The “Monsanto Rider”: Are Biotech Companies About to Gain Immunity from Federal Law?

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

More bad news from the USA.  Monsanto and other agrochemical companies can circumvent any Federal Court sanction against the planting of GM crops.  If they are so convinced there is nothing wrong with their products, why was this hidden away in a bill on Agricultural Appropriations.  It should of been done openly by trying to amend the Plant Protection Act.

This is what one NGO had to say about this rider;

In a statement issued last month, the Center For Food Safety had this to say about the biotech industry’s latest attempt to circumvent legal and regulatory safeguards:

Ceding broad and unprecedented powers to industry, the rider poses a direct threat to the authority of U.S. courts, jettisons the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) established oversight powers on key agriculture issues and puts the nation’s farmers and food supply at risk.

This is another reason we need a register of lobbyists in the UK, not just at the National level but also at the Local level.

The “Monsanto Rider”: Are Biotech Companies About to Gain Immunity from Federal Law?.

Climate Scientists Lament a Nation Stuck on the Wrong Debate

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

Even here in the UK, Central Government and Local Government are not taking climate change seriously.  In particularly here in Manchester, the Council is still allowing developers to build properties which are not energy efficient, do not harvest rainwater or recycle grey-water and make no use of renewable power.  Nor do they incorporate district heating into any of their developments.  They only need to look across the channel to see what can be done.  This article from Truthout makes the point that not enough is being done.

 

Climate Scientists Lament a Nation Stuck on the Wrong Debate.

Oil- The Next Revolution.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

Just what we need, someone to produce a report suggesting there is plenty more oil.  The problem is, we are too dependant of fossil fuels and we should be moving away from there use.  But a report like this, will simply put politicians minds at rest.  They will ignore climate change and continue with ‘business-as-usual’, even though it is not sustainable.  They will continue thinking some technology will come along and save the day.

But, I think all revealed in the forward, why this report was produced.  BP provided the funding for it, so was the author of this report being objective or subservient to his paymaster?

Oil- The Next Revolution.pdf (application/pdf Object).