The Consumer’s Voice

Dear Editor:
As a consumer, I am increasingly disturbed at the confusing media reports about Genetically Engineered foods. Due to the growing number of consumer groups and religious organizations calling for a ban on GE foods, I feel that the only safe choice is to boycott all products which contain such ingredients and to buy organic. The USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently being taken to court by its own scientists who claim that their findings into this new science are being ignored. They have filed a lawsuit to compel the FDA to withdraw these products from American shelves as (according to FDA’s Life Scientists and Biologists) they produce new forms of proteins that may be harmful to humans.

I think it is time the American public is adequately informed about these new foods that are being forced down our throats. As almost all processed foods that appear on the shelves now contain a mixture of many of these artificially produced foods, we have a right as consumers to know which foods contain these ingredients and which do not.

We can only make an informed choice through adequate labeling on food products. The rest of the world is now in the process of banning such Frankenstein ingredients; the European Parliament refuses to serve GE foods to ministers, and Monsanto’s own cafeteria does not serve GE foods to its staff!!

It will not be possible to make an informed choice about the food my family consumes until the FDA, at the very least, rules in favor of compulsory labeling of foodstuffs that contain Genetically Engineered ingredients. For this to take place, there must be a concerted effort of concerned consumers urging the FDA to legislate for the labeling of ALL products that contain such ingredients. I sympathize with the plight of farmers today, who see their livelihoods threatened by consumers refusing to buy such hybrids. The only environmentally and ethically safe option is to farm organically. I hope the farmers see the error of following the financial motives of America’s agribusiness.
Yours Concerned,
Jennifer Smith
9442 S. Pleasant Avenue,
Chicago, IL 60620
PS: For further details of the FDA’s current court case, please see:
http://www.biointegrity.org/index.html

Making the Movement Visible

Dear New Renaissance:
The grass-roots environmental movement is largely invisible. Thousands of groups work at the local level but have no way to learn of each other’s existence, thus no easy way to communicate. A journalist looking for a grass-roots perspective on environmental problems or job safety may not know who to call. Someone concerned about policy at the state or federal level may not be able to find anyone who can provide a community-based perspective on environment-and-health problems.

The Rachel’s staff has begun a project to identify local groups working on any aspect of "environment and health," including occupational safety and health. We call it Making the Movement Visible.

Groups working on any aspect of "environment and health" at the community level are invited to add themselves to our public database of grass-roots environmental groups on the world-wide web (www.rachel.org). Organizations that service the needs of grass-roots community groups or job-safety groups are also welcome. To list your group (or some other group that you admire), just go to the "organizations" section of our web site and add your group to the list. (Note: Your listing will not become public immediately. We review all entries, to prevent fake groups from being added to the list.) No matter where you are working—in Iowa, Ixtapa, or Istanbul—if you have a community or workplace perspective on health and environment, please add your group to the database. Let’s all do ourselves a big favor and Make the Movement Visible! Check yourself in at www.rachel.org.
Yours,
Peter Montague
P.O. Box 5036, Annapolis, MD 21403
Fax (410) 263-8944; E-mail: erf@rachel.org

New Learning

Dear Editor:
Thanks for the good writing in the current New Renaissance Vol 9/3 (Future Visions). One important trend missing was the transformation of the learning system. A radically different learning system is required for the radically different social system portrayed in NR.. Future citizens cannot prepare for that future in authoritarian, hierarchical, patriarchal schools that teach the values of, and prepare them for participation in, a passing industrial society. Learning options for that future are explored in a new book released this summer, Creating Learning Communities, produced by A Coalition for Self Learning.

This book proposes a totally new way of thinking about and conducting education, from kindergarten through the university. It suggests that social needs, brain research, and new techniques and technologies make the reinvention of the learning system both necessary and possible.

Yours,
Bill Ellis tranet@rangeley.org
PO Box 567
Rangeley, ME 04970
USA

Saving Wetlands

Dear Editor:
We appreciate the support New Renaissance regularly gives to various ecological projects. Thus we’d like to let your readers know of our concerns about a wetlands area in Korea that is under threat.

Saemangum Wetlands are one of the largest and most important wetland areas in the world. It is also a treasure of a variety of living things, including more than 20,000 migratory birds and sea life. But, this cultural heritage may disappear due to the biggest reclamation project in the world. If the project proceeds, in 10 years our future generations will only be able to see concrete and pollution instead of natural wetlands and living things. We think this is a violation against future generations, thus, we feel the Korean government should stop the project immediately, and protect our wetlands for the region’s people and the future of our environment.

If your readers would send letters to us, we can forward them to the appropriate department of the Korean government, or if they would like more information, they can contact us. The basis for a letter could be something such as:

"We support the movement to save the Saemangum Wetlands with Green Korea United.

"We urge the Korean government to stop all projects being undertaken to reclaim the Saemangum Wetlands."

Please fax to +82-2-7664180, or email to environ@chollian.net

We thank you in advance for showing your support on this issue.

Sincerely,
Youk, Kyung-suk, Kimberly Salabsky
Coordinators, International Cooperation
Green Korea United

Peace From Hiroshima

Dear Editor:
I am writing to let you know about a free world peace prayer event that will take place in Hiroshima, Japan, December 12, 2000. I think you might be able to get our information to the kind of people who might be interested in joining us. A brochure is available to those interested. You can find more information at:

http://www.nttl-net.ne.jp/hiroshima2001 

(use link to get to English) or http://village.infoweb.ne.jp/~hi2001/index.html (for English directly)

This event will include a beautiful lantern floating ritual the night of the 11th, which will be the last full moon of the millennium in Hiroshima. The next morning at 8:15 (the time the A-bomb exploded) we will join hands, form a circle around the A-bomb Cenotaph in Hiroshima’s Peace Park, and have a moment of silence to recall the culmination of unrestrained power struggle. Then, after walking about five minutes to a hall that seats exactly 2001 people, we will say goodbye to the 20th century and, with music, symbolic action, and silence, offer a collective prayer that the 21st will see the end of war and a dramatic shift toward cooperation and harmony.
Sincerely,
Steve Leeper
transnet@urban.ne.jp
fax: 81-82-245-2051