FYI... This message has been forwarded from another list; apologies for any duplications. Stefanie Rixecker ECOFEM Coordinator ------- Forwarded message follows ------- -----Original Message----- From: H-Net Discussion List on Nature in Legend and Story [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Boria Sax, Mercy College Sent: Friday, August 11, 2000 1:20 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Fwd: 4 Labeling of GE Foods Media Campaign PLEASE READ THIS E-MAIL CAREFULLY, WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF PASSING LEGISLATION THIS YEAR TO REQUIRE THE MANDATORY LABELING OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS. This e-mail will provide several important action steps to take. I want to emphasis that we are now beginning the heat of the battle. Normally it takes four years or more to pass legislation thought the United States Congress, if it gets passed at all. Our goal with The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods has been to get the Genetically Engineered Foods Right to Know Act passed into law during year 2000. THE CAMPAIGN'S MANAGEMENT HAS ALWAYS FELT THAT THE ONLY WAY IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO PASS LEGISLATION IN THIS RECORD TIME IS TO USE THE LEVERAGE THE YEAR 2000 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PROVIDES. We are now entering into the most crucial time. If we are to be successful, we must increase awareness of the issue of genetically engineered foods to that of a policy debate by the presidential candidates. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE CAMPAIGN TO LABEL GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS NOW HAS AVAILABLE ALL THE TOOLS NECESSARY TO RAISE THE ISSUE OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS TO THAT OF PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS. The part of this equation The Campaign can not provide is the grassroots activism of you in the field. If we are to be successful it is going to require ACTION by those of you reading this e-mail. PLEASE READ ON IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ENOUGH TO TAKE ACTION. The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods has launched an all new web site http://www.thecampaign.org On the new web site, you will find three Easy Action steps to take. EASY ACTION STEP ONE is to sign The Campaign's online petition to the President, Congress, the FDA, the EPA and the USDA. EASY ACTION STEP TWO is to send form letters to the Presidential Candidates and Congress. You may also want to send letters to the FDA, the EPA, the USDA, leading grocery stores and large food manufacturers. EASY ACTION STEP THREE is to send e-mail to the media. YOU ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO TAKE ACTION STEP THREE AND E-MAIL THE MEDIA. In less than five minutes you will be able to e-mail the majority of newspapers and television stations in your state asking them to provide coverage of the candidates' positions on labeling genetically engineered foods. PLEASE DO THIS NOW OR SOMETIME WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS. <A HREF="www.thecampaign.org/mediacenter.htm">www.thecampaign.org/mediacenter.h tm </A> E-mailing the media really is an Easy Action step. Let me explain how easy it is. When you go to The Campaign's Media Center, you will see a sample e-mail form letter. SIMPLY COPY THE SAMPLE E-MAIL TEXT AND THEN CLICK ON THE NAME OF YOUR STATE. A list of newspapers, magazines, televisions stations and radio stations in your state will come up. Go to the bottom of the list and click "SELECT ALL." Then click "COMPOSE MESSAGE." Next, just paste the sample e-mail into the "WRITE YOUR MESSAGE" box. If you desire, you can add your own comments to the sample letter or modify it in any way you want. The last step is to click "SEND MESSAGE." Congratulations! You have just let the media in your state know that you want them to cover the issue of genetically engineered foods. Plus you have asked them to provide press coverage of the positions of the candidates on the issue of labeling genetically engineered foods. IF ENOUGH OF YOU SEND E-MAIL TO THE MEDIA IT CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE PRESS COVERAGE THE ISSUE OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS GETS DURING THE NEXT THREE MONTHS. Those of you who decide to communicate further with the press will find The Campaign's Media Center an invaluable resource. Clicking on any of the media contacts will provide you with many more options. For example, when you click on ABC News you will have the ability to send e-mail to people like Barbara Walters, Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel and Sam Donaldson. Engaging the American media in reporting on the issue of genetically engineered foods is an essential factor in raising the issue to presidential level politics. If we are not able to get the media asking the Presidential Candidates their positions on genetically engineered foods, it is highly unlikely that the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act will be acted on by Congress this year. IF WE ARE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THE AMERICAN MEDIA TO ASK THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TO DEFEND THEIR POSITIONS ON GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS, ANYTHING WILL BE POSSIBLE. Even if this does not create enough momentum to get the bills moving forward in Congress, it can leverage the candidates into taking a position in favor of labeling genetically engineered foods. Without this assurance our battle will be far harder next year, regardless of who gets elected to be President. CONCERNED CITIZENS HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF LEVERAGE IN THESE THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE ELECTION. AFTER THE ELECTION OUR LEVERAGE PRACTICALLY DISAPPEARS. SO THE OPPORTUNITY IS NOW! ACTION ALERT: With that background, we are calling an Action Alert to send form letters to the Democratic Vice-Presidential Candidate Senator Joseph Lieberman. As you may be aware, Senator Joseph Lieberman is Jewish. Apparently he is also strict in his adherence to traditional customs such as eating Kosher foods. If non-Kosher animal genes get genetically engineered into unlabeled foods, it creates a major challenge for Jewish consumers. Senator Lieberman has an excellent environmental voting record. The League of Conservation voters give him a 95 rating. http://www.lcv.org/news/080700-Liberman.htm Joseph Lieberman is a Senator we earlier predicted would be one of the first to endorse the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act in the Senate. Although he has not yet co-sponsored the legislation, we feel he is leaning in that direction. If Lieberman feels enough pressure from concerned citizens, Jewish or otherwise, he may be able to influence Al Gore to move in a more favorable position towards labeling genetically engineered foods. Al Gore is rapidly becoming aware of the deep concern environmental voters have over the issue of genetically engineered foods. But Gore does not want to upset the farm state voters by taking a position unpopular with many farmers who like the convenience of growing genetically engineered crops. Bringing up the Jewish-Kosher concern with Democratic Vice-Presidential Candidate Joseph Lieberman gives us another important angle on why consumers want labeling of genetically engineered foods. We have placed an Action Alert on The Campaign's home page. Here is a direct link to the Lieberman form letter: http://www.thecampaign.org/senate/DVPC-Lieberman.htm THE CAMPAIGN'S TAKE ACTION PACKET Besides The Campaign's powerful new web site, the most valuable tool we have made available is our 24 page TAKE ACTION PACKET. These are only 25 cents each when you order 100 or more. Although sales of the TAKE ACTION PACKETS have been good, it is essential to the financial stability of The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods that we sell tens of thousands more. PLEASE SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF THE CAMPAIGN TO LABEL GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS BY PURCHASING OUR TAKE ACTION PACKETS. Because we have had requests by people to purchase quantities of less than 100, we are now also offering the TAKE ACTION PACKETS in quantities of 25. However, if you only order 25 at a time, they will be send by Priority Mail at a higher cost than when we send 100 of them by the book rate price. The price for 25 is $10. 100 copies are only $25. You can order online on our secured server at: http://www.thecampaign.org/action.htm Or place your order by telephone by calling us at 425-771-4049. Thanks for taking the time to read this News Update and for taking action now. Craig Winters Executive Director The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods The Campaign PO Box 55699 Seattle, WA 98155 Tel: 425-771-4049 Fax: 603-825-5841 E-mail: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web Site: http://www.thecampaign.org Mission Statement: "To create a national grassroots consumer campaign for the purpose of lobbying Congress and the President to pass legislation that will require the labeling of genetically engineered foods in the United States." --part1_2f.9184fe3.26c5ba07_boundary-- To join the list, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics ------- End of forwarded message ------- ************************************ Dr. Stefanie S. Rixecker, Senior Lecturer Environmental Management & Design Division Lincoln University, Canterbury PO Box 84 Aotearoa New Zealand E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fax: 64-03-325-3841 ************************************
