GMO Labeling Just Got Real
I just called my Senator. Up until now, I’ve been more interested in social media action, but the stakes are so high today that I had to take all steps possible. You see, tomorrow the Senate will decide whether or not to pass S. 2609–also known as the “Deny Americans the Right to Know” or DARK Act. After the House of Representatives passed it last year, the Senate is our last line of defense. The DARK Act would make it illegal for states to require GMO labeling and would override GMO labeling bills already in place–regardless of the fact that 94% of Americans want GMO labeling. Luckily, the Senate also has another bill…
.@HillaryClinton Loves #Solar Power…& Monsanto?
Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton seems to be staking her environmental fortunes on solar power. In anticipation of Obama’s Clean Power Plan announcement, Clinton announced her goal to expand solar power capacity 700% over the next five years, the equivalent of “putting solar panels on the roofs of more than 25 million homes.” With those kind of lofty environmental aspirations in place, what’s the deal with the (presumed) democratic candidate and Monsanto?
GMOs, By The Numbers
Is there a more controversial subject in the food world than GMOs? I don’t think so. With Connecticut and Maine passing GMO labeling laws last year, and 20 more states considering them, we all should get well informed about Genetically Modified Organisms. My problem with GMOs is that most manipulation of these plants involves making them able to better withstand high doses of pesticides. In fact, from 1996 to 2008—the first 13 years of commercial GMO crop production—there were 318 million more pounds of pesticides applied to crops. Take a look at this infographic, part of my “by the numbers” series this month. What do you think?
More Reasons to Eat Less Fish
Stories about radioactive tuna from the 2011 Fukushima meltdown that showed up 6,000 miles away on California’s shores sounded too crazy to be true. The FDA said the radiation was nothing to worry about in the United States, since you’d have to eat pounds of the stuff before being affected. But according to a 2011 Government Accountability Study, the FDA only inspects .1% of the fish we import for consumption.
