Saturday, January 12, 2013

What Organic and Natural Food Companies funded NO to Prop 37?


10 Jan 2012

I find it interesting that many of the companies that donated millions of dollars to fight the proposal to label GMO product in California were actually companies that advertise organic.  I even was buying a few of the products thinking that they were "with us".  Here is a list of those who donated against Prop 37.  It is time to fightback and boycott their foods.

These are called the Organic and Natural Traitor Brands

 PepsiCo (Donated $2.5M): Naked Juice, Tostito's Organic, Tropicana Organic • Kraft (Donated $2M): Boca Burgers and Back to Nature • Safeway (Member of Grocery Manufacturers Association, which donated $2M):"O" Organics • Coca-Cola (Donated $1.7M): Honest Tea, Odwalla • General Mills (Donated $1.2M): Muir Glen, Cascadian Farm, Larabar • Con-Agra (Donated $1.2M): Orville Redenbacher's Organic, Hunt's Organic, Lightlife, Alexia • Kellogg's (Donated $791k): Kashi, Bear Naked, Morningstar Farms, Gardenburger  • Smuckers (Donated $555k): R.W. Knudsen, Santa Cruz Organic • Unilever (Donated $467k): Ben & Jerry's • Dean Foods (Donated $254k): Horizon, Silk, White Wave

Shocking isn't it?

Speak out publicly in favor of the pending GMO Labeling Ballot Initiative (I-522) in Washington State in 2013, as well as the pending GMO labeling bills coming up in Vermont and other states.

2. Contribute as much or more money to the Yes on I-522 Campaign in Washington than their parent corporations spent to defeat Prop 37.


Sign the Petition here


Friday, January 11, 2013

Shell Oil and the Arctic and Petition


10 January 2013

Here's how unprepared Shell is to drill in the Arctic:
Even four months after it ceased drilling operations, Shell still managed to nearly cause a major oil spill, when its Kulluk drilling rig — filled with 150,000 gallons of diesel fuel and lubricant — ran aground 11 days ago, after the boats towing it lost control of the rig.
Following this incident, yesterday the Obama administration launched an urgent review of Shell's plans and preparedness to drill in the Arctic.1
Incredibly, Shell was only moving the Kulluk south to Washington to dodge $6 million in Alaska state taxes. But its grounding should be the last straw after a year of Shell drilling debacles that proved what has always been obvious: drilling in the Arctic is a disaster waiting to happen.
This wasn't even the first time Shell lost control of its drilling vessels in the rough Arctic waters last year. Additionally, the company had multiple problems with sea ice, and its oil spill containment dome system failed its first test spectacularly when it "breached like a whale" and was "crushed like a beer can." Shell couldn't even meet the agreements it made with the Obama administration, pulling major bait and switches on its oil spill response plan, EPA air pollution rules, and repeatedly failing to meet Coast Guard requirements for its oil spill containment barge. 2
We've been told that Shell is the best and most prepared oil company to drill in the Arctic. As Shell has bumbled and stumbled along, it's become painfully clear that even the best in the business is hopelessly outmatched by the Arctic.
It would be stunningly irresponsible to allow Shell's thirst for oil to lead to an inevitable disaster in one of the most pristine places on earth. And with NOAA just announcing that 2012 was the hottest year on record,3 it would be stunningly irresponsible to continue drilling for climate-heating fossil fuels, in ever more dangerous and destructive ways.
Sign the Petition
This review is a second chance for the Obama administration to do what it should have done last year, and say "Shell No!" to Arctic drilling. Click the link below to automatically sign the petition:
http://act.credoaction.com/r/?r=6994814&id=53195-6119368-7ZT9RKx&t=4
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Monday, January 07, 2013

VOTE: Worst Company of the Year Award!

 


Wow, we get the opportunity to really vote for the worse company of the year award!  It's a difficult choice to chose the worse of all evils.  Read the list then click at the bottom to cast your vote!

The companies listed are:

 Alstom:
The French energy and transport conglomerate Alstom is involved in corruption scandals all over the world. Alstom systematically bribes local politicians, sometimes in the seven figures, to secure contracts. The frequency of known cases is such that one wonders if this is a deliberate business strategy. Alstom has been fined repeatedly and some of its subsidiaries were excluded from World Bank projects.

Coal India
Coal India's coal mines destroy the habitats of many large mammals and rob tribal peoples of their livelihood and homelands, forcing them into a life of bitter poverty. The dismal record with 205 workers dead and 699 seriously wounded in 2010 alone, suggests that working conditions at Coal India are indeed disastrous. At least 239 coal mines belonging to Coal India operate without environmental permit.

G4S
The ranks of the British security service company G4S include more than 650'000 employees. These security forces are often badly trained and paid and many of its members have a criminal record. The company is involved in countless cases of violations of international law and human rights abuses. G4S is present in the occupied Palestinian territories—manning checkpoints and managing prison security for Israel and is thus complicit in Israel’s illegal settlement policy.

Goldman Sacks
Between 1998 and 2009 Goldman Sachs pocketed horrendous fees to hide half of Greece’s public debt by means of accounting tricks, which eventually ruined Greece and plunged the EU into a financial crisis of which only Goldman profits. The bank has already earned at least 600 million dollars and Greece owes it 400 million per year until 2037, for a total of more than 10 billion dollars at the expense of European taxpayers.

Lonmin
Lonmin, the world's third largest mining concern, urged the South African mining ministery to take „appropriate“ measures against striking mine workers at their mine — with the help of the police or the army. A short time later, 44 protesting mine worker were shot dead by the police nd 77 more were seriously wounded. One day after the massacre, Lonmin threatened all workers who continued to strike with dismissal.

Repower
The Swiss energy corporation Repower is building a hard-coal fired power plant in Calabria, Italy, despite the opposition of the local population. The planned site lies at the very heart of the dominion of the `Ndrangheta Mafia, Italy’s and probably Europe’s most influential organized crime alliance. Repower will have to do business with the Mafia, or might already be doing business.

Shell
Shell is the first super-major oil company that plans to exploit the fragile Arctic in a high risk hunt for fossil fuels. The oil exploration in the Arctic has biodiversity consequences. While Shell confidently tells us that it has «made numerous plans for dealing with oil in ice». The company also admits that the technical and environmental challenges of oil exploration in the Arctic «are immense.

Join Farmers vs. Monsanto


On January 10, family farmers will enter a courtroom in Washington DC to take part in the appeal of OSGATA vs Monsanto et al, a court case filed to protect farmers from genetic trespass by Monsanto’s GMO seed, which contaminates organic and non-GMO farmer’s crops and opens them up to abusive lawsuits by Monsanto.
Thank you to those of you who have RSVP'd to attend the Citizen's Assembly gathering to support these brave farmers and plaintiffs in Washington DC. If you are planning on attending, but have not RSVP'd, click here.

If you can't attend, but would like to show your support, please join us in standing with family farmers in their pursuit of justice against Monsanto!
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/747?t=10&akid=715.312785.3hMKKj
Since 1997, one year after the approval of Monsanto’s GMO Roundup Ready soybeans, the world’s leading chemical and biotech seed company admits to filing 150 lawsuits against America’s family farmers, while settling another 700 out of court for undisclosed amounts. During this time, Monsanto has investigated an average of more than 500 family farmers each year.
Due to these aggressive lawsuits and investigations, Monsanto has created an atmosphere of fear in rural America and driven dozens of farmers into bankruptcy.


it's time to end Monsanto's campaign of fear and intimidation against America's farmers! 
This is a crucial moment for America's family farmers and the future of our food supply. Will you let farmers know you support them on January 10th?
To add your name of support, click here to say: “I Stand With Farmers”.
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/747?t=13&akid=715.312785.3hMKKj
We’ll deliver your comments to the farmers before they enter the court to stand up for their right to grow food without threat of intimidation and harassment.
In March 2011, Food Democracy Now! joined the lawsuit Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA) et al v. Monsanto during the first round of plaintiffs, in what could be an historic lawsuit that protects family farmers and challenges the legitimacy of Monsanto’s patents on their genetically engineered (GMO) seeds and their right to sue farmers indiscriminately.
The  upcoming decision on the appeal of OSGATA vs Monsanto is a critical hurdle that the case must clear in order for it to move forward.
Monsanto filed a motion to dismiss the case, which was heard in Federal District Court in New York City on January 31st, 2012. In February 2012, Federal Judge Naomi Buchwald ruled to dismiss the case, stating that the farmers lacked legal standing regarding the concerns over genetic contamination and resulting economic harm.
In March 2012, Plaintiffs appealed the District Court's decision to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which scheduled oral argument in the case to be heard on January 10, 2013.
Lawyers from the Public Patent Foundation, who are representing the farmers, have identified numerous reversible legal and factual errors committed by the judge, which they assert caused her to mistakenly dismiss the case.
Family farmers need your help today to send a message to the world: It’s time to put an end to Monsanto’s campaign of fear.
Click here to say "I Stand with Farmers" so we can deliver that message loud and clear to the farmers who travel to Washington DC to take part in the lawsuit and for farmers everywhere who struggle against Monsanto's unfair genetic contamination of their crops.