Disentangling cause from effect is another matter altogether but in my mind it is a triangulation of three factors a) Individual responsibility and choices; b) Government empowerment and protection and c) corporate power and profits 

Now why didn’t they ask me first… I am still gathering all the facts – and would love your help – but below I have tried to capture some of the things that are going on in America and many Western Countries (you know, the ones that are meant to be the best protected and most fortunate).

Here is one view of our collective health problems. Please add your input

• The average person in modern society have more conveniences, entertainment and luxuries than the kings and queens of 200 years ago … but is our generation any happier or more fulfilled than even the last one?
• Today we are suffering diseases unheard of by our grand-parents
• Today young people are suffering health problems normally associated with old people
• Many diseases and health consequences do not show up until years or decades after poorly tested and/or regulated products were allowed on the market
• The companies responsible either are not held accountable or rarely pay for the price of the problem
• Health consequences are costing society more than in any time of our history
• Many health problems – allergies for example – are related to chemical byproducts or genetically modified food entering our environment.
• Once a virulent substance is unleashed on the environment it simply cannot be recalled
• The long term consequences of our behavior is devastating to life on this planet

I am not convinced there is a conspiracy theory of any high order of magnitude out there. But I do believe that the motivations of a corporation – which invariably boils down to making money for shareholders and lots of money for executives – have by and large proven to be diametrically opposed to the interests of human beings and the ecosphere.

Here is the beginning of a list of sources and insights on this HUGE topic. As I understand more I will make this whole thing more coherent.

Enjoy.

YouTube : video link

THE CAMPAIGN FOR HEALTHIER EATING IN AMERICA

Healthy Eating Starts With No Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Visit The Institute for Responsible Technology Here

You may have heard the FDA and food industry claims that genetically modified (GM) foods are safe, properly tested, and necessary to feed a hungry world. UNTRUE! Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are one of the most dangerous and radical changes to our food supply. These largely unregulated ingredients found in 60-70% of the foods in the US, are well worth the effort to avoid them. Fortunately, health-conscious consumers, retailers, distributors, manufacturers and growers are participating in The Campaign for Healthier Eating in America, which will help eliminate GMOs from thousands of food products. Their efforts will make it easier for you to avoid the serious health risks of eating GMOs and to feed your family a healthier “non-GMO” diet. The campaign’s goal is to stop the genetic engineering of the entire US food supply.

If a sufficient number of shoppers in the US avoid GMO foods, consumer pushback will force our major food companies to stop using them. The Europe Union reached a consumer driven tipping point in April 1999 on this issue and within a single week, virtually all major manufacturers publicly committed to stop using GM ingredients in their European brands. Sadly, the same companies that carefully avoid adding GMO ingredients to products marketed to concerned consumers in the European Union are eager to sell GMO foods to uneducated consumers in the US.

In the US, the natural foods industry has led the way in the widespread consumer rejection of genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH or rbST) in dairy products, by educating their customers about the health dangers associated with rbGH and making rbGH-free brands readily available. This wave that started in natural food aisles is being felt throughout the entire food industry. Within the last two years, Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Kroger, and about 40 of the 100 top dairies removed rbGH products as consumer concerns reached a tipping point on this issue. As US consumers pushed back against GM dairy products, the food industry responded.

But time is of the essence, The US sugar beet industry is venturing into the world of genetically modified crops this year by introducing a new gene-spliced variety engineered by Monsanto with plans to make GM sugar available to the food industry in 2009. We must act now to help stop the introduction of unlabeled GM sugar from GM sugar beets into our food supply.

Sites that are keeping a watch on GMO’s:

Additional resources

• Guerrilla News Network introduction to the film  
• Jonathan Campbell’s 50 harmful effects of GM foods   
• Extensive Wikipedia entry on GM food  
• Independent Science Panel case for a GM-free sustainable world  
• GMWatch.org list of the players behind GM foods
• Robin Good