GREENPEACE ACTION!
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GREENPEACE ACTION! |
February
1998: FIRST COMMERCIAL GROWING OF A GE-CROP IN EUROPE
France is the first country in Europe to allow the commercial growing of a GE plant: a maize produced by Swiss multinational Novartis. This maize is engineered to kill pest insects, however, it may also kill beneficial ones. It also contains an antibiotic (Ampicillin) resistance gene. A recent Greenpeace study reports that the antibiotic resistance gene may jeopardise future antibiotic treatments both of humans and animals. Ironically, the French authorities state that they will oppose all upcoming applications for GE-organisms that contain antibiotic resistance genes.
On 19th February 1998 Greenpeace took legal
action against the French government to suspend the authorisation of the
Bt-maize because it has not passed the process for the registration of a pesticide.
One of the main concerns is the danger that insects will become tolerant in
time to the built-in Bt-insecticide. Even the manufacturer, Novartis, accepts
that this is possible. This would destroy the usefulness of natural forms of
Bt, the main biologically friendly insecticide used by organic farmers in the
integrated management programmes to protect plantations and forests without
negative effects on health or environment. In September 1997 in the USA, Greenpeace and other organisations
filed a petition against the USA EPA approval of GE plants with Bt-resistances.
Read the petition
summary and the full
petition.
An opinion poll conducted in March 1998 by the institute B.V.A. on behalf of Greenpeace says that 76 % of the French public do not want to eat genetically modified food and 63 % want the French government to reverse the authorisation of the GE-maize.
The European approval process of the Novartis maize has a long history. It is not yet too late to reverse this decision and to prevent the growing of the transgenic maize in France.
3
November 1997: GREENPEACE-POLICY CONCERNING THE LABELLING AND DECLARATION OF
GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD PRODUCTS - GREENPEACE LAUNCHES GENETECH
LABELLING POLICY AS EUROPEAN COMMISSION FAILS TO DO SO
- The Policy
16
September 1997: PETITION AGAINST
EPA APPROVAL OF GE PLANTS - GREENPEACE, FARMERS AND SCIENTISTS FILE
LEGAL ACTION AGAINST USA EPA OVER ITS APPROVAL OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED PLANTS
EUROPE
SAYS "NO!" TO GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD
Greenpeace Briefings
26 June 1997: GREENPEACE EXPOSES BIOTECH INDUSTRY PR CAMPAIGN TO
OVERTURN PUBLIC OPPOSITION TO GENETICALLY
MANIPULATED FOOD - With photographs
26 March 1997: COLOGNE CATHEDRAL: PROTEST AGAINST GENETIC MANIPULATION OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS - Greenpeace climbers scale the exterior of the two towers of the Cathedral - With Photographs
.
6 March 1997: GREENPEACE CHALLENGES CHEMICAL GIANT ON GENE BEANS - With Photographs
20 February 1997: GREENPEACE TO MAKE OFFICIAL COMPLAINT automatic weapons used against genetic engineering protest as shipment is held in Lisbon harbour - With Photographs.
28 January 1997: GREENPEACE BLOCKADES FOOD PROCESSING MULTINATIONALS across Europe and demands they place orders now for genetically unaltered grains - With Photographs.
2 December 1996: ACTIVISTS FIRED AT with rubber bullets and held in jail - The battle over the import of genetically altered food turns violent.
28 November 1996: ACTIVISTS BLOCK HARBOUR to prevent first direct shipment of genetically engineerd soya beans entering the UK - With Photographs.
19 November 1996: GREENPEACE STOPS GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SOYBEAN destined for Europe on the Mississippi River - Arrests follow action to confront grain giant - With Photographs.
7 & 11 November 1996: GREENPEACE BLOCKS SHIPMENTS of genetically engineerd soya - Actions highlight first imports to Europe - With Photographs.
16 October 1996: ACTIONS ACROSS EUROPE on world food day - Greenpeace calls on Unilever to reject genetic products - With Photographs.
10 October 1996: GENETICALLY ENGINEERED soybean crop 'quarantined' - as Greenpeace activists occupy Monsanto field in Iowa, USA.
- With Photographs.