Monthly Online Updates on GE

2008 JANUARY

• Bt Allergy in North India Crying Out for Attention
  
  More Illnesses Linked to Bt Crops, and Mass Deaths in Sheep Grazing on Bt Cotton (SiS 30) describing health problems associated with genetically modified (GM) Bt cotton in India, further symptoms of allergy reported this year in Sadalpur Village near Hisar in Haryana State, India. Farmers say skin itching is very common and even buffaloes and dogs are affected.
  
  The itching started to appear during the Bt cotton season this year. The village Ayurvedic Hospital Compounder says that on average, 10 cases of skin allergy/itching symptoms in humans come to the hospital every day, and there is an increasing trend over the past three or so years. Even cotton factory workers in the area are complaining of an itching problem. Itching is observed mainly on the skin and in reproductive organs.    read ...
  Source: www.i-sis.org.uk/BTAllergyNorthIndia.php
• How GM Crops Endanger Environment and Agriculture
  
  The recent genetic engineering has emerged as one of the most important influences on the future of agricultural and food systems with genetically engineered crops spreading rapidly to millions of hectares in countries like the USA. We were warned that the rapid spread of transgenic crops poses a threat to traditional crop varieties and wild plants that are the major sources of crop genetic diversity.
  
  Another ecological risk is the possibility that field or forestry plants engineered to express toxic substances like pesticides and pharmaceutical drugs may poison certain non-target organisms. Transgenes for insecticidal or fugicidal compounds that are introduced into crops to inhibit pests may unintentionally kill non-target and beneficial insects and fungi. Transgenic crops used to manufacture drugs or industrial oils and chemicals could potentially harm animals, insects and soil microorganisms.    read ...
  Source: www.mainstreamweekly.net/article522.html
• Seeds of Destruction, the Hidden Agenda of Genetic Manipulation
  
  Bill Engdahl wrote in his book that today, we're all lab rats in an uncontrolled, unregulated mass human experiment the results of which are unknown. Once GM seeds are introduced to an area, the genie is out of the bottle for keeps.    read ...
  Source: www.globalresearch.ca/index.php
• EU rethinks biofuels guidelines
  
  Europe's environment chief has admitted that the EU did not foresee the problems raised by its policy to get 10% of Europe's road fuels from plants.
  
  Recent reports have warned of rising food prices and rainforest destruction from increased biofuel production. The EU has promised new guidelines to ensure that its target is not damaging.    read ...
  Source: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7186380.stm