodic information about genetically engineered food crops, fish, trees, "pharming" and related subjects, subscribe to Sierra Club's Biotech Forum.
Correspondence about Sierra Club's genetic engineering positions should be sent to the chair of our Genetic Engineering Committee, lhopwood@roadrunner.com
What's New? What's News?
Press Release 1-10-12
New research should nail the coffin lid shut on a toxic bee-killing pesticide Entire food chain found to be contaminated, from soil to pollen to dead bees
One out of every three bites of food that we consume is due to the work of honeybees, serving as crucial pollinators. Yet our food supply may be severely impacted by the recently identified Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) syndrome that has annually wiped out more than 30% of all honeybees from 2005 to today!
Click below to read more, and for announcement of a new film, Nicotine Bees, which itself has compelling evidence.
The EPA asked for public comments by March 17, 2009 for input on its review of the insect pesticide Imidacloprid, a systemic neonicotinoid pesticide linked to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) of bees. Click the link to read Sierra Club comments, written by Genetic Engineering Action Team member Neil Carman, Ph.D.
Sierra Club urges EPA to suspend nicotinyl insecticides Sierra Club is requesting EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) to suspend use of the high volume pesticides known as the nicotinyl insecticides which may be causing or contributing to the mass die-off of bee colonies. Our PRESS RELEASE and LETTER to EPA give the details.
With evidence mounting that new seed chemical coatings are deadly to bees and following action in Germany calling for their immediate suspension, Sierra Club today reaffirmed its call for a U.S. moratorium on specific chemical treatments to protect our bees and crops until more definitive studies can be done. Read our press release.
Comments to APHIS on Draft Environmental Impact Statement
The Sierra Club has submitted comments on the USDA draft EIS [Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Docket No. APHIS-2006-0112] due to ongoing concerns about inadequate regulatory theory and practice.
If you’ve read about the alfalfa lawsuit (below), you know that we – and “we” includes Sierra Club, Western Organization of Resource Councils, National Family Farm Coalition, Beyond Pesticides, Cornucopia Institute, Dakota Resource Council, Trask Family Seeds, Geertson Seed Farms, and especially the Center for Food Safety, the lead plaintiffs -- have been hoping that Judge Breyer would make his temporary injunction permanent.Yes!It happened!
GE and bee Colony Collapse Disorder -- science needed!
We don't know the answers, only the questions on this one, but GE is among the suspects which need looking at. We've asked Sen. Harkin and the Senate Agriculture Committee to hold hearings on whether America's new gene-spliced agriculture is causing this new disease in America's essential pollinators.
Hugh S. Lehman, a recent addition to the Genetic Engineering Committee, writes about human health risks from GE food in jargon-free prose.He concludes, “The health of consumers may already be affected but, since nobody is investigating, it is virtually certain that such harm will go undetected for a very long time.”
Sierra Club joins suit over genetically engineered alfalfa
Sierra Club has joined a suit over USDA's approval of genetically engineered alfalfa for commercial planting.
Pharming
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Inspector General recently released an audit demonstrating that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued permits for, but had little to no knowledge of where, genetically engineered "pharm" crops were planted. Carl Pope's letter to APHIS outlines Sierra Club's position.
rBGH in milk and cheese Should performance enhancing steroid hormones, used to ramp up milk production, be banned in the dairy business? The cows would say yes, and so would Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the European Union – and Sierra Club. We searched for U.S. cheese made from cows not injected with recombinant bovine growth hormone and made a list of over 100 dairies and outlets. See our list.
Oppose Monsanto's genetically engineered wheat! We’re winning this one! Thanks if you’ve already signed our petition. Monsanto now claims it will not work toward commercialization of GE wheat, at least for the time being. We think this is a good time to increase our opposition. All the reasons we stated previously are still true: genetically engineered wheat would have far-reaching effects on farmers, consumers, and the environment. Organic farmers will face genetic contamination — industrial pollution with a life of its own. Conventional farmers will lose the right to save seed as Monsanto enforces its patents, and also will lose overseas markets because genetically engineered (GMO) grains aren't accepted. Prices will fall, as already has occurred with corn. We all lose as the DNA of "the staff of life" is adulterated by hacked, corporate-controlled genetic code whose chief rationale is to ensure the sale of more RoundUp.
Both human health and the health of the environment may be adversely affected, and the right to choice will not exist because the USDA and FDA oppose labeling. We'll get more RoundUp in our diet, too.
Wheat -- the amber waves of grain in the song -- are grasses, closely related to many wild relatives. Gene splicing will spread from farms into nature at large and with unpredictable long term results. For instance, other genes or alternative metabolic pathways can be affected.
Be part of the broad coalition opposing Monsanto's genetically engineered (GE) wheat. Whether you agree with us 100% or only in part, whether you believe that a yellow flag or a red stop sign is needed, please sign our petition.
For the text of our message to Secretary Veneman, click here.
Some handy references -- Why is the Release of Transgenic Crops into the Environment a Risk?
To receive periodic information about genetically engineered food crops, fish, trees, "pharming" and related subjects, subscribe to Sierra Club's Biotech Forum.
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