February 1, 2008
Contents:
- EDITORIAL: Wellness Show, Upcoming HANS Events
- UPDATE: Comment on GE Alfalfa by Feb 6, 2008
- UPDATE: Organic Pioneer says No to Nano
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EDITORIAL: Wellness Show, Upcoming HANS Events
Hello HANS Supporters and Friends;
I hope you had as wonderful a weekend as we did here in Vancouver. The Vancouver Wellness Show was a lively event spanning three days, and our booth was a hotbed of activity. If you were one of the people who dropped by, thank you! It was wonderful so see so many familiar faces, and to make so many new friends who are interested in exploring natural solutions for health and the environment.
Announcing 3 HANS-sponsored Events
We're pleased to announce three HANS-sponsored events this spring. The first, "Cancer - Natural Approaches for Prevention and Healing," is a one-day conference with six expert speakers on
March 30, 2008. Call us and purchase your ticket today! The event is a must-see - one that will impact the rest of your life.
On
May 2, 2008, Dr. George Carlo, world authority on cell phones and electromagnetic radiation, which we are all exposed to, is in Vancouver for an informative evening cosponsored by Common Ground Magazine.
On
June 2, 2008, is an extremely important event again cosponsored by Common Ground Magazine - "Endangered Natural Health Products?" with Shawn Buckley, LLB. According to this lawyer, who has repeatedly and successfully represented health product manufacturers against lawsuits by Health Canada, our current regulations threaten to strangle the natural health products industry. Find out how to protect to your favourite vitamins, herbs and nutritional supplements.
Warm regards,
Lorna Hancock
Executive Director and Founding Member
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UPDATE: Comment on GE Alfalfa by Feb 6, 2008
The US Agriculture Department (USDA) announced on January 7, 2008, that it is preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) on the environmental effects of the widespread planting of genetically modified, herbicide-resistant hay, or alfalfa seeds.
The EIS will take up to two years to complete, and there is a 30-day public comment period until February 6, 2008, on what ecological health issues USDA should consider.
The findings of the EIS will be key for Wyoming, which annually produces 1.5 million tons of alfalfa for forage, grown over 600,000 acres.
Missouri-based biotech giant Monsanto Co. developed the genetically modified seeds for resistance to the company's broad leaf herbicide line of Roundup Ready weedkillers. The company claims the alfalfa seeds are genetically altered so that farmers can spray an entire crop indiscriminately with Roundup to kill weeds and maximize yields.
Last year, the Center for Food Safety sued USDA on behalf of farmers in South Dakota who complained that the biotech alfalfa could contaminate organic or conventional alfalfa if planted nearby.
Judge Charles Breyer of the US District Court for the Northern District of California upheld an injunction barring new plantings of Roundup Ready alfalfa and the resale of seeds, saying more studies are needed to determine the environmental effects of the biotech hay.
The decision marked the first time a court reversed a USDA decision to approve a biotech crop.
Request for public comments: Comments are being solicited from the public until the deadline of February 6, 2008. For instructions on submitting comments, please visit:
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main...
For the complete announcement in the Federal Register, please see:
http://frwebgate4.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cg...
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UPDATE: Organic Pioneer says No to Nano
by ETC Group News ReleaseNow that you can drive your "nano" car, listening to your iPod "nano" while wearing "nano" sunscreen and "nano" clothing, the UK's largest organic certifier has just introduced the perfect nano-antidote - a "nano-free" standard for consumer products. The Soil Association - one of the world's pioneers of organic agriculture - announced on January 14 that it is has banned human-made nanomaterials from the organic cosmetics, foods and textiles that it certifies.
According to the US-based Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, there are over 500 manufacturer-identified consumer products on the market that contain nanomaterials. However, since manufacturers are not required to disclose the presence of nano-scale materials, it's virtually impossible for people to make fully informed choices. In its newly published standard, the Soil Association bans the use of human-made nanomaterials whose basic particle size is less than 125nm and whose mean particle size is less than 200nm. While the Soil Association's ban only affects organic production for goods certified in the UK, other organic certifiers worldwide are expected to follow suit.
More at
http://www.etcgroup.org/en/materials/publications.ht...