Monsanto Protection Act

wiltl

Maybe I am behind on the times, but as for as I know we do not have GMO wheat in the US. We have hybridized wheat but not GMO wheat.

So what's the difference?

One is done in a field, the other is done in a lab. Not being snarky, but that's the easiest way I can think of to differentiate.

Confuzzled4ever

I am interested if someone has peer reviewed studies done on the effects of crop changes on diseases, where the author doesn't have a personal monetary stake in the publishing of the article/book.

That's one of the issues. These GMO seeds have not been certified safe because there are no independent completed studies to that effect. The other issue is Monsanto helped write this amendment, which of course benefits that corporation the most. It's not a secret that injecting pesticides and chemicals does a body bad. So why is it even remotely ok to inject these things into seeds?
GMO is not the same as GE. GE = Genetically engineered, and is similar to cross breeding.. however we do not know what they *do* to this food when they perform GE on it. oh yea.. and soybeans are almost all GMO.. because they deregulated it, so the big corporation flooded the market with their GMO seeds so much so that non-GMO seeds were hard to come by. (If i have the wrong crop i apologize,)

Not to mention.. by removing our ability to pursue them in court if these seeds are the cause of medical conditions (which they will be, esp if you eat a lot of them) they have effectively removed our right to due process and violated the constitution. The stipulation that it's temporary means nothing.. it's a huge slippery slope and a terrible precedent.

The lady who said no one will do anything is wrong, there's already a petition out there with over 300,000 signatures on it. If you care about your rights as a citizen and your health and that of your children, you should sign it. If I can find the link i'll post it, but I have to get back to work..

Acg67

That's one of the issues. These GMO seeds have not been certified safe because there are no independent completed studies to that effect. The other issue is Monsanto helped write this amendment, which of course benefits that corporation the most. It's not a secret that injecting pesticides and chemicals does a body bad. So why is it even remotely ok to inject these things into seeds?

Please make up your mind

It's been shown that GMO wheat is the cause of gluten allergies and celliac (sp?) disease.. so yes.. let not even hold them liable for the harm they knowingly cause

neanderthin

Maybe I am behind on the times, but as for as I know we do not have GMO wheat in the US. We have hybridized wheat but not GMO wheat.

So what's the difference?

There's no GMO wheat anywhere in the world, it doesn't exist.....yet. Monsano would like to change that.

bcf7683

I suppose my intention was misconstrued. They're in it for the profit, masking themselves as the world's savior.

The computer/android/tablet you're typing this on and could afford to purchase, came your way courtesy of military technology as a result of wars in which millions of innocent people died.

I love discussions about morality and ethics. They never end up lopsided. :drinker:

I am no way pulling in any type of military action whatsoever... not really sure where that one came from.

I am talking about a company that is producing foods on a large scale that haven't been proven safe ("but they haven't been proven unsafe....." I get it). I'm saying that I should have a right to know what the hell is in the food I'm eating. If I chose not the eat that food, that's up to me. There should be clear labeling on food that they want to mess with.

The fact that most of the people who this act came across didn't even know that this verbiage was in it doesn't surprise me. It was signed regardless. And I'm sure there isn't going to be one person that goes back and tries to reverse this.... which I'm sure is done intentionally.

agtapia09

Poisoning in our food and water supply.. This is far from conspiracy, these are few of the very real issues we face everyday. Whether we accept it as fact or not is beyond the point. Educate yourself, read, read and read. Spread the word and inform others, just that in itself is a small step needed to make a deference in our world.

Btw.. Thank you everybody for all the information. I have a lot to look into.

waldo56

Now, I'm not anti-gmo at all, I think every bit of it should be evaluated on its own merits as opposed to under the gmo umbrella boogeyman.

But protecting them for any legal liability is utterly ridiculous.

If toy manufactures don't have warnings about small parts and age limits, they can be sued and are liable. If McDonalds coffee spills in yoru lap and burns you, and they didn't warn you, they can be sued and are liable.

It is flabbergasting that not only do GMO producers not need any labeling whatsoever on foods, that now they aren't liable for any ill side effects that may arise.

Wow.

wiltl

I am interested if someone has peer reviewed studies done on the effects of crop changes on diseases, where the author doesn't have a personal monetary stake in the publishing of the article/book.

That's one of the issues. These GMO seeds have not been certified safe because there are no independent completed studies to that effect. The other issue is Monsanto helped write this amendment, which of course benefits that corporation the most. It's not a secret that injecting pesticides and chemicals does a body bad. So why is it even remotely ok to inject these things into seeds?
GMO is not the same as GE. GE = Genetically engineered, and is similar to cross breeding.. however we do not know what they *do* to this food when they perform GE on it. oh yea.. and soybeans are almost all GMO.. because they deregulated it, so the big corporation flooded the market with their GMO seeds so much so that non-GMO seeds were hard to come by. (If i have the wrong crop i apologize,)

Not to mention.. by removing our ability to pursue them in court if these seeds are the cause of medical conditions (which they will be, esp if you eat a lot of them) they have effectively removed our right to due process and violated the constitution. The stipulation that it's temporary means nothing.. it's a huge slippery slope and a terrible precedent.

The lady who said no one will do anything is wrong, there's already a petition out there with over 300,000 signatures on it. If you care about your rights as a citizen and your health and that of your children, you should sign it. If I can find the link i'll post it, but I have to get back to work..

So, that's part of my issue with saying they ARE the cause of disease when there's no unbiased evidence one way or the other. Saying that this will definitely lead to disease without the studies to back it up seems just as dangerous as the companies saying they definitely won't. Without research, we don't know.
What my great grandfather did to grow wheat back when his plows were pulled by horses is light years different from what Monsanto does to other seed crops, but isn't all that different than the guys working our land today. So yeah, I have a personal interest in this beyond my health as someday I will have partial responsibility for what goes into and comes out of the ground in my little space on this world.

I totally agree with you that this bill is not in our best interests and the way it was passed through is dishonorable. Not surprising, though.

chessgeekdavidb

I don't expect anything less from President Obama. He is owned by the corporations and for the corporations. He will go down in history as one of the worst presidents this country has ever had.

Wow, many of you don't seem to understand how the American legistlative process works. The president doesn't hold the power to enact a bill all on his own, you know?

Supposedly, this time he has the blessing of the Congress, but when he doesn't, it's call an executive order. Obama has executed more executive orders than all the past presidents in the past 200+ years combined. I Sh#t you not.

Hahahaha that is quite a laugh. Just three seconds of research and you can prove yourself wrong on the executive order count.

missjones93

I don't expect anything less from President Obama. He is owned by the corporations and for the corporations. He will go down in history as one of the worst presidents this country has ever had.

Wow, many of you don't seem to understand how the American legistlative process works. The president doesn't hold the power to enact a bill all on his own, you know?

Supposedly, this time he has the blessing of the Congress, but when he doesn't, it's call an executive order. Obama has executed more executive orders than all the past presidents in the past 200+ years combined. I Sh#t you not.

Hahahaha that is quite a laugh. Just three seconds of research and you can prove yourself wrong on the executive order count.

Couldn't have said that better my self! Stop listening to FOX news and you're extremist friends and DO REAL RESEARCH! Jeez!

iAMsmiling

Executive Orders per year by president.

Source: Forbes magazine. http://www.forbes.com/sites/richardsalsman/2013/01/28/when-it-comes-to-abuse-of-presidential-power-obama-is-a-mere-piker/

The article correctly points out that this is just a number count and does not indicate the impact of the orders.
As much as I dislike the president, bad information doesn't advance arguments.

Confuzzled4ever

I am interested if someone has peer reviewed studies done on the effects of crop changes on diseases, where the author doesn't have a personal monetary stake in the publishing of the article/book.

That's one of the issues. These GMO seeds have not been certified safe because there are no independent completed studies to that effect. The other issue is Monsanto helped write this amendment, which of course benefits that corporation the most. It's not a secret that injecting pesticides and chemicals does a body bad. So why is it even remotely ok to inject these things into seeds?
GMO is not the same as GE. GE = Genetically engineered, and is similar to cross breeding.. however we do not know what they *do* to this food when they perform GE on it. oh yea.. and soybeans are almost all GMO.. because they deregulated it, so the big corporation flooded the market with their GMO seeds so much so that non-GMO seeds were hard to come by. (If i have the wrong crop i apologize,)

Not to mention.. by removing our ability to pursue them in court if these seeds are the cause of medical conditions (which they will be, esp if you eat a lot of them) they have effectively removed our right to due process and violated the constitution. The stipulation that it's temporary means nothing.. it's a huge slippery slope and a terrible precedent.

The lady who said no one will do anything is wrong, there's already a petition out there with over 300,000 signatures on it. If you care about your rights as a citizen and your health and that of your children, you should sign it. If I can find the link i'll post it, but I have to get back to work..

So, that's part of my issue with saying they ARE the cause of disease when there's no unbiased evidence one way or the other. Saying that this will definitely lead to disease without the studies to back it up seems just as dangerous as the companies saying they definitely won't. Without research, we don't know.
What my great grandfather did to grow wheat back when his plows were pulled by horses is light years different from what Monsanto does to other seed crops, but isn't all that different than the guys working our land today. So yeah, I have a personal interest in this beyond my health as someday I will have partial responsibility for what goes into and comes out of the ground in my little space on this world.

I totally agree with you that this bill is not in our best interests and the way it was passed through is dishonorable. Not surprising, though.

If I ingest a spoonful of pesticides I will get ill, If I ingest a few drops daily I may not get sick all at once, but I will harm my body over time. I don't need a study to tell me that pesticides and chemicals are bad for my health. It's common knowledge. If they find any other answer, then the researchers were bought by the corporations. How can you come to any other conclusion? Posions are not suddenly less poisious because they were injected into a seed and distrubed throughout the plant or because I ingest a small portion of them.. Just because I don't get violenlty ill at the smaller does, does not mean it does not harm my body *over time*. How many prematurely "FDA approved" medicines were found to be unsafe/harmful down the road. When will we learn?

As a side (and more food for thought) The FDA might approve or deem safe a certain percentage or amount of a substance that will cause no ill side affects that can be present in a given food source. What we the people don't think about is how many of those items do you eat each day. Example.. I eat a *ton* of veggies.. so if they say a certain percent of pesticides will not harm my body, per serving.. I have to multiply that by the number of servings I have of veggie each day (well beyond the 5 a day), effectively putting me well *over* the amount deemed "safe". This occurs more often then people realize. They do not base this off of how peopel actually eat, they base if off of what will profit them best and to hell with consumer health concerns.

jofjltncb6

Maybe I am behind on the times, but as for as I know we do not have GMO wheat in the US. We have hybridized wheat but not GMO wheat.

So what's the difference?

(Admittedly, I could take a minute to google this to confirm, but I didn't...because 1) I'm on my phone, and 2) well, okay, just reason #1. Just wanted to make that clear first.)

My understanding is that hybridized wheat involves cross-pollination of different strains of wheat to "breed in" favorable characteristics and "breed out" unfavorable characteristics, whereas GMO wheat (if it actually existed) would involve the splicing of a wheat plant with genes of something other than a wheat plant. The end result is not a hybrid of wheat, but of a plant that has been altered at the cellular level with the genes of another plant/animal.

(ETA: Also, admittedly, I didn't actually read through all of the replies in this thread, so this may have already been addressed...)

suv_hater

$#%$ Monsanto.

But it's not like anyone can win in court against them anyway.

ldrosophila

I dont normally jump on the GMO bandwagon because I'm under the belief we have been engineering our food since we learned how to put seeds in the ground.

However, to remove culpability is scary I'll have to read this more.

ldrosophila

Appears that this if for the 2013 fiscal year so I would encourage anyone to write his/her congress and get this bill 733 overturned especially for the 2014 fiscal year.

I understand that they want to ensure crops can continue to feed Americans and a many others of the world we feed, but to not to be able to be under the scrutiny of courts with checks and balance is very scary.



H.R. 5973: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 (The "Farmer Assurance Provision" AKA Monsanto Protection Act)

Sec. 733. In the event that a determination of non-regulated status made pursuant to section 411 of the Plant Protection Act is or has been invalidated or vacated, the Secretary of Agriculture shall, notwithstanding any other provision of law, upon request by a farmer, grower, farm operator, or producer, immediately grant temporary permit(s) or temporary deregulation in part, subject to necessary and appropriate conditions consistent with section 411(a) or 412(c) of the Plant Protection Act, which interim conditions shall authorize the movement, introduction, continued cultivation, commercialization and other specifically enumerated activities and requirements, including measures designed to mitigate or minimize potential adverse environmental effects, if any, relevant to the Secretary’s evaluation of the petition for non-regulated status, while ensuring that growers or other users are able to move, plant, cultivate, introduce into commerce and carry out other authorized activities in a timely manner: Provided, That all such conditions shall be applicable only for the interim period necessary for the Secretary to complete any required analyses or consultations related to the petition for non-regulated status: Provided further, That nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting the Secretary’s authority under section 411, 412 and 414 of the Plant Protection Act.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr5973/text

chessgeekdavidb

I dont normally jump on the GMO bandwagon because I'm under the belief we have been engineering our food since we learned how to put seeds in the ground.

However, to remove culpability is scary I'll have to read this more.

The GMO is a little worrisome because it is actually modifying the DNA of the seed in a laboratory. The cross breeding I'm not worried about because this type of cross breeding. Has been done by nature for thousands of years.

NewLIFEstyle4ME

Get the pitchforks and the torches.

Oh who am I kidding? No one is going to do anything except shut up and bend over for our new food overlords.

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

CoachReddy

I dont normally jump on the GMO bandwagon because I'm under the belief we have been engineering our food since we learned how to put seeds in the ground.

However, to remove culpability is scary I'll have to read this more.

The GMO is a little worrisome because it is actually modifying the DNA of the seed in a laboratory. The cross breeding I'm not worried about because this type of cross breeding. Has been done by nature for thousands of years.

the thing with cross-breeding - even if its not GMO - is that our bodies still don't know what to do with it. we've bred wheat to be shorter, heartier and more dense so that it is protected against insects/pesticides/etc/etc, but that same cross-breeding makes it harder for us to digest. so no, there's not GMO wheat, but that doesn't mean the wheat we're eating today looks anything like the wheat we ate 50 years ago, and the human body can't adapt like that over a 50 year period. It'll take thousands for us to adapt to the wheat we're eating now, and once that happens we'll probably all have blown ourselves up anyway.

Acg67

I am interested if someone has peer reviewed studies done on the effects of crop changes on diseases, where the author doesn't have a personal monetary stake in the publishing of the article/book.

That's one of the issues. These GMO seeds have not been certified safe because there are no independent completed studies to that effect. The other issue is Monsanto helped write this amendment, which of course benefits that corporation the most. It's not a secret that injecting pesticides and chemicals does a body bad. So why is it even remotely ok to inject these things into seeds?
GMO is not the same as GE. GE = Genetically engineered, and is similar to cross breeding.. however we do not know what they *do* to this food when they perform GE on it. oh yea.. and soybeans are almost all GMO.. because they deregulated it, so the big corporation flooded the market with their GMO seeds so much so that non-GMO seeds were hard to come by. (If i have the wrong crop i apologize,)

Not to mention.. by removing our ability to pursue them in court if these seeds are the cause of medical conditions (which they will be, esp if you eat a lot of them) they have effectively removed our right to due process and violated the constitution. The stipulation that it's temporary means nothing.. it's a huge slippery slope and a terrible precedent.

The lady who said no one will do anything is wrong, there's already a petition out there with over 300,000 signatures on it. If you care about your rights as a citizen and your health and that of your children, you should sign it. If I can find the link i'll post it, but I have to get back to work..

So, that's part of my issue with saying they ARE the cause of disease when there's no unbiased evidence one way or the other. Saying that this will definitely lead to disease without the studies to back it up seems just as dangerous as the companies saying they definitely won't. Without research, we don't know.
What my great grandfather did to grow wheat back when his plows were pulled by horses is light years different from what Monsanto does to other seed crops, but isn't all that different than the guys working our land today. So yeah, I have a personal interest in this beyond my health as someday I will have partial responsibility for what goes into and comes out of the ground in my little space on this world.

I totally agree with you that this bill is not in our best interests and the way it was passed through is dishonorable. Not surprising, though.

If I ingest a spoonful of pesticides I will get ill, If I ingest a few drops daily I may not get sick all at once, but I will harm my body over time. I don't need a study to tell me that pesticides and chemicals are bad for my health. It's common knowledge. If they find any other answer, then the researchers were bought by the corporations. How can you come to any other conclusion? Posions are not suddenly less poisious because they were injected into a seed and distrubed throughout the plant or because I ingest a small portion of them.. Just because I don't get violenlty ill at the smaller does, does not mean it does not harm my body *over time*. How many prematurely "FDA approved" medicines were found to be unsafe/harmful down the road. When will we learn?

As a side (and more food for thought) The FDA might approve or deem safe a certain percentage or amount of a substance that will cause no ill side affects that can be present in a given food source. What we the people don't think about is how many of those items do you eat each day. Example.. I eat a *ton* of veggies.. so if they say a certain percent of pesticides will not harm my body, per serving.. I have to multiply that by the number of servings I have of veggie each day (well beyond the 5 a day), effectively putting me well *over* the amount deemed "safe". This occurs more often then people realize. They do not base this off of how peopel actually eat, they base if off of what will profit them best and to hell with consumer health concerns.

All those fruits and veg you eat? Were sprayed with pesticides, even organic produce

I don't need a study to tell me that pesticides and chemicals are bad for my health

Such ignorance, have fun trying to avoid chemicals