Remember back in 1997 when we at least had some faint hope that Tony Blair would be an improvement over Tories like Margaret Thatcher? As you may recall, GM means "genetically modified," the European term for genetically engineered. Tom Subj: Sacked UK Minister says there are no GM human health impact trials Date: 03-06-14 16:00:26 EDT From: [log in to unmask] (NLP Wessex) To: UndisclosedRecipients Sacked UK Minister says there are no GM human health impact trials - Blair Fires Meacher After Criticism From Bayer -------------------------------------------------- Environment Minister Michael Meacher, who had the GM portfolio within DEFRA, has been jettisoned from the British government in the latest much criticised ministerial reshuffle. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2988494.stm The move is especially significant because this takes place in the middle of the national GM debate. According to the Daily Telegraph (see below) Meacher was put "at risk" after criticism from a senior executive at GM crop giant Bayer. A later article in the Telegraph states: "Tony Blair's sacking yesterday of Michael Meacher as Environment Minister removes the Government's safest pair of hands in the debate over genetically modified crops" http://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/06/14/ncab214 .xml&sSheet=/news/2003/06/14/ixnewstop.html Meacher has been critical of GM crops http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2771129.stm According to the Financial Times today: "Mr Meacher quickly dispelled any hopes in Downing Street that he might opt for the quiet life, saying in an interview that he would be vocal in the Commons. He is likely to be a leading figure in the debate now underway on whether to introduce commercially grown GM crops to Britain. Mr Meacher appeared to be a victim of his doubts about GM foods. He made no secret of his views yesterday: 'The whole issue of the GM debate is very much with us ...I shall now be extremely active on this. People in this country must be able to give their views and government must fully take that into account in the way in which they take their decision. He added: 'There's an opportunity, if people feel there is great uncertainty about the future impact of GM crops, to invoke the precautionary principle because there have in fact been no health trials of the impact of consuming GM foods on human beings at all. And this is a reason why we need to be duly cautious." http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c =StoryFT&cid=1054966115085 For more on the lack of GM food safety testing see: http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/pusztai.html http://www.mindfully.org/GE/Many-Opinions-Few-Data.htm http://naturalscience.com/ns/news/news29.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/gmdebate/Story/0,2763,756666,00.html Reported food related illnesses in the US have more than doubled since the introduction of GM foods, although no epidemiological studies appear to have been done to establish whether there is any connection. That would be virtually impossible in a country where there is no GM food labelling or consumption monitoring. http://www.btinternet.com/~nlpwessex/Documents/GMhealthstatistics.htm NATURAL LAW PARTY WESSEX [log in to unmask] www.btinternet.com/~nlpwessex Tearing Down Biotech's 'Berlin Wall' www.btinternet.com/~nlpwessex/Documents/genomicsparadigm.htm The Acceptable Face Of Ag-biotech www.btinternet.com/~nlpwessex/Documents/monsantoMASpossibilities.htm =========================================================================== - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]