NOVEMBER 28, 2011

2nd UPDATE

THE CALIFORNIA RIGHT TO KNOW GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD ACT Initiative was filed with the California Secretary of State on November 9, 2011.  This is a big deal folks and 20 years in the making!!!!! We should have the verified, approved petition back and in our hands and ready for the signature gathering the first week in January 2012.

In the meantime, have had a workshop training  on how to gather the signatures. Will be holding other workshops for the over 80 volunteer signature gatherers here in SLO County.  I am working with a couple of fantastic Cal Poly groups, Empower Poly and Real Food. The students are such a resource and a delight to work with.

Volunteers are wanting to gather signatures in their neighborhood, community groups, church groups, at farmer markets, from local growers and grocery stores, co-ops and health food stores.

I am working with Transition California with over a 1,000 members on gathering signatures in every transition town in California. This has Transition written all over it. There is a real energy and determination surrounding this campaign and is very exciting.

In the next couple of weeks I will be holding  more workshops. I want to concentrate our efforts and hit SLO county in a tidal wave with a sweep that will last 2 weeks starting on Valentines day and ending on the 29th. It’s a leap year.

If anyone is interested in getting involved do sign up at labelgmos.org. There is something for everyone. And if you have never done anything like this before, this is great way to get involved with something that will make a difference.  This is grass roots stuff and you can do no wrong.

Everyone could get at least one signature and that one could make all the difference.  I encourage you to sign up. It really has a very stimulating effect.  And just for fun ask your local grocery store, health food, co-op if they will be supporting the initiative to Label GMO’s.  That just gets the buzz going. People start talking and asking when they can sign the petition.  It will make our appearance something to look forward to.

O.k. Folks, more info below. Thanks for dropping in for the update.  Jeanne

p.s. I made the tee for about $5. Got a shirt at Michaels for $2.50, downloaded the press-on mirror image from the label gmo site,  printed it out on my printer then bought the iron on sheets, package of 6, for $8.  The printer didn’t pick up good color so I just filed it in with a blue permanent marker. Piece of cake and fun to do.

Reposting an article  from NaturalNews on

Monsanto’s Roundup linked to deadly diseases and birth defects, most people have no idea by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer.

Also, I have included at the end of this article the latest action by Label GMO’s.org. to get a California Initiative on the ballot to make labeling of all GMO’s mandatory. All I can say is the time for bitching and moaning about how bad it is, is over. It is time to start turning this thing around.

If you like being in driver’s seat then this is where you need to be.  Take this initiative process and drive it home. They (WE)  need 800,000 signatures. Sound like a lot of work? It is a lot especially if only a handful of people are doing it all. I encourage you for your own peace of mind and satisfaction to get one name on a petition. And encourage that person to get a name and before you know it there are a million and one names. And a million and one more people who can feel better about themselves because they have made a difference. The power of one.  One name at a time is easy and you know and I know you can do that.

p.s. TODAY (AUGUST 20,2011) I ATTENDED A SEED MEETING WITH THE “LABEL GMO” PEOPLE. THEY NEEDED A POINT PERSON TO COLLECT SIGNATURES IN SLO. WELL, ALL FINGERS POINTED AT ME. IT IS TIME TO WALK THE WALK JEANNE GIRL. SO I AM ANNOUNCING I AM THE OFFICIAL CONTACT PERSON IN SLO IF YOU WANT TO SIGN ON TO KICKING SOME GMO BUTT. MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN PUT SLO ON THE MAP AND GET NATIONAL ATTENTION FOR ALL THINGS GOOD AND GREEN BY COLLECTING THE MOST SIGNATURES.

MY HOPE, ALSO, IS THAT ALL THE TERRIFIC AND CONSCIENTIOUS GROUPS OF DEDICATED PEOPLE WORKING INDEPENDENTLY ON PROJECTS THAT ARE ADDRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES CAN BAN TOGETHER FOR a VERY BRIEF AND SHINNING MOMENT TO COLLECTIVELY AND WITHOUT HESITATION, DELIVER a VERY SWIFT, DECISIVE BLOW TO ONE OF THE LARGEST THREATS TO OUR ENVIRONMENT, MONSANTO, THE GRIM REAPER TO ALL LIVING THINGS.

EVERYBODY, MOMS, DADS, STUDENTS, SENIORS, RICH, POOR, FARMERS, COMPUTER NERDS, SAINTS AND SINNERS HAS A STAKE IN THIS INITIATIVE TO LABEL GMO’S.  WE ALL EAT FOOD. INITIATIVE DETAILS BELOW. jeanne@holeinthefence.net if you want to leave contact info. thank you, thank you, thank you.

(NaturalNews) A recent report put together by various professors, scholars and researchers affiliated with Earth Open Source, a collaboration group devoted to food issues, cites in great deal the multitude of peer-reviewed scientific studies which show that Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide (glyphosate), which is applied to many genetically-modified (GM) crops, is responsible for causing birth defects, endocrine disruption, DNA damage, reproductive and developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, and cancer — and yet government agencies around the world continue to ignore this crucial information, and withhold it from the public, as they push for its approval or expanded use.

One of the main studies highlighted in the report was published in the August 2010 edition of Chemical Research in Toxicology, and it showed that Roundup causes malformations in frog and chicken embryos at levels much lower than those used on agricultural crops. And since Roundup-ready GM crops are designed to tolerate the herbicide, not resist it, they literally absorb Roundup, which is then passed on in much higher levels to humans that eat the tainted crops.

Another study conducted as part of the Argentine government’s research group CONICET found high rates of the same or similar birth defect in humans living near GM soy crops that were routinely sprayed with Roundup, indicating a clear connection between the chemical and human birth defects. More than half of the growing land in Argentina is now dominated by GM soy, which is sprayed with about 53 millions gallons of Roundup every single year.

The authors of the report say that this and the bulk of other independent, indicting evidence against Roundup has been largely ignored by governments, including in the EU where new data requirements will demand that proper investigation into the safety of GMOs is conducted. Rather than rely on industry-funded pseudoscience that claims GMOs are safe, authors say those working for the people must rise to the occasion and take charge in having proper safety evaluations conducted on the safety of Roundup.

“The public … has been kept in the dark by industry and regulators about the ability of glyphosate and Roundup to cause malformations,” write the authors in their summary. “[T]he work of independent scientists who have drawn attention to the herbicide’s teratogenic effects has been ignored, denigrated, or dismissed … They have also contributed to the growing division between independent and industry science, which in turn erodes public trust in the regulatory process.”

Sources for this story include:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/57277946/…

Rather than just put a link up here I have copied their whole page so you can browse.  All the links work and take you to their site.

Our Task

Given the challenges, our task is to wake ourselves up and remember the power we hold when we join together.  Obviously, we can do nothing alone. Or with only a few.  But when large numbers of us come together,  we CAN make change. We already have. I am a parent.  I learned long ago that […]

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Our Mission The Challenge Our Task

Learn

Here you can find resources to educate yourself and others on Genetically Modified Organisms, and what happens when they are in your food. The Science Basic FAQ’s Resources   Digg this post Recommend on Facebook Share with Stumblers Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post Tell a friend

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What You Can DO

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”   -Margaret Mead We can do this if we remember that consistent baby steps done by many creates change. This is a Ballot Initiative for California, but it’s really about the whole country.  […]

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We have two major funding  campaigns – one to get all the required signatures for the initiative to qualify.  The other is to run the educational campaign to get people out and “VOTE YES For Our Right To Know About GMOs.” Every donation matters. We need both large and small.  We appreciate whatever you can […]

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