A new law will place restrictions on scientists with clear knowledge on GMO dangers, and create room for experts with overt financial ties to the biotech and pharmaceutical industries affected by EPA regulations. H.R. 1422, which passed 229-191, is an earthquake rumbling through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Scientific Advisory Board.
This means that the EPA can no longer be advised on their own research regarding GMOs or pharmaceutical drugs like antibiotics or vaccines. Can you say circular reasoning, or insular logic? This ‘reform’ means industry-appointed experts will determine what is ‘safe’ and what is not safe for the public, and that the scientists with the most knowledge about the risks pertaining to GMOs and pharmaceuticals will be gagged.
As usual, is the classic political bait and switch, being touted as a means for ‘more transparency.’ But the White House, which threatened to veto the bill, said it would “negatively affect the appointment of experts and would weaken the scientific independence and integrity of the SAB.”
As the Lindsay Abrams points out:
“. . . the bill forbids scientific experts from participating in “advisory activities” that either directly or indirectly involve their own work. In case that wasn’t clear: experts would be forbidden from sharing their expertise in their own research.”
This also means that while Monsanto hides the toxicity results on RoundUp Ready GMO crops and experts call GMO testing woefully inadequate, we now have yet another layer of bureaucracy to protect Big Biotech. With all the anti-science claims made by biotech toward individuals and non-profits who claim GMOs are not safe, this is the exact pot calling the kettle black.
“In other words,” says Union of Concerned Scientists director Andrew A. Rosenberg in an editorial for RollCall, “academic scientists who know the most about a subject can’t weigh in, but experts paid by corporations who want to block regulations can.”
If there was ever a question that our government has been completely infiltrated by extremely questionable interests, let it be known that the stakes have just been raised.
These set-backs to good thinking are depressing. Why wait to be “informed” or not. Just don’t buy any edible item unless it says it is certified to be non-GMO.
no, that’s what they WANT us to do, to knock out all the organic farmers who cannot AFFORD to “participate” in the anti-gmo labeling fees/restrictions. buy local and organic.
You know science has been co-opted by corporations when this kind of absurdity is accepted and made into law. THIS COUNTRY NEEDS AN ENEMA!!!!
Well said, RB.
And what are they all trying to cover up?
Just boycott every product evolved with monsanto. I do for the last 5 years.
The power of boycotts. It works.
Fascism strikes again. The corrupt MUST be weeded out or we will all be very, very, very sorry.
don’t just sit there and complain. Do something about it. Direct action.
I agree. What are you doing? Tell us about your direct action.
I’m sending black faxes, and committing other acts of civil disobedience.
For those of us who don’t know what black faxes are, how about explaining that? Also, what forms of civil disobedience do you think are most effective?
Maybe it’s time to restart the labelityourself initiative. Slap on skull and crossbone GMO labels on products everytime you visit the grocery store.
I like it! 🙂
It is a fax that is 200 pages of black construction paper. ink/toner and paper get depleted and costs them money. Toll-free fax numbers are so fun.
Sorry, but this is not so accurate. A bill is not a law. A bill needs to pass both houses of Congress and then be enacted into law with the signature of the President. This (extremely misguided, anti-science) bill passed the House but never made it out of committee in the Senate: https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/1422 (I will let you figure out on your own the function of committees.) The President has promised to veto it should it ever make it to his desk (e.g., during the next Congress). If you cut and paste from other articles when you don’t even understand their import, you’re going to mislead your readers more often than you inform them.
So someone who had an interest in Monsanto that ended three to five years ago is then elible to sit on the Board overseeing Monsanto’s products, but the EPA scientists who have researched any Monsanto product are barred from being on an investigative panel or member committee ((iii) may not report directly to the Environmental Protection Agency).
Interesting. I guess you guys didn’t like my previous comment pointing out that the bill only passed the House and is NOT law. https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/1422 I’ll withhold my editorial comments about the quality of the journalism this time in the hope that you post this comment and correct the serious misimpression created by the article.
We are going to Occupy the USDOJ in May 2015 for Crimes Against Humanity. THEY have been told by many nations and in many ways how GMO is helping to kill us and they refuse to help you keep your lives. The Science will bring them to their knees if NOT in Prison’s where they belong IF the people will only back the real SCIENCE the criminals refuse to OBEY to SAVE LIVES.
http://www.lymeneteurope.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5147&start=10
They KNOW their junk gene GMO is recombining and growing in the prion synergy of infections they gave us for decades and the only reason they fed them to us in the first place!!!
WAR is still when you kill people right! Are you willing to demand the future of this planet as much as you were your WallStreet MONEY? Don’t think to long. Your Bee’s are already dying of the exact same thing~ Fecal infected fertilizers and GMO junk genes.
We are going to Occupy the USDOJ in May 2015 for Crimes Against
Humanity. THEY have been told by many nations and in many ways how GMO
is helping to kill us and they refuse to help you keep your lives. The
Science will bring them to their knees if NOT in Prison’s where they
belong IF the people will only back the real SCIENCE the criminals
refuse to OBEY to SAVE LIVES.
http://www.lymeneteurope.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5147&start=10
They KNOW their junk gene GMO is recombining and growing in the prion
synergy of infections they gave us for decades and the only reason they
fed them to us in the first place!!!
WAR is still when you kill people right! Are you willing to demand the future of everything on this planet as much as you were your WallStreet MONEY?
Don’t think too long. Your Bee’s are already dying of the exact same thing~ Fecal infected fertilizers and GMO junk genes.