CONTENTS
1) Issue Updates
--USDA Accepting Comments on Plan to Approve Genetically Engineered Plums
--Organic Milk Should Not Come from Factory Farms!
--Greenpeace Activists Protest Ontario Nuclear Power Expansion
--Taking Care of Business: Eco-friendly Office Tactics
--Canada: Smoking and Diabetes Statistics 2005
--Food Consumption Statistics 2005
2) Media Watch
--Canadians Healthier than Americans
--Research Center to Bridge Canadian Commodities and Health
--Preparing for Canada’s Functional Food Regulations
--Codex: FDA “Vetoes” Optimal Nutrition for Health
--Big Pharma Uses Scare Tactics to Keep Americans Buying Prescription Drugs
--Independent Federal Safety Board Needed to Prevent Adverse Effects
--Vitamins are Safe, so How Soon Can We Ban Them?
--Random House Commits to 30 Percent Recycled Paper
--Is Corporate America Going Green?
--Global Seed Market Valued at $17 Billion
--Organic Food, Exercise, but Also PCBs
--Pesticide Use Ups Parkinson’s in Men
--BC Salmon Future in Hot Water
--Salmon Population Balance Between Restoration and Extinction
--Planning an Organic Wedding
--EU and US Organic Policies Differ
--An Interview with UBC’s Dr. Sustainability
--Just Screw It: On Replacing Light Bulbs
--Toyota Aims for the Green
--Canada Expects Biofuel Strategy by This Fall
--Wine Regions Feel the Heat
--Combining Mainstream, Alternative Therapies Brings Back Pain Relief
--Fruit & Fibre: Two Ways to Eat Like a Lean Person
--Canada Expands Use of Omega-3s in Foods
--Lawsuit Targets Trans Fats at KFC
--Eat Trans Fats, Get Big Belly
--Health Canada Welcomes Final Report from Trans Fat Task Force
--When Will the National Cancer Institutes Face Reality?
--Chinese Gene Therapy for Cancer, Promising But…
--Effective Strategy for Tobacco Cessation Underused, Panel Says
--FDA Sued: Regulate Toxic Mercury “Silver” Dental Fillings
--Today’s Bird Flu Vaccines Will Have to Do
--Montreal Wants Ban on Cellphones While Driving
--In Search of a Pan That Lets Cooks Forget About Teflon
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2) ISSUE UPDATES
USDA Accepting Comments on Plan to Approve Genetically Engineered Plums
The United Sates Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now accepting public comments regarding the commercial approval of a genetically engineered (GE) plum variety known as “C5.”
Not only would the approval of C5 be the first commercially released GE tree variety in the US, but also the first GE fruit approved for human consumption. Approval of C5 will pave the way for more GE food and tree varieties, as well as guarantee the widespread genetic contamination of conventional and organic stone fruit varieties, including plums, peaches, cherries, and apricots.
Contact the USDA today and call for strict health, safety and environmental testing for all GE crops, as well as increased funding for ecological and integrated pest management alternatives for the plum pox virus.
Visit http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsOR...
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Organic Milk Should Not Come from Factory Farms!
The USDA’s National Organic Program is accepting comments on a controversial provision of the government’s standards for organic milk: how much access to pasture cows need to have for milk to be certified as organic. When most of us think of organic milk, we assume it comes from smaller farms where the cows graze on pasture. Lots of organic milk does come from these kinds of farms. But an increasing amount comes from factory farms, where thousands of cows are kept confined to buildings and rarely get outside to graze.
The rules for organic milk have been a source of controversy for years, because USDA has allowed factory farms (where confined cows are fed organic grass and grain) to be certified as organic producers. The agency has claimed that the current rule is too vague to be enforced, and has been slowly working through the process of revising the rules, even though its own advisory committee (the National Organic Standards Board) has repeatedly made recommendations on how it can be done.
Tell the USDA that organic milk should not come from factory farms at http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsOR...
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Greenpeace Activists Protest Ontario Nuclear Power Expansion
Greenpeace activists occupied the Toronto office of Ontario Energy Minister Dwight Duncan on June 13. The occupation lasted until the 7 protestors were arrested that evening. The activists took action in response to the McGuinty government’s announcement that it will proceed with a massive expansion of nuclear power in Ontario.
The McGuinty government’s nuclear energy plan will see $40 billion spent on the construction or re-construction of about 20 new and old nuclear reactors. The plan gives short shrift to renewable energy, conservation and efficiency.
Greenpeace activists are demanding that the government retract their commitment to nuclear power and commit to a renewable energy future.
More at http://www.greenpeace.ca/e/feature/energy_occupation...
AND
Ontario Plans Multibillion-Dollar Nuclear Program
http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/3...
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Taking Care of Business: Eco-friendly Office Tactics
The David Suzuki’s Nature Challenge encourages Canadians to make sustainable decisions at home, but there are also lots of things we can do at work to conserve nature. After all, most Canadians spend at least eight hours a day at work, and our actions on the job affect the planet. You shouldn’t have to stop caring for the environment when you clock in.
Visit http://www.davidsuzuki.org/NatureChallenge/newslette...
AND
Office Buildings Can Fight Global Warming, Says World Resources Institute Guidebook
http://www.enn.com/net.html?id=1549
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Canada: Smoking and Diabetes Statistics 2005
Widespread smoking bans in public places appear to have considerably reduced the risk of exposure to second-hand smoke across Canada. Still, millions of Canadians had a regular brush with second-hand smoke last year, according to the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS).
The survey, which covered 130,000 people, also showed a substantial decline in the smoking rate, especially among teenagers.
Overall, an estimated 5.9 million people, or 22 percent of the population aged 12 and older, were smokers last year, down slightly from 23 percent in 2003 and 26 percent in 2000/2001. The sharpest decline was among young people aged 12 to 17.
More at http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/060613/td060613....
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Food Consumption Statistics 2005
Although Canadians continue to eat grain-based products such as pasta, bakery products and cereal-based snacks, total cereal consumption eased in 2005. At 66.0 kilograms per person per year, the allure of cereals dropped marginally last year from the record established in 2004. Cereal popularity rose rapidly during the 1990s, gaining over 20 percent during that time. It has since stabilized.
Products made with wheat flour accounted for the majority of cereal products consumed as each individual ate 51.9 kilograms in 2005. Canadians continue to incorporate rice into their diet, eating 7.2 kilograms in 2005, double that of 1990.
More at http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/060601/td060601....
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2) MEDIA WATCH
Canadians Healthier than Americans
http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_636.cfm...
Research Center to Bridge Canadian Commodities and Health
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=68...
Preparing for Canada’s Functional Food Regulations
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=68...
Codex: FDA “Vetoes” Optimal Nutrition for Health
http://healthy.net/scr/news.asp?Id=8434
Big Pharma Uses Scare Tactics to Keep Americans Buying Prescription Drugs
http://healthy.net/scr/news.asp?Id=8432
Independent Federal Safety Board Needed to Prevent Adverse Effects
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/174/12/1699?etoc...
Vitamins are Safe, so How Soon Can We Ban Them?
http://healthy.net/scr/news.asp?Id=8440
Random House Commits to 30 Percent Recycled Paper
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?3206
Is Corporate America Going Green?
http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=10606
Global Seed Market Valued at $17 Billion
http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseactio...
Organic Food, Exercise, but Also PCBs
http://thetyee.ca/News/2006/06/01/PCB/
Pesticide Use Ups Parkinson’s in Men
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?artic...
BC Salmon Future in Hot Water
http://thetyee.ca/Views/2006/05/31/BCSalmon/
Salmon Population Balance Between Restoration and Extinction
http://www.enn.com/net.html?id=1547
Planning an Organic Wedding
http://www.theorganicreport.com/pages/661_planning_a...
EU and US Organic Policies Differ
http://healthy.net/scr/news.asp?Id=8429
An Interview with UBC’s Dr. Sustainability
http://thetyee.ca/News/2006/06/06/DrSustainability/
Just Screw It: On Replacing Light Bulbs
http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2006/06/21/replacing...
Toyota Aims for the Green
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?3235
Canada Expects Biofuel Strategy by This Fall
http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseactio...
Wine Regions Feel the Heat
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/2006-06-01-w...
Combining Mainstream, Alternative Therapies Brings Back Pain Relief
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?artic...
Fruit & Fibre: Two Ways to Eat Like a Lean Person
http://onhealth.webmd.com/script/main/art.asp?articl...
Canada Expands Use of Omega-3s in Foods
http://www.ffnmag.com/ASP/articleDisplay.asp?strArti...
Lawsuit Targets Trans Fats at KFC
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?artic...
Eat Trans Fats, Get Big Belly
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?artic...
Health Canada Welcomes Final Report from Trans Fat Task Force
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp/2006/2006...
When Will the National Cancer Institutes Face Reality?
http://www.cancerdecisions.com/062506.html
Chinese Gene Therapy for Cancer, Promising But…
http://www.cancerdecisions.com/061806.html
Effective Strategy for Tobacco Cessation Underused, Panel Says
http://healthy.net/scr/news.asp?Id=8458
FDA Sued: Regulate Toxic Mercury “Silver” Dental Fillings
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2006/06/14/fda_...
Today’s Bird Flu Vaccines Will Have to Do
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19025564.100?D...
Montreal Wants Ban on Cellphones While Driving
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.200...
In Search of a Pan That Lets Cooks Forget About Teflon
http://ewg.org/news/story.php?id=5362
For more current stories, check out “News” at www.hans.org.
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Founded in 1984, Health Action Network Society is a membership-based, non-profit charitable organization dedicated to gathering and disseminating health promotion information.