Well here is an entire GM article, from the anti-gm side, don't want to be
guilty of bias. One quote is most telling to me.
Greenpeace Campaigner Emma Gibson explained:
"Most people don't know that GM is still being sneaked into our food chain
by being dumped into the feed of animals like chickens. By continuing these
GM imports, Cargill is ignoring valid public concerns about the effects of
feeding GM crops to animals and the environmental risks involved in growing
them".
Although I do have concern with GM, this approach leaves me a bit cold. Ms
Gibson speaks of "food chain" in a very concrete sense. This indicates, to
me, a fairly low level of understanding about what food chains are. Also the
so call "valid public concern" is a bit of a red herring. So far the public
concern seems to be a reaction to largely unproven effects. So, I guess
there is public concern, but "valid"? Not really.
We had a brief spat about the mode of social protest over environmental
issues last week. This seem connected IMO in that we now have elevated GM to
a major environmental issue in the mostly absence of any meaningful evidence
of harm. The reason I'm concerned about this is because policy makers who
don't want to take any real action on environmental issues can point to this
and roll out the "Chicken Little" argument. This has been the successful
policy approach for over a decade in keeping the US from adopting any sort
of global warming policy.
As most of the people on this list know by now, I feel that animal rights is
an issue which has been put into the environmental camp without good cause.
I now see that GM is an issue for some people who are concerned with
something to do with human health, or agricultural economics, or the like,
and they have successfully made GM into an environmental concern.
Makes me wonder if the day will ever come when the environmental movement
will achieve meaningful political goals. Gore should have been elected on
his environmental record alone. Never mind that he is a wimp and probably
not the most truthful person to ever run for office, on the environment he's
a saint compared to Bush. However, the environment did not, as near as I can
see, play any role in this election, except for the votes it took away from
Gore. The US is going to get a President who thinks that global warming
"needs more study" and will appoint cabinet officers who will make sure
nothing happens in the next four years on any environmental issue. I think
that we environmentalists are our own worst enemies.
Steven
In the final analysis one should think only
of one single science: the science of man,
or, more exactly expressed, social science,
of which our own existence constitutes at
once the principle and the purpose and in
which the rational study of the external
world naturally comes to merge, for this
double reason that the science of nature is
a necessary constituent of and a basic
preamble to social science.
Auguste Comte
Discourses, 1884
-----Original Message-----
From: GEN lists [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2000 5:23 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: GE 2 - chickens run amok
For Immediate Release: 8.15am, Monday, 20 November, 2000.
Eco-chickens Shut Down Importer of GM Soya
At 8.00 am this morning (Monday 20 November) sixty Greenpeace volunteers
dressed as pantomime chickens invaded and shut down the UK's only GM soya
mill. The invasion comes the day after fast food chain McDonalds announced
that it was to ban meat from animals fed on GM in its UK stores.
The plant at Gladstone Docks, Liverpool, is the main gateway for GM crop
imports into the UK and processes both GM and normal soya. Most of the crop
is mixed into animal feed, while oil extracted from the beans is sold for
use in food such as crisps and biscuits. Neither GM animal feed or GM
derivatives in food are required to be labelled.
Greenpeace accuses Cargill, the multinational company running the plant, of
sneaking GM crops into the UK foodchain. The volunteers intend to continue
the occupation until the company agrees to stop GM imports into the UK and
makes the Liverpool facility GM free.
The chickens were concealed in four trucks which were driven into the plant
through the main gate. The trucks were immobilised, blocking the
weigh-stations used by grain trucks as they enter and leave the site. Sixty
chickens then burst out of the back of the trucks and dispersed across the
facility. Many have now chained themselves to equipment in the plant.
A team of Greenpeace climbers also scaled and shut down a 40-metre-high
conveyor belt, which transports soya from silos to the crushing plant. After
attaching a 'GM INSIDE' banner to the mechanism they set up camp in a
Portaledge (a small tent suspended over the side of the conveyor belt).
Cargill security workers are present at the scene and attempting to round up
chickens.
Greenpeace Campaigner Emma Gibson explained:
"Most people don't know that GM is still being sneaked into our food chain
by being dumped into the feed of animals like chickens. By continuing these
GM imports, Cargill is ignoring valid public concerns about the effects of
feeding GM crops to animals and the environmental risks involved in growing
them".
She continued:
"This one plant is responsible for importing almost all the GM soya that
enters the UK foodchain. If Cargill ends these imports and stops
contaminating our animal feed supply, they will be satisfying both the
public and the majority of food producers and retailers who want food that
is GM free". >>CONTS>>
CONTACT: 0207 865 8255/6/7
A recent opinion poll by NOP, commissioned by Greenpeace, found that 67% of
consumers wanted an end to the practice of feeding GM crops to animals.
Ninety percent thought that products from animals raised on GM crops should
be labelled. Iceland, Tesco, Sainsbury, CWS, Asda and Marks and Spencer have
all committed to the removal of GM from animal feed.
For people wanting to avoid GM, Greenpeace have set up a guide on their
website advising which food producers avoid GM animal feed, including a
guide to GM free chickens.
ENDS
EDITOR'S NOTES
[1] For up to date information on the progress of the action, or to arrange
an interview with the climbers or a campaigner, please contact Greenpeace
Press Office on 07801 212993, 07801 212968 or 0207 865 8255/6/7.
Due to the layout of the facility it is difficult to obtain images of the
protest from outside. However Greenpeace will be able to provide stills and
video footage of events as they unfold.
For additional background on the protest and the issue of GM ingredients
being used in animal feed go to the Greenpeace UK website -
<http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/>www.greenpeace.org.uk.
[2] Three ships carrying GM soya from the United States are reported to have
unloaded at Gladstone Docks this year. One of the ships, the Iolcos Grace,
carrying 75,000 tonnes of GM soya, was boarded by Greenpeace volunteers off
Anglesey on February 26th , 2000, as part of Greenpeace UK's ongoing
campaign against GM imports.
As a result of UK consumer rejection of GM food and the failure of the US
grain industry to segregate GM from non-GM crops, exports of soya from the
US to UK have tailed off dramatically in the past three years. The US
Department of Agriculture predicts that in 2000 their soya exports to the UK
will be as low as 150,000 tonnes - down from 500,000 tonnes in 1998.
Visit the Greenpeace UK website at
<http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/>http://www.greenpeace.org.uk
check out if there is GM in your shopping basket:
<http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/gm>www.greenpeace.org.uk/gm
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