Please Tell Them To Vote NO Today!
Dear Friends,
I don't usually mix politics and blogging, but this new bill hits right where it counts--in our stomachs. It will take away local food labeling rights and help keep gene-altered ingredients in our food. Here's the low-down:
Tell your Congressman or Congresswoman to vote "No" on House of Representatives Bill H.R. 4167, the "National Uniformity for Food Act," coming to a vote in Washington, D.C on March 8.
The House of Representatives will vote Wednesday on a controversial "national food uniformity" labeling law that will take away local government and states' power to require food safety food labels such as those required in California and other states on foods or beverages that are likely to cause cancer, birth defects, allergic reactions, or mercury poisoning. This bill would also prevent citizens in local municipalities and states from passing laws requiring that genetically engineered foods and ingredients such as Monsanto's recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) be labeled.
Big food corporations and the biotech industry understand that consumers are more and more concerned about food safety, genetic engineering, and chemical-intensive agriculture, and are reading labels more closely. They understand that pesticide and mercury residues and hazardous technologies such as genetic engineering and food irradiation will be rejected if there are truthful labels required on food products.
Industry-sponsored H.R. 4167 is gaining momentum and must be stopped! Act now! Preserve local and regional democracy and protect yourself and your family from unsafe food by sending an email or calling your Representative and urging them to vote "No" on H.R. 4167.
Please Take Action Now--Send a Message to Your Congress Member in the House of Representatives to Vote "No" on H.R. 4167. Read more at OrganicConsumers.org, or immediately call or email your State Representative by clicking here. Time is almost out; Please act now!
For more information:
Reuters
Tell your Congressman or Congresswoman to vote "No" on House of Representatives Bill H.R. 4167, the "National Uniformity for Food Act," coming to a vote in Washington, D.C on March 8.
The House of Representatives will vote Wednesday on a controversial "national food uniformity" labeling law that will take away local government and states' power to require food safety food labels such as those required in California and other states on foods or beverages that are likely to cause cancer, birth defects, allergic reactions, or mercury poisoning. This bill would also prevent citizens in local municipalities and states from passing laws requiring that genetically engineered foods and ingredients such as Monsanto's recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) be labeled.
Big food corporations and the biotech industry understand that consumers are more and more concerned about food safety, genetic engineering, and chemical-intensive agriculture, and are reading labels more closely. They understand that pesticide and mercury residues and hazardous technologies such as genetic engineering and food irradiation will be rejected if there are truthful labels required on food products.
Industry-sponsored H.R. 4167 is gaining momentum and must be stopped! Act now! Preserve local and regional democracy and protect yourself and your family from unsafe food by sending an email or calling your Representative and urging them to vote "No" on H.R. 4167.
Please Take Action Now--Send a Message to Your Congress Member in the House of Representatives to Vote "No" on H.R. 4167. Read more at OrganicConsumers.org, or immediately call or email your State Representative by clicking here. Time is almost out; Please act now!
For more information:
Reuters
Center for Food Safety Call to Action (This links to a page where you can send a pre-drafted e-letter to your congressperson opposing the bill in about 30 seconds.)
Attention Missouri Residents: We also need to take action on a new pro-GMO bill that will keep local communities from blocking GMO seeds. This pro-Monsanto legislation needs to be stopped now! Act before March 8! Please visit OrganicConsumers.org for more information.
Okay, I've got to go. Frederica's in labor.
I'm fine. Go let your voice be heard. And spread the word!
Okay, I've got to go. Frederica's in labor.
I'm fine. Go let your voice be heard. And spread the word!
I found this article really interesting. Living in the UK, it is scary to see the legislative opinion on these things. While in Europe we are debating bans on GM foods, the effect on agriculture and the effect on the food chain as well as having nationally enforced, detailed, food labelling schemes, which infact food companies are now introducing voluntarily years before the legislation would come into effect. In the 'States you are debating legislation to *stop* people having a say about what they put into their own bodies.
ReplyDeleteThe propositions you talk about would be a kick in the teeth for all consumers, surely everyone has the right to decide wether to eat potentially dangerous substances and to make up their own minds about how dangerous these things are based on real information?!
I really hope they do not get through!
Just for reference:
BBC News: Food colour coding 'best option'
BBC News: Europe 'stopped GM food imports'
BBC News: Food firms 'go own way on labels'
Did it. Thanks much for the alert.
ReplyDeleteGood job getting the word out on this.
ReplyDeleteHi Ren Jones,
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the farm! Thanks for taking the time to write about this--and for the great links. I'd better not say anything more (lest I get very, very carried away) except that I, too, hope this bill does not get through!
Hi Kat,
It's hard to keep up with everything. And sneaky bills like this aren't exactly highly publicized much of the time. I only heard about it on Sunday, though it turns out I was probably one of the last few to know (besides you, of course : )--thank goodness.
Thanks for the positive words about NRDC--I don't know much about them.
Hi Pat L,
Great! And you're very welcome.
Hi Kalyn,
Thanks so much. Not a lot of response to this post, but I'm hoping that's because everyone who read it 1) had already sent letters, made phone calls, etc. or 2) immediately dashed off to send letters, make phone calls, etc.
I have learned a lot of scary things about the state of/what goes into our food supply since moving to the country. And I think that people deserve to know what dangerous things are actually in their dinner. But see, now I'm starting to get carried away. : )
Click here if you'd like to read more about how little Americans know about Genetically Modified foods in our food supply. I just read yesterday that something like 70% of all items in a typical supermarket contain genetically modified foods. Most people have no idea that's the case.
E-mail sent!
ReplyDeleteI got a form letter e-mail response right away, and supposedly the dude responds to people from his own district. But I'll believe that when I see it.
Hi Sunidesus,
ReplyDeleteWay to go! : )