-Caveat Lector-
IATP CONNECTED TO TERRORISTS
IATP, SUSTAIN and project GEAN (Ge Action Network) use
the same mail drop as radical Earth First! group.
Organizers of the Keep Organic Campaign
(http://www.saveorganic.org/home.shtml), who lobby to
prevent the use of biotechnology in organic production
are using the same post-office drop box as the radical
Earth First! organization.
Sustain USA is run by organic advocate Jim Slama, who
has registered an anti-biotech organizing web site,
http://www.geaction.org, to the same
address (a mail drop at Chicago Lock Box) as is noted
for the mailing address for the Chicago arm of Earth
First.
The address for both is:
3400 W 111th Street, #154,
Chicago, IL 60655
In addition, the GEaction.org campaign notes their
contact information on their web site to be Renske van
Staveren, a staffer with the Minneapolis-based
Institute for Agriculture Trade Policy (IATP).
IATP (The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy)
IATP (http://www.iatp.org) claims to be a non-profit
agriculture, trade and democracy group and is run by
pro-organic eco-activist Mark Ritchie. Ritchie is also
on the corporation filing papers for the Tides Center
in San Francisco. Tides is noted for channeling
contributions from organic and natural products
industry groups and other special interest groups to
specific activist groups, including hundreds of
thousands of dollars a year to scare-campaign expert
Fenton Communications, which provides public relations
services to several anti-biotech campaigns.
For tax purposes, IATP claims, "The primary purpose of
the Institute for Agriculture Trade Policy (IATP) is
to research and report on issues related to the trade
and agriculture policies in an effort to educate and
involve citizens upon such issues." IATP notes
multi-million dollar assets and revenues. IATP also
notes salary and wage compensation for their staff in
excess of $1 million per year.
In addition to organizing anti-biotechnology,
pro-organic events and outreach campaigns (like the
[EMAIL PROTECTED] listserv), Ritchie's group
also runs a for-profit organic coffee subsidiary:
Headwaters International (http://www.peacecoffee.com).
SUSTAIN
Sustain (http://www.sustainusa.org) claims to be an
independent "non-profit organization that uses
innovative communications strategies to help win
environmental victories." Sustain also claims to be
three years old; however, no corporate/non-profit
filing documents or required tax filings with the name
sustain can be found as having registered in the U.S.
or any related organization with the names Jim Slama
or Bill Boyd, the noted Sustain president and board
chairman.
EARTH FIRST!
Earth First (http://www.EarthFirst.org) describes its
purpose noting, "Are you tired of namby-pamby
environmental groups? Are you tired of overpaid
corporate environmentalists who suck up to bureaucrats
and industry? Have you become disempowered by the
reductionist approach of environmental professionals
and scientists?... then Earth first if for you."
Earth First claims to "use all the tools in the box"
to address their issues, including "civil disobedience
and monkeywrenching." Earth First further defines
"monkeywrenching" as: "ecotage; ecodefense; billboard
bandits; desurveying; road reclamation; tree spiking
-- all these can be defined as the unlawful sabotage
of industrial extraction ... as a means of striking at
the Earth's destroyers at the point where they commit
their crimes."
(http://www.www.enviroweb.org/ef/primer/Monkeywrench.html)
News reports have linked Earth First! to acts of
eco-terrorism and sabotage in the U.S. and Europe
ranging from property destruction to arson costing
tens of millions of dollars. The FBI is reported to be
investigating a series of arsons linked to Earth First
groups. According to One such group, the Earth
Liberation Front "claims to be an offshoot of the
radical Earth First. On its Web site, it says it
emerged in Brighton, England, in 1992 through Earth
Firsters who did not want to abandon the option of
criminal acts to further their environmental goals."
HERE'S THE PROOF:
1. A Whois search at http://www.networksolutions.com
reveals this address for GEaction.com's administrative
and technical contact, Jim Bell:
3400 W. 111th St #154
Chicago, IL 60655
2. If you go to the contact page at Earth First! and
look at the Illinois branch you will see this exact
same address for Red Gate EF! The URL is
http://www.enviroweb.org/ef/contact.html#USA.
3. Now look at the this message which was posted to
Mark Ritchie's IATP listserv about an Earth First!
gathering in Chicago. Scroll down to the bottom and
you'll see the same address as the one listed above.
-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2001
Subject: GEAN (Genetic Engineering Action Network)
Chicago!
You're invited! Network forming to organize against
Biotech industry
