Tom has started and its seems that every comment made keeps him going. Thomas Mathews wrote: > Spot-on metaphors there regarding the ideological pew and Clintonitis, > Bill. > > So, how do we mobilize the amazing outpouring of grassroots support > for Obama that we saw during the campaign and put it to work to > vaccinate the Obama administration against Clintonitis? That's not a > rhetorical question. > > As for Ken's complaint that my single issue has not registered with > the general public, well I do have to apologize for that. I am not a > very good activist. I'm too busy earning a living to have much time or > energy left when I get home from work to do much organizing or > educating. I'm on winter break now, so I can e-mail during the day. > (And by the way, I'm concerned with many issues, most of which Vilsack > is bad on. Let's hope Obama proves to be better on those issues than > he appears just now. He hasn't even been inaugurated, after all.) > > But the fact is, we as environmentalists should be concerned about the > release of genetically engineered organisms into the environment. Life > may not exist anywhere else in the Universe. If it does, it's safe to > say the life forms on Earth are unique and irreplaceable. Genetic > engineering mutilates life at the molecular level. And the transgenes > introduced into organisms by genetic engineering are passed on to > future generations. > > (Genetically engineered organisms are now commonly referred to as > genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Transgenes are sections of > DNA (genes) transplanted from one organism into another of a different > species. Genes from a fish have been engineered into a strawberry > plant, for example.) > > If General Motors puts bad brake pads in some of its vehicles, those > products can be recalled and the mistakes corrected. No recalls are > possible for transgenes from GMOs released into the environment. > Transgenes from GMO corn have been found in native corn in Mexico in > the region of origin for maize. This could ultimately mean that the > entire species that we call corn (Zea mays) will be contaminated with > transgenes. > > This is a very serious health concern, as Gov. Vilsack and > others support using corn as a "pharm" crop, that is, to engineer > genes into corn plants that cause the plant to produce pharmaceutical > substances. If these pharm genes spread into corn grown for food there > could be toxic or allergenic effects on people eating that corn. If > the pharm genes spread widely, corn would no longer be available as a > food crop. > > Corn is only one species, but the supporters of GMO agriculture see no > limits to the number of different crop species that could be > "improved" by genetic engineering. > > It is simply wrong in a moral sense for humans to inflict this genetic > damage on other species. There is even an effort to produce GMO trees. > This must be stopped and it is Sierra Club that should play a leading > role-- THE leading role--in stopping it. (Current national Sierra Club > policy calls for a moratorium on the release of GMOs into the > environment.) > > Genetic engineering, confined to a laboratory or factory, is being > used to do important research and to make useful substances for > medicine and other fields. All GMOs should be confined. Releasing them > into the environment is an action that has grave moral, environmental, > and safety implications. All pharm crops should be confined in > greenhouses. > > For about the past two decades, the federal government, through the > EPA, USDA, and FDA, has taken the role of promoter of genetic > engineering in agriculture, when they should have been strictly > regulating it. We must convince the Obama administration to reverse > this pattern. Early indications are that this will be a daunting task. > After 100 days I hope to be proven wrong. That's as positive an > attitude as I can manage now, Ken. > > Space does not permit my discussing in this note other issues of > concern to me. > > Tom > > > In a message dated 12/19/2008 11:48:59 A.M. Central Standard Time, > [log in to unmask] writes: > > I for one don't intend to apologize for voting for Obama, nor for that > matter am I sorry that my wife and I supported him financially (with > more $$ by at least an order of magnitude than we've ever given > another candidate); we also housed an Obama staffer, gratis, for 7 > months; and we volunteered many days of effort. I am concerned, > however, that Obama may be developing a more serious case of > Clintonitis than I'd expected, and that it should be treated early. > > I'm bothered by the Vilsack appointment--Tom Matthews is right that > Vilsack panders to the corporate imperators, > while paying loftysounding lip service to us non-rich, > non-influential, plebeian > types. SC's concerns about his "truthiness" were conveyed in the > tone > of the news release, > which expressed "congratulations." Compare that to the release on the > Solis appointment, in which Carl Pope uses the word "overjoyed". > > I'm also bothered by the naming of Rick Warren to give the > invocation > at the Inauguration. This is a symbolic and momentary appointment > of > course, but it is also high-profile. I have gay and lesbian friends > who are thunderstruck that such a prominent homophobe will be > first on > the podium on the Capitol porch. Obama may see this as reaching > across the ideological aisle, but he can reach without falling out > of > the pew. > > BW > > > > Quoting KENNETH LARSON <[log in to unmask]>: > > > Some need to get "real" and give the Obama administration a > > chance... Maybe a positive attitude would go a long way to > success > > when advocating for your seemingly single issue that has not > > registered with the general population... > > > > When you look at the trouble the US is in and list the top 6 > > problems.. Like The Economy, Foreign Policy (War), Energy > > independence, Education, Health Care, Global Warming... where > are > > some of the issues that in a perfect world would be more > important > > at this point of history ...? > > > > In the election, SC really had only one choice ... We got that > > choice...We won! Now it is our role to support it and work with > it, > > or run for office the next election. The SC does not want to > find > > itself in the same position of the Republicans who had the > single > > issues of "abortion" or the "danger" of Gay Marriage.. They are > > "out of influence" and "out of Power.." with few friends in high > > places. We are so much better off ... No apology is necessary > at > > this point ....can you contemplate a McCain Palin Administration > and > > those appointments.. Let's hold off evaluations for at least a > > 100 days after January 20th. > > > > Ken Larson, Ph.D. > > Ames, Iowa.. > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Thomas Mathews<mailto:[log in to unmask]> > > To: > > > [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> > > Sent: Friday, December 19, 2008 8:17 AM > > Subject: New Sec. of Labor > > > > > > Maybe Ms. Solis can help us guide the new administration in > the > > right direction. Goodness knows we need a ray of hope, from this > new > > administration that led us to believe it would be all about > Hope. > > Maybe I won't have to apologize to people because I voted for > > Obama. Maybe. > > Tom > > > > > > > http://action.sierraclub.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=83221.0<http://action.sierraclub.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=83221.0> > > > > ( FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December, 18, 2008 > > CONTACT: Josh Dorner, 202.675.2384 > > > > > > Obama Picks Major Green Jobs > > Advocate to Head Labor Dept. > > Sierra Club Congratulates Rep. Hilda Solis > > > > > > Washington, D.C.?Media reports indicate that President-Elect > Barack > > Obama has chosen Representative Hilda Solis of California to > head the > > Department of Labor. Rep. Solis has been a preeminent > advocate for > > green jobs and environmental justice during her career in the > House. > > She has a lifetime League of Conservation Voters score of 97. > > > > > > Representative Solis co-authored the Green Jobs Act, which > later became > > part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, > which became > > law December 19, 2007. The Green Jobs Act authorized $125 > million for > > workforce training programs. The training will be targeted to > > veterans, displaced workers, at risk youth, and individuals > in families > > under 200% of the federal poverty line. It could benefit > programs such > > as the one at the East Los Angeles Skills Center where > workers are > > trained to install solar panels. Upon the signing, > Congresswoman Solis > > stated: "The bill is a message for all workers across our > nation that > > there is a place for them in the clean energy future." > > > > > > > > Statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director > > > > > > "The Sierra Club is overjoyed at the news of Hilda Solis' > selection as > > Secretary of Labor. She has been a tireless advocate for > environmental > > issues, environmental justice, worker's rights, and green > jobs. We send > > our deepest congratulations to Representative Solis. > > > > > > "Representative Solis was one of the earliest and most vocal > supporters > > of green jobs in the House of Representatives. We can think of no > > better person to help President-Elect Obama implement his > plans for an > > economic recovery fueled by the creation of millions of new green > > jobs. Hilda Solis also understands that green jobs must also > be good > > jobs and has worked to make sure that the clean energy economy > is one > > that lifts up all workers. > > > > > > "This latest pick underscores the strong commitment of the > > administration to action on clean energy, global warming, and > a green > > economic recovery. President-Elect Obama has assembled a team of > > unprecedented strength to advise him on energy, environmental, > science, > > and climate issues. This extraordinary team is poised to help the > > President-Elect implement his ambitious agenda to put America > back to > > work by tackling the significant climate and energy challenges > facing > > our country. > > > > > > "One of our other top legislative priorities is passage of > the Employee > > Free Choice Act. We are very pleased that a strong supporter > of this > > essential legislation has been tapped to head up the Deparment of > > Labor, yet another agency that has been gravely damaged > during the > > past eight years. > > > > > > "Hilda Solis has been a strong ally of the Sierra Club and we > very much > > look forward to working with her in her new position." > > > > > > # # # > > > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > - To > > unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: > > [log in to unmask] Check out our > > Listserv Lists support site for more information: > > http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club > List > > Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > One site keeps you connected to all your email: AOL Mail, > Gmail, > > and Yahoo Mail. 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