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This Week at TomPaine.com ============================
EATING IN THE DARK FDA Will Not Require Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods
Americans have a right to know what's in our food. So how come the Food and Drug Administration wants us eating in the dark?
The FDA has proposed new rules that would NOT require genetically engineered (GE) food to be labeled as such. The rules would also continue to allow these foods to be sold without any required safety testing. We don't know what these foods might do to people with allergies or weak immune systems, or if they have any long-term effect on children.
The new FDA rules are not yet final. Consumers have one more week -- until May 3 -- to let the agency know what they think. They can do so at http://www.TrueFoodNow.org.
Credible polling shows Americans overwhelmingly favor GE food labeling. But if the FDA's new rules go through as drafted, Americans will be left eating in the dark.
READ OUR NEW YORK TIMES 'OP AD'... http://www.TomPaine.com/opad
...AND READ THESE OP-AD FEATURE STORIES...
THE LABELING LOGIC by Charles Margulis, Greenpeace
A detailed critique of the FDA's new GE food regulations. In sum: No labels, no tests, no problem, says FDA. http://www.tompaine.com/news/2001/04/24/index.html
THE A-B-C's OF GE FOOD by Rachel Massey, Environmental Research Foundation
In the rush to promote genetic engineering, safety testing has fallen through the cracks. The fourth in a series of articles on the science and regulation of GE foods, with links to the entire series. http://www.tompaine.com/opinion/2001/04/18/1.html
COMMON SENSE ON BIOTECH by Michael F. Jacobson, Center for Science in the Public Interest
The author is does not share the same suspicion of GE foods that other environmental and public health advocates have, but he agrees that labeling would help GE foods gain credibility with the public. http://www.tompaine.com/features/2001/04/24/1.html
CAN GE FOOD FEED THE WORLD? by Brian Halweil, WorldWatch Institute
The biotech industry says we need GE foods to feed an exploding world population. In congressional testimony, this researcher says that such technology isn't the solution to world hunger. http://www.tompaine.com/features/2001/04/24/index.html
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Also this week at TomPaine.com... ================================
TELL THE PREZ: EVERY DAY IS EARTH DAY by Andrew Werbrock, Assistant Editor, TomPaine.com
At the third presidential debate of the 2000 election, candidate George W. Bush announced: "If you own the land, every day is Earth Day." It looks like he missed a few days since taking office in January. A chronology. http://www.tompaine.com/opinion/2001/04/23/1.html
THE COLOR OF YOUTH CRIME by Lydia Holden, TomPaine.com Intern
A new report takes the media to task for its inaccurate coverage of crime, race and youth. Do distorted portrayals have an impact on policy or on public perceptions? http://www.tompaine.com/news/2001/04/23/1.html
MAKING GLOBALIZATION A LOCAL ISSUE by Neil Watkins, Center for Economic Justice
World Bank bonds are bought by institutional investors, trade union pension funds, and university endowments. This gives us a powerful tool to exert influence over an institution promoting an unsustainable model of globalization.
A TomPaine.commentary -- audio and text -- produced by Rupert Basco. http://www.tompaine.com/opinion/2001/04/23/index.html
CONFLICT IN QUEBEC by Mark Engler
Last weekend's demonstrations voiced criticisms of "free trade" and poked a hole in the anti-democratic "wall of shame" surrounding the meeting site in Quebec. But that fence needs to come down for good. How will globalization's critics make that happen? http://www.tompaine.com/opinion/2001/04/24/index.html
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