-----Original Message-----
From: H-Net Discussion List on Nature in Legend and Story
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Boria Sax, Mercy College
Sent: Friday, August 11, 2000 1:20 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Fwd: 4 Labeling of GE Foods Media Campaign



PLEASE READ THIS E-MAIL CAREFULLY, WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF PASSING
LEGISLATION THIS YEAR TO REQUIRE THE MANDATORY LABELING OF GENETICALLY
ENGINEERED FOODS.

This e-mail will provide several important action steps to take. I want to
emphasis that we are now beginning the heat of the battle.

Normally it takes four years or more to pass legislation thought the United
States Congress, if it gets passed at all. Our goal with The Campaign to
Label Genetically Engineered Foods has been to get the Genetically
Engineered
Foods Right to Know Act passed into law during year 2000.

THE CAMPAIGN'S MANAGEMENT HAS ALWAYS FELT THAT THE ONLY WAY IT WOULD BE
POSSIBLE TO PASS LEGISLATION IN THIS RECORD TIME IS TO USE THE LEVERAGE THE
YEAR 2000 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PROVIDES.

We are now entering into the most crucial time. If we are to be successful,
we must increase awareness of the issue of genetically engineered foods to
that of a policy debate by the presidential candidates.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE CAMPAIGN TO LABEL GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS NOW
HAS AVAILABLE ALL THE TOOLS NECESSARY TO RAISE THE ISSUE OF GENETICALLY
ENGINEERED FOODS TO THAT OF PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS.

The part of this equation The Campaign can not provide is the grassroots
activism of you in the field.

If we are to be successful it is going to require ACTION by those of you
reading this e-mail. PLEASE READ ON IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ENOUGH TO TAKE
ACTION.

The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods has launched an all new
web site http://www.thecampaign.org

On the new web site, you will find three Easy Action steps to take.

EASY ACTION STEP ONE is to sign The Campaign's online petition to the
President, Congress, the FDA, the EPA and the USDA.

EASY ACTION STEP TWO is to send form letters to the Presidential Candidates
and Congress. You may also want to send letters to the FDA, the EPA, the
USDA, leading grocery stores and large food manufacturers.

EASY ACTION STEP THREE is to send e-mail to the media. YOU ARE STRONGLY
ENCOURAGED TO TAKE ACTION STEP THREE AND E-MAIL THE MEDIA. In less than five
minutes you will be able to e-mail the majority of newspapers and television
stations in your state asking them to provide coverage of the candidates'
positions on labeling genetically engineered foods. PLEASE DO THIS NOW OR
SOMETIME WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS.   <A
HREF="www.thecampaign.org/mediacenter.htm">www.thecampaign.org/mediacenter.h
tm
</A>

E-mailing the media really is an Easy Action step. Let me explain how easy
it
is. When you go to The Campaign's Media Center, you will see a sample e-mail
form letter. SIMPLY COPY THE SAMPLE E-MAIL TEXT AND THEN CLICK ON THE NAME
OF
YOUR STATE. A list of newspapers, magazines, televisions stations and radio
stations in your state will come up. Go to the bottom of the list and click
"SELECT ALL." Then click "COMPOSE MESSAGE." Next, just paste the sample
e-mail into the "WRITE YOUR MESSAGE" box. If you desire, you can add your
own
comments to the sample letter or modify it in any way you want.

The last step is to click "SEND MESSAGE." Congratulations! You have just let
the media in your state know that you want them to cover the issue of
genetically engineered foods. Plus you have asked them to provide press
coverage of the positions of the candidates on the issue of labeling
genetically engineered foods.

IF ENOUGH OF YOU SEND E-MAIL TO THE MEDIA IT CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT
ON
THE PRESS COVERAGE THE ISSUE OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS GETS DURING THE
NEXT THREE MONTHS.

Those of you who decide to communicate further with the press will find The
Campaign's Media Center an invaluable resource. Clicking on any of the media
contacts will provide you with many more options. For example, when you
click
on ABC News you will have the ability to send e-mail to people like Barbara
Walters, Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel and Sam Donaldson.

Engaging the American media in reporting on the issue of genetically
engineered foods is an essential factor in raising the issue to presidential
level politics. If we are not able to get the media asking the Presidential
Candidates their positions on genetically engineered foods, it is highly
unlikely that the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act will be
acted
on by Congress this year.

IF WE ARE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THE AMERICAN MEDIA TO ASK THE PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATES TO DEFEND THEIR POSITIONS ON GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS,
ANYTHING WILL BE POSSIBLE. Even if this does not create enough momentum to
get the bills moving forward in Congress, it can leverage the candidates
into
taking a position in favor of labeling genetically engineered foods. Without
this assurance our battle will be far harder next year, regardless of who
gets elected to be President.

CONCERNED CITIZENS HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF LEVERAGE IN THESE THREE MONTHS
BEFORE THE ELECTION. AFTER THE ELECTION OUR LEVERAGE PRACTICALLY DISAPPEARS.
SO THE OPPORTUNITY IS NOW!

ACTION ALERT: With that background, we are calling an Action Alert to send
form letters to the Democratic Vice-Presidential Candidate Senator Joseph
Lieberman. As you may be aware, Senator Joseph Lieberman is Jewish.
Apparently he is also strict in his adherence to traditional customs such as
eating Kosher foods. If non-Kosher animal genes get genetically engineered
into unlabeled foods, it creates a major challenge for Jewish consumers.

Senator Lieberman has an excellent environmental voting record. The League
of
Conservation voters give him a 95 rating.
http://www.lcv.org/news/080700-Liberman.htm

Joseph Lieberman is a Senator we earlier predicted would be one of the first
to endorse the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act in the Senate.
Although he has not yet co-sponsored the legislation, we feel he is leaning
in that direction.

If Lieberman feels enough pressure from concerned citizens, Jewish or
otherwise, he may be able to influence Al Gore to move in a more favorable
position towards labeling genetically engineered foods.

Al Gore is rapidly becoming aware of the deep concern environmental voters
have over the issue of genetically engineered foods. But Gore does not want
to upset the farm state voters by taking a position unpopular with many
farmers who like the convenience of growing genetically engineered crops.

Bringing up the Jewish-Kosher concern with Democratic Vice-Presidential
Candidate Joseph Lieberman gives us another important angle on why consumers
want labeling of genetically engineered foods.

We have placed an Action Alert on The Campaign's home page. Here is a direct
link to the Lieberman form letter:
http://www.thecampaign.org/senate/DVPC-Lieberman.htm

THE CAMPAIGN'S TAKE ACTION PACKET

Besides The Campaign's powerful new web site, the most valuable tool we have
made available is our 24 page TAKE ACTION PACKET. These are only 25 cents
each when you order 100 or more.

Although sales of the TAKE ACTION PACKETS have been good, it is essential to
the financial stability of The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered
Foods
that we sell tens of thousands more.

PLEASE SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF THE CAMPAIGN TO LABEL GENETICALLY ENGINEERED
FOODS BY PURCHASING OUR TAKE ACTION PACKETS.

Because we have had requests by people to purchase quantities of less than
100, we are now also offering the TAKE ACTION PACKETS in quantities of 25.
However, if you only order 25 at a time, they will be send by Priority Mail
at a higher cost than when we send 100 of them by the book rate price. The
price for 25 is $10. 100 copies are only $25.

You can order online on our secured server at:
http://www.thecampaign.org/action.htm
Or place your order by telephone by calling us at 425-771-4049.

Thanks for taking the time to read this News Update and for taking action
now.

Craig Winters
Executive Director
The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods

The Campaign
PO Box 55699
Seattle, WA 98155
Tel: 425-771-4049
Fax: 603-825-5841
E-mail: mailto:[log in to unmask]
Web Site: http://www.thecampaign.org

Mission Statement: "To create a national grassroots consumer campaign for
the
purpose of lobbying Congress and the President to pass legislation that will
require the labeling of genetically engineered foods in the United States."



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