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Segami
Segami's Journal
Segami's Journal
May 10, 2013
The meat and seafood you buy probably looks and smells fine. But processors may be using unsavory drugs to retard bacterial growth and the drugs do not appear on the label. Many human antibiotics are used in meat production like penicillin, neomycin and sulfa and Cipro-like drugs. The FDA and medical community are trying to clamp down on the massive use of such drugs on large scale farms because they contribute to resistance of the very the germs they are supposed to kill.
Livestock operators fight antibiotic restrictions suggested by the FDA, doctors and scientific groups because the pills save them money. Without antibiotics, animals would need to be given more room--the packed conditions they live in on many farms today would cause illness and death. Antibiotics also let operators grow bigger animals with less food because the pills cause more efficient intestinal absorption of nutrients. And, unlike bacteria like salmonella, listeria or E. coli, antibiotics in meat are not inactivated by cooking.
Large commercial meat producers also use common cleaning chemicals like chlorine and ammonia to kill the germs endemic to livestock operations. Chickens are routinely given a chlorine bleach "bath" before sold to the public. And who can forget the ammonia puffs that Pink Slime was treated with to kill E. coli? Yuk.
"Big meat" also irradiates meat, adds nitrites (substances which can form carcinogenic nitrosamines in the body) and adds gasses to retard bacterial growth. Up to 70 percent of commercial meat in stores packages looks appealingly red because it is treated with carbon monoxide. Thanks to such gasses, meat can stay red up to a year but livestock producers deny that spoiled meat that looks red is a health risk. A spokesperson for a firm representing major meat companies says "When a product reaches the point of spoilage, there will be other signs that will be evidenced--for example odor, slime formation and a bulging package--so the product will not smell or look right." That's a relief!
cont'
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Worse-than-Germs-the-Chem-by-Martha-Rosenberg-130509-976.html
.
WORSE THAN GERMS - The Chemicals Used to Disinfect Meat
The meat and seafood you buy probably looks and smells fine. But processors may be using unsavory drugs to retard bacterial growth and the drugs do not appear on the label. Many human antibiotics are used in meat production like penicillin, neomycin and sulfa and Cipro-like drugs. The FDA and medical community are trying to clamp down on the massive use of such drugs on large scale farms because they contribute to resistance of the very the germs they are supposed to kill.
Livestock operators fight antibiotic restrictions suggested by the FDA, doctors and scientific groups because the pills save them money. Without antibiotics, animals would need to be given more room--the packed conditions they live in on many farms today would cause illness and death. Antibiotics also let operators grow bigger animals with less food because the pills cause more efficient intestinal absorption of nutrients. And, unlike bacteria like salmonella, listeria or E. coli, antibiotics in meat are not inactivated by cooking.
Large commercial meat producers also use common cleaning chemicals like chlorine and ammonia to kill the germs endemic to livestock operations. Chickens are routinely given a chlorine bleach "bath" before sold to the public. And who can forget the ammonia puffs that Pink Slime was treated with to kill E. coli? Yuk.
"Big meat" also irradiates meat, adds nitrites (substances which can form carcinogenic nitrosamines in the body) and adds gasses to retard bacterial growth. Up to 70 percent of commercial meat in stores packages looks appealingly red because it is treated with carbon monoxide. Thanks to such gasses, meat can stay red up to a year but livestock producers deny that spoiled meat that looks red is a health risk. A spokesperson for a firm representing major meat companies says "When a product reaches the point of spoilage, there will be other signs that will be evidenced--for example odor, slime formation and a bulging package--so the product will not smell or look right." That's a relief!
cont'
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Worse-than-Germs-the-Chem-by-Martha-Rosenberg-130509-976.html
.
May 10, 2013
Benghazi wasn’t the scandal that the conservative right tried to make it out to be. Unfortunately, the Democratic president didn’t engage in a big cover-up, and the Republicans trying to score political points by shouting “Benghazi, Benghazi!” are rapidly becoming irrelevant. In the fact of that, it should be pointed out that this amount of supposed outrage is completely hypocritical. One way to illustrate this is using the Beirut Barracks Bombing of 1983, which occurred during, and was the fault of, the Reagan administration. The following image, which has been shared quite a bit recently, is referring to it:
The image isn’t entirely correct. Only 220 United States Marines were killed. The remaining casualties consisted of 18 killed sailors and three soldiers, for a total of 241 servicemen. Yet other than that small error, what the image claims is true — it was President Reagan’s fault that incident occurred. In fact, the official investigation and subsequent Department of Defense report found chain-of-command errors and placed fault on the Reagan administration, as well. The Marines had been stationed there as part of an international peacekeeping venture:
Those Marines had been ordered into Lebanon by President Ronald Reagan as a part of an international peacekeeping force following the June 1982 Israeli invasion of that country and the Palestine Liberation Organization’s withdrawal.
Making an already-dangerous situation even more hazardous, the Marines were under strict presidential orders not to load their weapons — this, so that they would appear as peacekeepers and not as armed belligerents in the conflict and despite the fact that they were moving into a war zone.
Realistically, they had become “sitting ducks” from the moment they entered Beirut. And as a result of their absurd orders, when the explosives-laden truck sped toward their doomed barracks, the two unarmed guards had no way of stopping it.
http://www.phillyburbs.com/entertainment/in-debacle-reagan-escaped-the-blame-game/article_0174fce9-b60c-5b6b-8934-915bd3c2bcf7.html
PDF Marines Barracks Beirut 1983 Bombing Defense Department Report
http://www.paperlessarchives.com/FreeTitles/Beirut1983BombingDoDReport.pdf
cont'
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/05/09/why-were-republicans-silent-when-reagans-benghazi-killed-241-american-servicemen/
‘Why Were Republicans SILENT When REAGAN'S ‘BENGHAZI’ KILLED 241 American Servicemen’?
Benghazi wasn’t the scandal that the conservative right tried to make it out to be. Unfortunately, the Democratic president didn’t engage in a big cover-up, and the Republicans trying to score political points by shouting “Benghazi, Benghazi!” are rapidly becoming irrelevant. In the fact of that, it should be pointed out that this amount of supposed outrage is completely hypocritical. One way to illustrate this is using the Beirut Barracks Bombing of 1983, which occurred during, and was the fault of, the Reagan administration. The following image, which has been shared quite a bit recently, is referring to it:
The image isn’t entirely correct. Only 220 United States Marines were killed. The remaining casualties consisted of 18 killed sailors and three soldiers, for a total of 241 servicemen. Yet other than that small error, what the image claims is true — it was President Reagan’s fault that incident occurred. In fact, the official investigation and subsequent Department of Defense report found chain-of-command errors and placed fault on the Reagan administration, as well. The Marines had been stationed there as part of an international peacekeeping venture:
Those Marines had been ordered into Lebanon by President Ronald Reagan as a part of an international peacekeeping force following the June 1982 Israeli invasion of that country and the Palestine Liberation Organization’s withdrawal.
Making an already-dangerous situation even more hazardous, the Marines were under strict presidential orders not to load their weapons — this, so that they would appear as peacekeepers and not as armed belligerents in the conflict and despite the fact that they were moving into a war zone.
Realistically, they had become “sitting ducks” from the moment they entered Beirut. And as a result of their absurd orders, when the explosives-laden truck sped toward their doomed barracks, the two unarmed guards had no way of stopping it.
http://www.phillyburbs.com/entertainment/in-debacle-reagan-escaped-the-blame-game/article_0174fce9-b60c-5b6b-8934-915bd3c2bcf7.html
PDF Marines Barracks Beirut 1983 Bombing Defense Department Report
http://www.paperlessarchives.com/FreeTitles/Beirut1983BombingDoDReport.pdf
cont'
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/05/09/why-were-republicans-silent-when-reagans-benghazi-killed-241-american-servicemen/
May 10, 2013
This weasel is nothing more than a Corporatist-Putz Hack.
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) blasted progressive principles as "arrogant and condescending" Wednesday night in a speech outlining his vision on how to sell modern-day conservatism to voters. “Progressivism is well-intentioned but it is also — in my humble opinion — arrogant and condescending,” Ryan said at the American Enterprise Institute, according to a transcript. “Instead of helping people make their own decisions, it makes those decisions for them. It makes Washington the center of power and politicians the center of attention.”
Ryan laced his blistering critique with caveats, saying progressives were not evil, but merely misguided in pursuit of the shared goal of American exceptionalism. He also acknowledged the appeal of the liberal message and the success Democrats have had in peddling their vision to voters. “This vision proved compelling,” Ryan said. “It drew thousands of people into government … they seized the moral high ground. They said they were the heirs of the Founders, when in reality, they were the replacements. They said they were for the people. And their opponents? They were for the rich. They were selfish.”
“Yet the Left keeps winning elections,” Ryan continued. “Why? Well, you can see the appeal. In uncertain times, people look for security. Progressives seem to have an answer … the progressive state offers a sense of security. But it’s a false sense of security because government can’t keep all its promises.”
Republicans have focused recently on crafting a more appealing political message, most notably in relation to minority voters. Some in the GOP have also acknowledged the need to soften the party’s economic message, arguing that it’s easier for President Obama and Democrats to sell a message about government benefits than it is for Republicans to sell a vision of personal responsibility.
cont'
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/298743-ryan-progressivism-is-arrogant-and-condescending
PAUL 'Ayn Rand' RYAN: Progressivism Is ‘Arrogant And Condescending’
This weasel is nothing more than a Corporatist-Putz Hack.
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) blasted progressive principles as "arrogant and condescending" Wednesday night in a speech outlining his vision on how to sell modern-day conservatism to voters. “Progressivism is well-intentioned but it is also — in my humble opinion — arrogant and condescending,” Ryan said at the American Enterprise Institute, according to a transcript. “Instead of helping people make their own decisions, it makes those decisions for them. It makes Washington the center of power and politicians the center of attention.”
Ryan laced his blistering critique with caveats, saying progressives were not evil, but merely misguided in pursuit of the shared goal of American exceptionalism. He also acknowledged the appeal of the liberal message and the success Democrats have had in peddling their vision to voters. “This vision proved compelling,” Ryan said. “It drew thousands of people into government … they seized the moral high ground. They said they were the heirs of the Founders, when in reality, they were the replacements. They said they were for the people. And their opponents? They were for the rich. They were selfish.”
“Yet the Left keeps winning elections,” Ryan continued. “Why? Well, you can see the appeal. In uncertain times, people look for security. Progressives seem to have an answer … the progressive state offers a sense of security. But it’s a false sense of security because government can’t keep all its promises.”
Republicans have focused recently on crafting a more appealing political message, most notably in relation to minority voters. Some in the GOP have also acknowledged the need to soften the party’s economic message, arguing that it’s easier for President Obama and Democrats to sell a message about government benefits than it is for Republicans to sell a vision of personal responsibility.
cont'
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/298743-ryan-progressivism-is-arrogant-and-condescending
May 9, 2013
Who knew? Who knew that Elizabeth (DINOmite) Colbert Busch could emulate the most complicated of Houdini escapes and wrest herself from a padlocked campaign box of sure victory into the rancid air of defeat? But she did by golly. She managed in a scant 2 weeks to turn a 9 point polling advantage into a 9 point May 7th drubbing (54-45) in South Carolina’s 1st District Congressional race against flawed and foolish opponent Mark Sanford.
The reversal started with the debate. In an earlier submission I gave Busch far more credit than she deserved. Trying to defend her pathetic performance in the single debate that Colbert Busch would agree to, I opined that she was merely trolling for Republican votes with such statements as being a “fiscally CONSERVATIVE Independent business woman who pushed back against the Obama government” and “we need choice” in our public schools and I fully support the (Democratic-hating) Chamber of Commerce in various right-wing initiatives and Obamacare is an expensive piece of s**t accompanied by a 20 second lame statement of support for women’s reproductive rights. Then there was the definitive “I am proud to support and live in a Right to Work State” a declaration tantamount to a political Gulliver peeing all over the unions; a female Judas Iscariot, taking union money, kissing up at union functions, then the ultimate betrayal at the debate. There’s more but I only have about a thousand words or so.
My hope was that these debate comments were simply Little White Political Lies (LWPL’s). They weren’t. My worst fears were realized. Tuesday’s election results were simply a matter of a Republican defeating another Republican. There were countless early signs. While attending a few fundraisers and making a visit to Charleston in the heat of the race, brother Stephen Colbert did not seem fully vested in his sister’s campaign. Republicans even managed to place more Sanford spots on his TV show than Busch commercials. Then there was that tepid Colbert Busch video appearance at the Democratic State Convention. Not even a spare hour to address in person the most faithful of the faithful?
Speaking of faith, Sanford relentlessly exploited it to the max. God this, God that, from a guy who not only used taxpayer money to pay for a five-day tryst with his Argentine temptress, Maria Belen Chapur, but brought her (now his fiancé) back to South Carolina during the campaign to rub ex-wife Jenny’s nose in the affair. Sanford, for the most part, campaigned on an austerity budget and bringing jobs to South Carolina. I take him at his word. If I’m a tax-averse giant corporation and can get union-hating goobers to work for near third-world wages, limited benefits and part-time hours to boot, while upper management pay explodes upwards, I’m all over it.
cont'
http://www.politicususa.com/elizabeth-colbert-busch-shows-democrats-republican-lite-win.html
Elizabeth Colbert Busch SHOWS Democrats That Being REPUBLICAN LITE CAN'T WIN
"....So, at its core, this race is just another red state pounding of a hapless Democrat (or whatever she is). And it’s another instance of trying to “reach across the aisle....”
Who knew? Who knew that Elizabeth (DINOmite) Colbert Busch could emulate the most complicated of Houdini escapes and wrest herself from a padlocked campaign box of sure victory into the rancid air of defeat? But she did by golly. She managed in a scant 2 weeks to turn a 9 point polling advantage into a 9 point May 7th drubbing (54-45) in South Carolina’s 1st District Congressional race against flawed and foolish opponent Mark Sanford.
The reversal started with the debate. In an earlier submission I gave Busch far more credit than she deserved. Trying to defend her pathetic performance in the single debate that Colbert Busch would agree to, I opined that she was merely trolling for Republican votes with such statements as being a “fiscally CONSERVATIVE Independent business woman who pushed back against the Obama government” and “we need choice” in our public schools and I fully support the (Democratic-hating) Chamber of Commerce in various right-wing initiatives and Obamacare is an expensive piece of s**t accompanied by a 20 second lame statement of support for women’s reproductive rights. Then there was the definitive “I am proud to support and live in a Right to Work State” a declaration tantamount to a political Gulliver peeing all over the unions; a female Judas Iscariot, taking union money, kissing up at union functions, then the ultimate betrayal at the debate. There’s more but I only have about a thousand words or so.
My hope was that these debate comments were simply Little White Political Lies (LWPL’s). They weren’t. My worst fears were realized. Tuesday’s election results were simply a matter of a Republican defeating another Republican. There were countless early signs. While attending a few fundraisers and making a visit to Charleston in the heat of the race, brother Stephen Colbert did not seem fully vested in his sister’s campaign. Republicans even managed to place more Sanford spots on his TV show than Busch commercials. Then there was that tepid Colbert Busch video appearance at the Democratic State Convention. Not even a spare hour to address in person the most faithful of the faithful?
Speaking of faith, Sanford relentlessly exploited it to the max. God this, God that, from a guy who not only used taxpayer money to pay for a five-day tryst with his Argentine temptress, Maria Belen Chapur, but brought her (now his fiancé) back to South Carolina during the campaign to rub ex-wife Jenny’s nose in the affair. Sanford, for the most part, campaigned on an austerity budget and bringing jobs to South Carolina. I take him at his word. If I’m a tax-averse giant corporation and can get union-hating goobers to work for near third-world wages, limited benefits and part-time hours to boot, while upper management pay explodes upwards, I’m all over it.
cont'
http://www.politicususa.com/elizabeth-colbert-busch-shows-democrats-republican-lite-win.html
May 8, 2013
For the first time in the United States, lawmakers in Colorado are poised to approve a set of rules and taxes regulating the sale of marijuana for recreational use, the Denver Post reported.
On Wednesday, both the state Senate and House passed a bill creating a sales and excise tax on marijuana that now awaits Gov. John Hickenlooper's (D) signature. The Senate also passed legislation creating rules for stores selling marijuana that is now awaiting final approval in the House.
House Bill 1318 would impose a 15 percent excise tax and a sales tax initially set at 10 percent on recreational marijuana sales. Voters this November would have to give their approval of the tax rates before they could take effect. The money would be used for school construction and for regulation of marijuana stores.
Many of the rules for those stores are spelled out in House Bill 1317, the second bill approved by the Senate on Wednesday. Under the bill, marijuana stores would need to be licensed by the state and owned by Colorado residents.
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23198163/colorado-senate-gives-final-approval-historic-marijuana-bills
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/colorado-poised-to-enact-historic-marijuana-regulations
Colorado POISED To ENACT HISTORIC Marijuana Regulations
For the first time in the United States, lawmakers in Colorado are poised to approve a set of rules and taxes regulating the sale of marijuana for recreational use, the Denver Post reported.
On Wednesday, both the state Senate and House passed a bill creating a sales and excise tax on marijuana that now awaits Gov. John Hickenlooper's (D) signature. The Senate also passed legislation creating rules for stores selling marijuana that is now awaiting final approval in the House.
House Bill 1318 would impose a 15 percent excise tax and a sales tax initially set at 10 percent on recreational marijuana sales. Voters this November would have to give their approval of the tax rates before they could take effect. The money would be used for school construction and for regulation of marijuana stores.
Many of the rules for those stores are spelled out in House Bill 1317, the second bill approved by the Senate on Wednesday. Under the bill, marijuana stores would need to be licensed by the state and owned by Colorado residents.
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23198163/colorado-senate-gives-final-approval-historic-marijuana-bills
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/colorado-poised-to-enact-historic-marijuana-regulations
May 7, 2013
Immediately after his Friday night performance at Pennsylvania’s Messiah College last week, singer-songwriter Josh Ritter took to Facebook to describe his appearance as a mistake, writing:“ If I had done my homework, and read about Messiah’s policies ahead of time, I would never have agreed to play there.” Usually, Ritter checks out information ahead of time about the places he performs, but this time he waited until he was in Grantham, Pennsylvania before he bothered to explore what the college was about. What he discovered didn’t set well:
But he went ahead and played, choosing to use the performance as a teachable moment. When he went onstage, he spoke of the right everyone has to love, regardless of sexual orientation, and encouraged the students to “seek openness and change”. Afterward, to his Facebook fans, he pledged to donate his fee to The Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to the LGBTQ community. Furthermore, he wrote:
Others, however, are thrilled at his stance, as reflected in both the media and in the comments on Ritter’s Facebook post. In one comment, Bryan Paul Bedard wrote: “Underneath your jacket I saw wings, Josh.” In another, Matt Aldapa said, “You’re a good man, Josh Ritter. Class act.” The support goes on and on. In a most positive development, many of those supporters identified themselves as Christian, or as Messiah College students, or as Messiah College graduates.
cont'
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/05/06/singer-uses-concert-to-tell-christian-students-everyone-has-the-right-to-love-regardless-of-sexual-orientation/
SINGER Uses Concert To Tell Christian Students EVERYONE Has The RIGHT TO LOVE ‘Regardless Of Sexual
...When asked about his recent performance at Pennsylvania’s Messiah College, Josh Ritter wrote on facebook, “If I had done my homework, and read about Messiah’s policies ahead of time, I would never have agreed to play there”
Immediately after his Friday night performance at Pennsylvania’s Messiah College last week, singer-songwriter Josh Ritter took to Facebook to describe his appearance as a mistake, writing:“ If I had done my homework, and read about Messiah’s policies ahead of time, I would never have agreed to play there.” Usually, Ritter checks out information ahead of time about the places he performs, but this time he waited until he was in Grantham, Pennsylvania before he bothered to explore what the college was about. What he discovered didn’t set well:
“…as I was doing a little digging about the place I learned something that surprised and disappointed me.
“Messiah College requires all students to sign a ‘Community Covenant promising to, among other things, ‘avoid such sinful practices as…homosexual behavior…’
“This policy, which I see as exclusionary and bigoted, could not run more counter to my personal beliefs. If I had done my homework, and read about Messiah’s policies ahead of time, I would never have agreed to play there.”
“Messiah College requires all students to sign a ‘Community Covenant promising to, among other things, ‘avoid such sinful practices as…homosexual behavior…’
“This policy, which I see as exclusionary and bigoted, could not run more counter to my personal beliefs. If I had done my homework, and read about Messiah’s policies ahead of time, I would never have agreed to play there.”
But he went ahead and played, choosing to use the performance as a teachable moment. When he went onstage, he spoke of the right everyone has to love, regardless of sexual orientation, and encouraged the students to “seek openness and change”. Afterward, to his Facebook fans, he pledged to donate his fee to The Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to the LGBTQ community. Furthermore, he wrote:
“I won’t play Messiah College again – not until they welcome, in word and deed, all members of their faith regardless of sexuality, and I urge my fellow musicians to do the same.”
Needless to say, Messiah College was not pleased. Their spokeswoman, Beth Lorow, said that Ritter’s comments were “namecalling”, adding:
“It’s just not helpful to the conversation at large. We are kind of feeling like it was an unfortunate development for a concert experience.”
Needless to say, Messiah College was not pleased. Their spokeswoman, Beth Lorow, said that Ritter’s comments were “namecalling”, adding:
“It’s just not helpful to the conversation at large. We are kind of feeling like it was an unfortunate development for a concert experience.”
Others, however, are thrilled at his stance, as reflected in both the media and in the comments on Ritter’s Facebook post. In one comment, Bryan Paul Bedard wrote: “Underneath your jacket I saw wings, Josh.” In another, Matt Aldapa said, “You’re a good man, Josh Ritter. Class act.” The support goes on and on. In a most positive development, many of those supporters identified themselves as Christian, or as Messiah College students, or as Messiah College graduates.
cont'
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/05/06/singer-uses-concert-to-tell-christian-students-everyone-has-the-right-to-love-regardless-of-sexual-orientation/
May 6, 2013
The National Rifle Association capped its annual convention Sunday by hosting a “Youth Day” — enticing youngsters to attend by offering free six-month memberships. Billed by the NRA as a family-fun outing, the event drew hundreds of kids. Some of the attendees were the age of the Newtown massacre victims, others too young to know the difference between a toy gun and a real one.
“Spend the day exploring 400,000 square feet of exhibit hall containing over 550 exhibitors from across the country. Share the excitement with spectacular displays and fun-filled events for the entire family,” the NRA wrote on its website.
con't
http://thelastofthemillenniums.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/youre-kidding-nra-pushes-guns-on-kids-as-young-as-newtown-victims-in-sick-youth-day/
YOU'RE KIDDING! NRA Pushes GUNS ON KIDS As Young As Newtown Victims In SICK 'Youth Day'
The National Rifle Association capped its annual convention Sunday by hosting a “Youth Day” — enticing youngsters to attend by offering free six-month memberships. Billed by the NRA as a family-fun outing, the event drew hundreds of kids. Some of the attendees were the age of the Newtown massacre victims, others too young to know the difference between a toy gun and a real one.
“Spend the day exploring 400,000 square feet of exhibit hall containing over 550 exhibitors from across the country. Share the excitement with spectacular displays and fun-filled events for the entire family,” the NRA wrote on its website.
con't
http://thelastofthemillenniums.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/youre-kidding-nra-pushes-guns-on-kids-as-young-as-newtown-victims-in-sick-youth-day/
May 6, 2013
A CRITICAL LENS On Howard Kurtz
Dylan Byers & David Folkenflik ask Howard Kurtz about his reporting mistakes covering gay NBA player Jason Collins.
May 6, 2013
On Monday May 6th a draconian new law will be put before the European Commission, which creates new powers to classify and regulate all plant life anywhere in Europe. The "Plant Reproductive Material Law" will regulate all plants. It contains immediate restrictions on reproduction of vegetables and woodland trees, while creating powers to restrict all other plants of any other species at a later date.
Under the new law, it will immediately be illegal to grow, reproduce or trade any vegetable seed or tree that has not been tested, approved and accepted by a new "EU Plant Variety Agency". Moreover, an annual fee must also be paid to the Agency if that particular variety is to be used by anyone. Following a huge outcry from consumer groups, small-scale farmers, and genebanks, last-minute alterations have been made, allowing home gardeners (but not farmers) to at least give seed to each other for free without breaking the law. But the rest of the law is still hugely damaging to the seed supply and will make it much harder for people to get hold of the seeds they want to grow at home.
Ben Gabel, vegetable breeder and director of The Real Seed Catalogue, said:
"This law will immediately stop the development of vegetable varieties for home gardeners, organic growers, and small-scale market farmers. Home gardeners have really different needs - for example they grow by hand, not machine, and can't or don't want to use such powerful chemical sprays. There's no way to register the varieties suitable for home use as they don't meet the strict criteria of the Plant Variety Agency, which is only concerned about approving the sort of seed used by industrial farmers."
"We used to be able to sell 'Amateur' varieties of vegetable seed, so home growers could buy seed that big farmers wouldn't be interested in, but that has been abolished. It will become really hard to get hold of the seed you want to grow at home as any company with more than 10 employees is now banned from producing them."
"Even worse, it will reduce the choice available to large farmers as well. For industrial-scale agriculture, the law will only allow new varieties of vegetable if they are tested and proven to be better than ones currently in use. This is foolish, often you don't discover the benefits of a new variety until you've been growing it for several years, for example when a new disease comes along that it turns out to be resistant to. In a free market, it should be up to farmers to try out any new crop they like and decide what variety is best based on their own experience."
"There's no need for this complex new regulation. We already have very strong consumer-protection laws that cover all this - seeds must be fit for the purpose sold, match their description, and perform as advertised. The old seed laws already cover health, traceability and safety. Anyone who produces seed is already inspected and certified by the Secretary of State. "
"This is an instance of bureaucracy out of control. All this new law does is create a whole new raft of EU civil servants being paid to move mountains of papers round all day, while killing off the seed supply to home gardeners and interfering with the right of farmers to grow what they want. It also very worrying that they have given themselves the power to regulate and licence any plant species of any sort at all in the future - not just agricultural plants, but grasses, mosses, flowers, anything at all - without having to bring it back to the Council for a vote."
"This law was written for the needs of the globalised farm-seed industry, who supply seed by the ton to industrial farmers. It should not apply to seed used by home gardeners and small market growers, who have very different needs."
"We call for a total exemption from the law for seed supplied in small packets directly to individual consumers."
NOTES TO EDITORS
• Plant Reproductive Material Law goes before the EU commissioners on May 6th 2013
• Expected to be opposed by DEFRA for the UK, plus German, Austrian, Swedish, Danish agriculture ministers
• Law drafted by DG SANCO (consumer affairs), opposed by DG AGRI & ENVI (agriculture & environment)
• Executive Summary of Law does not reflect stricter reality of the actual articles in the law
• Law will effectively kill off home-garden seeds in the EU
• Huge public opposition: already 197,000 signatures to the Arche Noah petition http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF8&eotf=1&u=http%3A//helfen.global2000.at/de/node/19
• Media contact: Ben Gabel, The Real Seed Catalogue: ben@realseeds.co.uk
ABOUT THE REAL SEED CATALOGUE:
The Real Seed Catalogue ( www.realseeds.co.uk ) is a well-known DEFRA-registered seed supplier, based in Wales, that specialises in breeding and supplying vegetable seed specially suited to the needs of home gardeners. As a not-for-profit company dedicated to the needs of home gardeners, it is also one of the UK's premier seed-saving organisations, educating the public about seed saving and how to preserve their own heritage varieties of vegetables at home.
cont'
http://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedlaw.html
EU Council On May 6th To BAN All Traditional Vegetable Varieties Unless Registered And Licenced!
NEW EU PLANT LAW KILLS OFF SEED SUPPLY FOR HOME GARDENERS, RESTRICTS FARMERS' CROPSOn Monday May 6th a draconian new law will be put before the European Commission, which creates new powers to classify and regulate all plant life anywhere in Europe. The "Plant Reproductive Material Law" will regulate all plants. It contains immediate restrictions on reproduction of vegetables and woodland trees, while creating powers to restrict all other plants of any other species at a later date.
Under the new law, it will immediately be illegal to grow, reproduce or trade any vegetable seed or tree that has not been tested, approved and accepted by a new "EU Plant Variety Agency". Moreover, an annual fee must also be paid to the Agency if that particular variety is to be used by anyone. Following a huge outcry from consumer groups, small-scale farmers, and genebanks, last-minute alterations have been made, allowing home gardeners (but not farmers) to at least give seed to each other for free without breaking the law. But the rest of the law is still hugely damaging to the seed supply and will make it much harder for people to get hold of the seeds they want to grow at home.
Ben Gabel, vegetable breeder and director of The Real Seed Catalogue, said:
"This law will immediately stop the development of vegetable varieties for home gardeners, organic growers, and small-scale market farmers. Home gardeners have really different needs - for example they grow by hand, not machine, and can't or don't want to use such powerful chemical sprays. There's no way to register the varieties suitable for home use as they don't meet the strict criteria of the Plant Variety Agency, which is only concerned about approving the sort of seed used by industrial farmers."
"We used to be able to sell 'Amateur' varieties of vegetable seed, so home growers could buy seed that big farmers wouldn't be interested in, but that has been abolished. It will become really hard to get hold of the seed you want to grow at home as any company with more than 10 employees is now banned from producing them."
"Even worse, it will reduce the choice available to large farmers as well. For industrial-scale agriculture, the law will only allow new varieties of vegetable if they are tested and proven to be better than ones currently in use. This is foolish, often you don't discover the benefits of a new variety until you've been growing it for several years, for example when a new disease comes along that it turns out to be resistant to. In a free market, it should be up to farmers to try out any new crop they like and decide what variety is best based on their own experience."
"There's no need for this complex new regulation. We already have very strong consumer-protection laws that cover all this - seeds must be fit for the purpose sold, match their description, and perform as advertised. The old seed laws already cover health, traceability and safety. Anyone who produces seed is already inspected and certified by the Secretary of State. "
"This is an instance of bureaucracy out of control. All this new law does is create a whole new raft of EU civil servants being paid to move mountains of papers round all day, while killing off the seed supply to home gardeners and interfering with the right of farmers to grow what they want. It also very worrying that they have given themselves the power to regulate and licence any plant species of any sort at all in the future - not just agricultural plants, but grasses, mosses, flowers, anything at all - without having to bring it back to the Council for a vote."
"This law was written for the needs of the globalised farm-seed industry, who supply seed by the ton to industrial farmers. It should not apply to seed used by home gardeners and small market growers, who have very different needs."
"We call for a total exemption from the law for seed supplied in small packets directly to individual consumers."
NOTES TO EDITORS
• Plant Reproductive Material Law goes before the EU commissioners on May 6th 2013
• Expected to be opposed by DEFRA for the UK, plus German, Austrian, Swedish, Danish agriculture ministers
• Law drafted by DG SANCO (consumer affairs), opposed by DG AGRI & ENVI (agriculture & environment)
• Executive Summary of Law does not reflect stricter reality of the actual articles in the law
• Law will effectively kill off home-garden seeds in the EU
• Huge public opposition: already 197,000 signatures to the Arche Noah petition http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF8&eotf=1&u=http%3A//helfen.global2000.at/de/node/19
• Media contact: Ben Gabel, The Real Seed Catalogue: ben@realseeds.co.uk
ABOUT THE REAL SEED CATALOGUE:
The Real Seed Catalogue ( www.realseeds.co.uk ) is a well-known DEFRA-registered seed supplier, based in Wales, that specialises in breeding and supplying vegetable seed specially suited to the needs of home gardeners. As a not-for-profit company dedicated to the needs of home gardeners, it is also one of the UK's premier seed-saving organisations, educating the public about seed saving and how to preserve their own heritage varieties of vegetables at home.
cont'
http://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedlaw.html
May 4, 2013
The progressive pushback continues against a series of proposed laws in the North Carolina legislature that seem designed to weaken voter rights, environmental laws, and health care for the poor: On Monday, a group of 17 ministers, civil rights advocates, and students got themselves arrested in pre-planned acts of civil disobedience outside the state General Assembly. On Wednesday, another five college students were arrested, after protesting outside the General Assembly. The students, who identify themselves as members of the NC Student Power Union, were all released on bond.
In a statement released to the press and in video clips the N.C. Student Power Union has uploaded onto Youtube, the students say they see the laws proposed by the Republican-led legislature as casting a direct and threatening cloud over their futures.
“My family struggles with finances and we have a hard time making ends meet so the last thing we need is for a millionaire sitting in the North Carolina General Assembly to take my financial aid away,” said Dhruv Pathak, a student at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.
A proposal before the General Assembly would cut nearly $200 million to the state university system. Other proposals would hit at voting rights by shortening early voting provisions and eliminating Sunday voting and same-day registration entirely.
cont'
http://newsone.com/2432613/north-carolina-student-power-protests/
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Civil Disobedience Arrests Mount In N.C. In Protest Of CONSERVATIVE AGENDA
The progressive pushback continues against a series of proposed laws in the North Carolina legislature that seem designed to weaken voter rights, environmental laws, and health care for the poor: On Monday, a group of 17 ministers, civil rights advocates, and students got themselves arrested in pre-planned acts of civil disobedience outside the state General Assembly. On Wednesday, another five college students were arrested, after protesting outside the General Assembly. The students, who identify themselves as members of the NC Student Power Union, were all released on bond.
In a statement released to the press and in video clips the N.C. Student Power Union has uploaded onto Youtube, the students say they see the laws proposed by the Republican-led legislature as casting a direct and threatening cloud over their futures.
“My family struggles with finances and we have a hard time making ends meet so the last thing we need is for a millionaire sitting in the North Carolina General Assembly to take my financial aid away,” said Dhruv Pathak, a student at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.
A proposal before the General Assembly would cut nearly $200 million to the state university system. Other proposals would hit at voting rights by shortening early voting provisions and eliminating Sunday voting and same-day registration entirely.
cont'
http://newsone.com/2432613/north-carolina-student-power-protests/
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