http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/994
Independent Science Panel (ISP) for a GM-Free Sustainable World:
i-sis.org.uk: gmwatch.org: Murray 5.8.3 rmforall

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/temp/GM-ISP.php

You are cordially invited to an important conference

GM Crops: Do We Need Them? Are They Safe?

Hear the real evidence from the newly constituted
Independent Science Panel on GM

David Bellamy, Stanley Ewen, Mae-Wan Ho, Malcolm Hooper,
Vyvyan Howard, Brian John, Arpad Pusztai, and others

Date: May 10, 2003 Time: 13:30h to 18:30h
Venue: Franklin-Wilkins Building, Auditorium B5, King's College,
Waterloo, London Admission Free

To guarantee a place, please reply to ticket@... giving name
and organisation (if applicable) to obtain an electronic ticket.

Please circulate this invitation widely to all members of your
organisation or your friends.

Sponsored by The Ecologist, Institute of Science in Society, Scientists
for Global Responsibility, Third World Network, The Soil Association and
GM Free Cymru

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/
The Institute of Science in Society, PO Box 32097, London NW1 OXR
telephone: [44 20 8643 0681] [44 20 7383 3376] [44 20 7272 5636]
General Enquiries sam@... - Website/Mailing List
press-release@... - ISIS Director m.w.ho@...
************************************************************************

Subject: GMW:
Pusztai raises new GM fears/Pusztai to speak in London May 10
Date: Wed, 07 May 2003 08:08:52 +0100
From: GM WATCH <ngin@...>
To: list@...

GM WATCH daily: http://www.ngin.org.uk
---
* Scientist who pressed GM panic button raises new food health fears
* Independent Science Panel for a GM-Free Sustainable World
* Quotes from some members of the Independent Science Panel on GM
* Munlochy GM Vigil launches new website
---
Scientist who pressed GM panic button raises new food health fears
The Sunday Times, May 04, 2003

A SCIENTIST who shocked the world with research claiming that
genetically modified (GM) crops might damage human health is to release
new findings supporting his warnings, writes Jonathan Leake.

Arpad Pusztai, who lost his job at the prestigious Rowett Research
Institute in Aberdeen after outlining his findings in a television
programme in 1998, will publish the new research this week.

It warns that the work carried out by biotechnology companies into the
human health hazard from GM food is inadequate and unsafe. It also
points to technical defects in the way GM plants are created.

Pusztai's study is contained in a book called Food Safety, a compilation
of scientific papers which describes the contaminants and toxins
contained in modern foods. In his section, Pusztai brings together all
the scientific studies carried out into the safety of GM foods and
subjects them to rigorous statistical and scientific scrutiny.

This weekend he said: "We found that there are only a few such studies
and they show many problems. In particular, they illustrate that GM
foods have never been publicly tested for their safety and
wholesomeness. There is increasing research to show they may actually be
very unsafe."

The research comes at a crucial time. This autumn the Royal Society is
expected to publish the results of the government-sponsored field trials
of GM crops. The government is also about to sponsor a nationwide debate
on the issue.

However, Britain's Food Standards Agency has completed separate research
appearing to confirm some of Pusztai's warnings. It showed that
genetically modified DNA in plants can be taken up by gut bacteria
in humans and animals. This finding was contrary to previous assurances
from biotechnology firms, which had said DNA would be broken down in the
gut shortly after consumption.

It raises the possibility that alien genes inserted into crop plants and
conferring properties such as antibiotic resistance could be passed on
to bacteria, making them resistant, too.

Pusztai had been a plant researcher at the Rowett Institute until he
appeared in a World in Action documentary on GM foods to describe how
rats fed on GM potatoes had suffered gut lesions, retarded growth and
other symptoms.

He spoke fewer than a dozen sentences but his words reverberated around
the world, infuriating GM firms and the scientific establishment. They
claimed his research had been poorly done and that he should not have
revealed the results before having it reviewed by peers.

However, it was later approved and published in the medical journal The
Lancet.

Pusztai's first warnings have been echoed by the Royal Society. Its
experts last year concluded that GM crops could offer substantial
benefits but said too little was known about their potential health
impact.
-------------------

Press Release Embargoed until May 10
Independent Science Panel for a GM-Free Sustainable World

In a surprising move, dozens of prominent scientists have joined forces
to form an Independent Science Panel (ISP) on GM, to counteract what
they see to be a concerted campaign by the government and the scientific
establishment in the UK to promote GM under the guise of ‘sound’
science.
"This amounts to open scientific rebellion, possibly unprecedented in
history," says Mae-Wan Ho <m.w.ho@...> , Director of the
Institute of Science in Society, who initiated the move, and confessed
to having been taken by surprise, and delighted, by the positive
response of the scientists contacted.

Many of the scientists have been feeling frustrated at the lack of open
public debate on a whole range of scientific and other issues. The
‘discussion meetings’ organised by the government are invariably stacked
with pro-GM scientists hyping the potential benefits of GM, and giving
the public bland assurances that "there is no evidence of harm".
It will all change now.

At a special launching conference on May 10 in London, the ISP will
release their report, The Case for A GM-Free Sustainable World, the
strongest, most complete dossier of evidence ever put together to
support their call for a ban on GM crops and widespread adoption of
organic sustainable agriculture. This is timed to kick off the GM
national debate in the UK. The report has also already attracted
considerable international attention.

"We’ll give them a case to answer," says Brian John, geomorphologist and
environment scientist, who has been working closely with the GM Free
Cymru campaign. "Those of us who have looked into the science of GM
crops and foods from a community or consumer perspective have been
appalled at the apparent abandonment of the precautionary principle and
at the control exerted over the scientific agenda by the biotechnology
multinationals."

The Report will be sent to the president of the Philippines together
with a letter in support of one of the ISP members, Roberto Verzola,
Secretary-General of the Philippine Greens, who has initiated a hunger
strike to protest his government’s approval of Monsanto’s Bt maize.
The Panel includes Britain’s best-loved botanist, broadcaster, writer
and tireless campaigner for Mother Earth, David Bellamy OBE, who will
lead the launch of the ISP.

Other speakers include Stanley Ewen, Consultant Histopathologist, at
Grampian University Hospitals Trust; Malcolm Hooper, Emeritus Professor
of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Sunderland; Vyvyan Howard,
toxipathologist, University of Liverpool; Arpad Pusztai, formerly senior
scientist at Rowett Institute, Scotland, and Gundula Azeez, Policy
Manager, Soil Association.

For further details contact Sam Burcher: sam@... Tel:
44-(0)20-7383-3376, or ching@... tel: 44-(0)20-8643-0681, or
m.w.ho@... tel: 44 (0)20-7272-5636.
---
Quotes from some members of the Independent Science Panel on GM:

Prof. Miguel Altieri, agroecologist, University of California, Berkeley:
"Agroecological farming methods are already reaching about nine million
small farmers at one-tenth the cost incurred by official international
agricultural subventions, and working miracles to increase food
production, as well as the physical and social wellbeing of local
communities. This must now be up-scaled to bring the benefits to all."

Prof. David Bellamy, itinerant botanist and campaigner:
"At his capital trial, when charged with teaching subversive views to
the youth of Athens, Socrates said in his defence, "if in your
annoyance, you will finish me off with a single slap, then you will go
on sleeping until the end of your days, unless God in his care for you,
sends someone to take my place". 2,389 years later the world is still in
need of the ethics of true academia".

Prof. Joe Cummins, Emeritus Professor of Genetics at the University of
Western Ontario in Canada (Telephone 1-519 681 5477; E-mail:
jcummins@...):
"Commercialization of GM crops seems to have been based on public
relations and not on full and truthful scientific reporting. Science has
begun to feel the impact of putting commerce ahead of full disclosure
and debate."

Prof. Stanley Ewen, histopathologist at Grampian University Hospital
Trust, and leader of the Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot in Grampian
Region:
"It is unfortunate that very few animal trials of GM human food are
available in the public domain in scientific literature. It follows that
GM foods have not been shown to be without risk and, indeed, the
available scientific experimental results demonstrate cause for
concern."

Edward Goldsmith, environmentalist, scholar, author & founding editor of
The Ecologist:
"Scientists have knowledge in a very limited field of expertise and
often have no knowledge at all of all the other areas that are affected
by, and impact on their narrow field. This is a very dangerous
situation, which is why the public has to have a say on what sort of
research should and should not be done."

Dr. Richard Hindmarsh, political ecologist (Ph: 61+ 7 3381 1569; Fax:
61+ 7 3381 1572; Email: r.hindmarsh@...):
"If we are serious about an ecologically sustainable future, then we
need to locate the strong precautionary principle at the centre of
regulation for the environmental release of genetically engineered
organisms."

Professor Malcolm Hooper, medicinal chemist, University of Sunderland,
UK:
"The known effects of the herbicide glufosinate ammonium are sufficient
to halt all field trials immediately, until critical questions about the
metabolism, storage and reconversion of the N-acetylphosphinothricin
have been fully answered for all pat gene-containing products."

Dr. Mae-Wan Ho, geneticist and organic physicist, Institute of Science
in Society, UK (m.w.ho@..., tel: 44-(0)20-7272-5636):
"Genetic engineering is inherently dangerous, because it greatly expands
the scope for horizontal gene transfer and recombination, precisely the
processes that create new viruses and bacteria that cause disease
epidemics, and trigger cancer in cells."

Dr. Vyvyan Howard, medical toxi-pathologist, Liverpool University, UK
(Tel: + 44 (0)151 794 5958; Fax: + 44 (0)151 794 5517; Mob: + 44 (0)151
794 7833):
"What our regulators have is ‘fact-free’ risk assessment: there’s little
or no data, what relevant data that exist are simply ignored and
dismissed, so they can conclude the risk is ‘very, very low, effectively
zero’. That’s completely counter to the precautionary principle."

Dr. Brian John, geomorphologist and environmental scientist working with
GM Free Cymru:
"Those of us who have looked into the science of GM crops and foods from
a community or consumer perspective have been appalled at the apparent
abandonment of the precautionary principle and at the control exerted
over the scientific agenda by the biotechnology multinationals."

Lim Li Ching, researcher, Institute of Science in Society and Third
World Network:
"Farmers around the world already have the knowledge, experience and
innovative spirit that enable them to farm sustainably, through
approaches such as agroecology, sustainable agriculture and organic
farming. Learning from them means rethinking agriculture and associated
policy making, and exploring how traditional knowledge and science can
work together."

Dr. Eva Novotny, Scientists for Global Responsibility:
"There is no evidence that unlike species have ever crossed during the
billions of years that life has existed on earth. If Nature tried this
experiment, it must have failed. We must not be so arrogant as to
assume that we are more clever than Nature, lest we precipitate an
irreversible chain of biological evolution that ends in catastrophe".

Dr. Arpad Pusztai, formerly of Rowett Institute, Scotland:
"Many scientists and the lay public hungry for information have been
struck by the scarcity of published data relevant to the safety of GM
foods. Not only that, the scientific quality of what has been published
is, in most instances, not up to the usually expected standards of good
science."

David Quist, microbial ecologist, University of California, Berkeley,
USA: (dquist@...):
"Contamination has happened despite Mexico’s regulations to protect
maize genetic diversity within its centre of origin. There has been no
research substantiating the safety of transgenic crops, especially in
centres of genetic diversity, as is the case of maize in Mexico. This is
risking the future of our food supply."

Dr. Peter Rosset, agricultural ecologist and Co-Director, Institute for
Food and Development Policy, Oakland, California, USA
http://www.foodfirst.org:
"There is no pressing need for GM crops, as world agriculture is in
overproduction, and people go hungry because of poverty, not because of
lack of GM seeds, when they are too poor to buy from the plenty around
them."

Dr. Veljko Veljkovic, AIDS virologist, Belgrade, Yugoslavia (Fax: +381
11 453 686 E-mail: veljko01@...):
"The problem with genetic engineering is that the development of
techniques is much faster than development of knowledge. As a
consequence, the experiments cannot be completely controlled, and their
outcome could be unpredictable and sometimes dangerous. GMOs are
definitely involved in horizontal gene transfer and, for this reason,
represent permanent potential source of new pathogens that could be
created accidentally or intentionally. This is so especially for GMOs
used in gene therapy, vectored vaccines and edible vaccines."
---
The Munlochy GM Vigil has launched a new website:

www.munlochygmvigil.org.uk

It will be updated regularly, (at least weekly), with the latest news,
campaigns from Scotland, the UK, Europe and around the World.

We hope the new website is an effective tool to enable you to easily
access information,keep up to date, and get involved in any parts of the
overall campaign, at any time.

These are very important times, with the fight being continued in the UK
via the Public Debate, European legislation being introduced throughout
the year, and opposition to GM crops and food widespread across the
globe.

Please take part as much as possible, and help protect our food, farming
and environment.

Munlochy GM Vigil.
---
SUPPORT THE HUNGER STRIKE
Please send letters in support of the hunger strikers to the Secretary
of Agriculture Luis "Cito" Lorenzo, (email: seclorenzo@..., fax
6302 929 8183). Also, please BCC to: searice@...,
rverzola@..., rverzola@...
Examples of points to make (please use your own words) are:
* We join the activists of NO GMOs who are on hunger strike to ask you
and your government to impose an immediate moratorium on the field
testing and commercialisation of GMOs in the Philippines;
* Such an act would demonstrate that you support the farmers of your
country over corporate interests;
* Liability for contamination has not been addressed;
* Many scientists agree that GM is an imprecise technology with unknown
effects; health, environmental and economic dangers have not been
addressed.
*DRAW ATTENTION TO THE CONCERNS OF SCIENTISTS - see above and more
examples at: http://ngin.tripod.com/foodstatements.htm

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************************************************************************

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/984
aspartame review: methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid toxicity:
Murray 5.8.3 rmforall

Rich Murray, MA Room For All rmforall@...
1943 Otowi Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 USA 505-986-9103

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/983
aspartame & formaldehyde toxicity: Murray 5.8.3 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages
for 995 posts in a public searchable archive

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartame/ 650 member group

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/989
EU votes 440 to 20 to approve sucralose, limit cyclamates & reevaluate
aspartame & stevia: Murray 4.12.3 rmforall

http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/scf2002-response.htm
Mark Gold exhaustively critiques European Commission Scientific
Committee on Food re aspartame (12.4.2): 59 pages, 230 references

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/910
formaldehyde & formic acid from methanol in aspartame:
Murray: 12.9.2 rmforall

It is certain that high levels of aspartame use, above 2 liters daily
for months and years, must lead to chronic formaldehyde-formic acid
toxicity, since 11% of aspartame (1,120 mg in 2L diet soda, 5.6 12-oz
cans) is 123 mg methanol (wood alcohol), immediately released into the
body after drinking (unlike the large levels of methanol locked up in
molecules inside many fruits), then quickly transformed into
formaldehyde, which in turn becomes formic acid, both of which in
time become carbon dioxide and water-- however, about 30% of the
methanol remains in the body as cumulative durable toxic metabolites of
formaldehyde and formic acid-- 37 mg daily, a gram every month.
If 10% of the methanol is retained as formaldehyde, that would give 12
mg daily formaldehyde accumulation, about 60 times more than the 0.2 mg
from 10% retention of the 2 mg EPA daily limit for formaldehyde in
drinking water.

Bear in mind that the EPA limit for formaldehyde in
drinking water is 1 ppm,
or 2 mg daily for a typical daily consumption of 2 L of water.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/835
RTM: ATSDR: EPA limit 1 ppm formaldehyde in drinking water July 1999
5.30.2 rmforall

This long-term low-level chronic toxic exposure leads to typical
patterns of increasingly severe complex symptoms, starting with
headache, fatigue, joint pain, irritability, memory loss, and
leading to vision and eye problems and even seizures. In many cases
there is addiction. Probably there are immune system disorders, with a
hypersensitivity to these toxins and other chemicals.
************************************************************************