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Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:07:40 -0500
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Subject: Our Gates letter made it to GM Watch
From: Laurel Hopwood <[log in to unmask]>
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Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:40:21 -0800
From: "GMWatch" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: GMW: Now Sierra Club tells Gates he's wrong

OTHER RESPONSES
Arican NGOs slam Gates' neo-colonial strategy
http://allafrica.com/stories/200911050463.html
Bill Gates reveals love of GMOs
http://www.gmwatch.org/latest-listing/1-news-items/11614-bill-gates-reveals-love-of-gmos
Africa: Profits Before People - the Great African Liquidation Sale
http://allafrica.com/stories/200911051028.html
GMWatch's suggested reading for Bill Gates
http://www.gmwatch.org/latest-listing/1-news-items/11591-food-fight-with-global-implications
---
Bill Gates
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
PO Box 23350
Seattle, WA 98102

Dear Mr. Gates

Sierra Club, the world's largest grassroots conservation organization, has
concerns about your statement at the World Food Prize forum last month. You
claimed that environmentalists opposed to genetic engineering of farm crops
are against anything that increases yields.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Genetic engineering - the artificial splicing of genes into a completely
different species - does not increase crop yields, according to a recent
study by the Union of Concerned Scientists. One means to increase crop
yields which does not pose risks to the environment is marker-assisted
selection (MAS), a high-tech method of speeding up the process of
conventional plant breeding.

A major study released from the United Nations reveals that organic farming
offers Africa the best chance of breaking the cycle of poverty and
malnutrition it has been locked in for decades. New evidence suggests that
organic practices are delivering sharp increases in yields, improvements in
the soil and a boost in the income of Africa's small farmers, who remain
among the poorest people on earth.
See:
http://www.unep-unctad.org/cbtf/publications/UNCTAD_DITC_TED_2007_15.pdf

In addition, Indian writer Vandana Shiva wrote, "Millions of farmers in
third world countries want to breed and grow the crop varieties that adapt
to their diverse ecosystems. Plant biodiversity is essential for a balanced
diet.  Yet numerous crops are pushed to extinction with the introduction of
GE crops."

Who benefits from the manipulation of the genetic code, which has evolved
over the past billion years? Huge agribusiness corporations, which are
solely responsible to provide financial benefit to their shareholders. How?
 By artificially remaking life by crashing through the natural barrier
between species to make genetically manipulated organisms and by patenting
those traits.

There is massive opposition amongst indigenous people to the release of GMOs
into the environment and for good reason.

* The safety of genetically manipulated crops has not been independently
tested. The U.S. regulatory agencies merely rely on test data provided by
the corporations which manufacture the genetically engineered plants.

* Some genes spliced into plants code for the production of insecticides in
every cell of the plant. There is no requirement for long-term testing, so
the long-term effects of consuming a plant that has been made into an
insecticide are unknown.

* Genes from genetically manipulated crops can spread to neighboring crops
or to wild species, which can be a major disaster for the welfare of the
planet and its inhabitants. It is impossible to recall engineered genes once
they are released. Think of spliced-in genes, also called transgenes, as
malicious code in the genome of a plant code that is self-replicating.
Genetic engineering is forever.

Mr. Gates, we urge you to reconsider your belief that genetic engineering
can feed a hungry world.

Rather, the implications of a hacked genetic code slipping into our food and
multiplying is worse than a computer virus.

Sincerely
Laurel Hopwood, Chair
Sierra Club Genetic Engineering Action Team

November 9 2009

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--0015176f115c6a597604786d9beb
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<div>Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:40:21 -0800</div><div>From: &quot;GMWatch&q=
uot; &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[log in to unmask]">gmwatch-daily@gmwatch=
.eu</a>&gt;</div><div>Subject: GMW: Now Sierra Club tells Gates he&#39;s=
 wrong</div>
<div><br></div><div>OTHER RESPONSES</div><div>Arican NGOs slam Gates&#39;=
 neo-colonial strategy</div><div><a href=3D"http://allafrica.com/stories/2=
00911050463.html">http://allafrica.com/stories/200911050463.html</a></div>=
<div>
Bill Gates reveals love of GMOs</div><div><a href=3D"http://www.gmwatch.or=
g/latest-listing/1-news-items/11614-bill-gates-reveals-love-of-gmos">http:=
//www.gmwatch.org/latest-listing/1-news-items/11614-bill-gates-reveals-lov=
e-of-gmos</a></div>
<div>Africa: Profits Before People - the Great African Liquidation Sale</d=
iv><div><a href=3D"http://allafrica.com/stories/200911051028.html">http://=
allafrica.com/stories/200911051028.html</a>=A0</div><div>GMWatch&#39;s sug=
gested reading for Bill Gates</div>
<div><a href=3D"http://www.gmwatch.org/latest-listing/1-news-items/11591-f=
ood-fight-with-global-implications">http://www.gmwatch.org/latest-listing/=
1-news-items/11591-food-fight-with-global-implications</a></div><div>---</=
div>
<div>Bill Gates</div><div>Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation</div><div>PO=
 Box 23350</div><div>Seattle, WA 98102</div><div><br></div><div>Dear Mr.=
 Gates</div><div><br></div><div>Sierra Club, the world&#39;s largest grass=
roots conservation organization, has concerns about your statement at the=
 World Food Prize forum last month. You claimed that environmentalists opp=
osed to genetic engineering of farm crops are against anything that increa=
ses yields.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Nothing could be farther from the truth.</div><div><br=
></div><div>Genetic engineering - the artificial splicing of genes into a=
 completely different species - does not increase crop yields, according=
 to a recent study by the Union of Concerned Scientists. One means to incr=
ease crop yields which does not pose risks to the environment is marker-as=
sisted selection (MAS), a high-tech method of speeding up the process of=
 conventional plant breeding.</div>
<div><br></div><div>A major study released from the United Nations reveals=
 that organic farming offers Africa the best chance of breaking the cycle=
 of poverty and malnutrition it has been locked in for decades. New eviden=
ce suggests that organic practices are delivering sharp increases in yield=
s, improvements in the soil and a boost in the income of Africa&#39;s smal=
l farmers, who remain among the poorest people on earth.</div>
<div>See: =A0<a href=3D"http://www.unep-unctad.org/cbtf/publications/UNCTA=
D_DITC_TED_2007_15.pdf">http://www.unep-unctad.org/cbtf/publications/UNCTA=
D_DITC_TED_2007_15.pdf</a></div><div><br></div><div>In addition, Indian wr=
iter Vandana Shiva wrote, &quot;Millions of farmers in third world countri=
es want to breed and grow the crop varieties that adapt to their diverse=
 ecosystems. Plant biodiversity is essential for a balanced diet. =A0Yet=
 numerous crops are pushed to extinction with the introduction of GE crops=
.&quot;</div>
<div><br></div><div>Who benefits from the manipulation of the genetic code=
, which has evolved over the past billion years? Huge agribusiness corpora=
tions, which are solely responsible to provide financial benefit to their=
 shareholders. How? =A0By artificially remaking life by crashing through=
 the natural barrier between species to make genetically manipulated organ=
isms and by patenting those traits.</div>
<div><br></div><div>There is massive opposition amongst indigenous people=
 to the release of GMOs into the environment and for good reason.</div><di=
v><br></div><div>* The safety of genetically manipulated crops has not bee=
n independently tested. The U.S. regulatory agencies merely rely on test=
 data provided by the corporations which manufacture the genetically engin=
eered plants.</div>
<div><br></div><div>* Some genes spliced into plants code for the producti=
on of insecticides in every cell of the plant. There is no requirement for=
 long-term testing, so the long-term effects of consuming a plant that has=
 been made into an insecticide are unknown.</div>
<div><br></div><div>* Genes from genetically manipulated crops can spread=
 to neighboring crops or to wild species, which can be a major disaster fo=
r the welfare of the planet and its inhabitants. It is impossible to recal=
l engineered genes once they are released. Think of spliced-in genes, also=
 called transgenes, as malicious code in the genome of a plant code that=
 is self-replicating. Genetic engineering is forever.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Mr. Gates, we urge you to reconsider your belief that=
 genetic engineering can feed a hungry world.</div><div><br></div><div>Rat=
her, the implications of a hacked genetic code slipping into our food and=
 multiplying is worse than a computer virus.</div>
<div>=A0</div><div>Sincerely</div><div>Laurel Hopwood, Chair</div><div>Sie=
rra Club Genetic Engineering Action Team</div><div><br></div><div>November=
 9 2009</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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

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