Monthly Archives: November 2014

Why don’t I like GMO in Canada?

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Here is another piece of information for all these new followers that I seem to gather like flotsam that get stuck at the mangrove roots in shifting tides.

The whole world, when discussing GMO, wants to see if it if safe or not. I believe it is unsafe, especially the chemicals and pesticides associated with it. However, that is not the main point from where I stand.

I am on a completely different platform. To me, this is an attack on Canadian democracy and independence, whereby all living creatures that are important, may one day cease to be Canadian product, or Gods creation, and instead belong to a patent holding foreign corporation.

This is also an assault on nature.

This – damn the science – is unacceptable to me. I want Canadian flora and fauna to remain Canadian and Gods creation and not stolen by any biotech thief from abroad.

And the mechanism being used to infiltrate into Canada, is not through scientists, but through our corrupt politicians.

Therefore, to me, this is a political issue. This cannot be solved by scientists, but by politicians. And corrupt politicians are not going to solve it for us. Hence, in a democratic system, it comes down to people. The buck stops at your and my feet to change the politician system, from the bottom up, in banning GMO at the Municipal level.

Why bottom up and why Municipal level ? because that, far as I can see, is the only level of Govt that is still within reach of ordinary people and where corporate funding has not yet become pervasive.

So, this is a politician problem, and needs a political solution. This will not happen by writing petitions to bogus politicians in Ottawa, but this can happen, and is happening in BC, at the ground level.

Think of it another way. In your own home, do you need to prove that Roundup is had for health in order to decide not to use it? No, you do not need to prove any such thing. Why not? Because you are living in a free country and it is your right to decide if you will or will not use GM food or pesticide, without any need to prove anything to anybody.

Likewise, a Municipality is an extension of your home, and includes your community. If the community does not like GMO and does not trust RoundUP, it can ban it without any need to prove anything to anybody. That is the meaning, and essence, of democracy & freedom.

Municipalities cannot be sued for banning it, per trade agreements, because Municipalities did not sign those agreements. Higher Govts did, and it is higher Govts to face the music for agreeing to trade deals that attempt to subvert citizen rights.

Now, why did I bother writing all this here ? To inform all of you pro-GMO nitwits that asking me to enter the “peer-reviewed” science of GMO safety is a complete waste of time. My freedom and that of my country is under attack. I don’t care too hoots about your peer-reviewed shit.

By the way, I do consider you pro-GMO guys nitwits, which is far better than considering you as collaborators to a foreign occupying force, or agents of fascism – I trust you’ll agree to that.

So, all you GM nitwits – find another place to go and jump up and down. I am totally uninterested in your opinion or behaviour.

Comprende ?

Above is the beginning of my new blog.
I invite you good people to write to me why you do not like GMO in Canada (or USA, or India, or Russia or elsewhere etc) and I may add those in the same blog. I shall also be asking friends, scientists and activists from around the globe to consider adding their perspective. 

Perhaps someone will agree to read all this into an audio podcast. Either way – this is an attack on our freedom and our eco-system. It is for us, and not those biotech scientists, to grab the issue by the scruff of neck and toss it off our land. Join me in the next freedom struggle, my friends, if you will.

Meanwhile here is a preview of the next blog headline : Deconstructing Controlled Opposition.

Moms Across America, USA
Zen Honeycutt, Founder

Moms Across America completely supports any country’s right not to be bullied by a few American chemical companies into feeding billions of their people GMO foreign proteins and toxic chemicals such as Glyphosate, 2,4-D, Atrazine and Dicamba.
American moms see their kids get better from ailments such as autism, allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases and more when we avoid GMOs and related pesticides. We urge parents, politicians and policy makers of all countries to protect your children, ban GMOs, Glyphosate and related toxic chemicals. Have faith in your farmer’s abilities to ingeniously farm as has been done for thousands of years, without toxic chemicals.
Protect your children and future generations now.

From Grace Joubarne
East coast, Canada

(a) the UN Agenda 21 and the Sustainability Development Agendas were signed off on by the Mayors of most municipalities in Canada and the USA since 1992 and that is why we are having the problems we are having now.  The Mayors signed treaties agreeing to meet UN demands and goals.  This is the root of the destabilization of Canada’s economy. It is part of the One World Order governance system and is designed to enforce changes at the local level and upwards. For more info look up Tom DeWeese Report for starters…excellent speaker and I follow his well researched newsletters.
(b) Harper is engaged in unprecedented high treason.  I will forward you the details of a very important lecture on this that is held tomorrow night (Nov 26th) in Ottawa.  I will definitely be there.  Former Deputy Prime Minister under Paul Martin, Paul Hellyer has called what Harper has done and will do when he secretly signs the CETA agreement ‘high treason’ that cannot be denied.  He will be the keynote speaker.

 Fran Murrell
MADGE – Australia

” I totally agree that we have the right to decide whether we want to use or eat a technology or not. Food is fundamental to our health and so to be told that we ought to eat experimental food because some obscure body has decided it is safe is oppressive. It is up to us to decide what we feed our families. When corporate profit overshadows science and transparency, as has happened with GM, then we have the right to be suspicious. When politics sides with corporations to deny us labelling or proper regulation we should resist. No one is coming to save us or our food, the only way we can do this is by organising from the ground up and claiming our democratic rights.”

Aruna Rodrigues
Challenging Govt of India at Supreme Court for introducing GMO

GMOs are a laboratory technology, can only made in a lab.  and  are  therefore, un-natural to the evolutionary process of billions of years. This is a technology that is also irreversible and irremediable  once introduced. This single aspect changes the dynamics of this technology and the way with which it must therefore, be considered and quite literally handled.  

The question of whether or not to accept GMO crops in food and feed should  and must ultimately be a societal decision shorn of politics (in an ideal world). At the very least, this should be the sterling effort and to this end, the role of democratic institutions is to foster this process. It will  encompass many aspects of life and living, ethics and science. Science is and should be an important input to this process, but is not the prime mover because it does not inform the other intellectual, religious/spiritual and cultural aspects of thousands of years of civilisation, and man’s interaction with the environment in which he lives. It must also be understood that science can only ‘stand’ if it is allowed to change its mind when new facts come to light. On the other hand, the biotech Industry, a stake-holder with a conflict of interest so severe, must be regarded as an undoubted IMPOSTER to this process. It may not have an input,  except to a country’s regulator for independent and rigorous appraisal and consideration of the technology. Unfortunately, this is precisely where  matters have gone seriously awry. Regulators are mired in very grave conflicts of interest in virtually all countries where these crops have been approved. The line between the regulator and  regulated has been effectively obliterated. It bears repeating that unfortunately, this is a  process encouraged by the USA where GMOs were first commercialised  about 20 years ago, by-passing sound science and rigour in regulation to foster the biotech Industry, as official policy.    

The democratic process in the matter of GMOs has simply broken down, hijacked  instead by money-power, politics and corruption, a sinister cocktail likely to be ‘deadly’ for the future of countries like India.  It is difficult to know how these matters may be remedied and resolved; but it is clear that this is a task that civil society must undertake, to enable and promote an environment where sense and sensibility may prevail in formal governance and the precautionary principle be allowed to take its rightful place in the regulation of GMOs.

Evaggelos Vallianatos
Ex EPA Scientist and author of “Poison Spring”

I support your position on GMOs. 
The genetic engineering of crops started in the mid-1990s. This project, like the giant industrialization of farming, has been political in nature. Science is used like a lipstick to instill confidence in something that deserves none. In my book, “Poison Spring” (Bloomsbury Press, 2014), I document the unreliability of presumed “safety” claims that accompany pesticides. In this case, industry influence nullifies both science and regulation. So pesticides are dangerous. But pesticides have been the most profitable part of the chemical industry — earning more than $ 40 billion per year. In fact, the GM crops were constructed primarily to extend the life of the best selling pesticides.
For these reasons, both pesticides and GMOs must be phased out because they harm both human health and the health of the natural world. In addition, the owners of these technologies are threatening out democracy. They flood the political system with corruption and money. They are pushing small farmers out of agriculture, promoting large farmers and industries. 
You are right in trying to ban GMOs at the municipal level of government. I congratulate you for your determination to work for the public good.
Evaggelos Vallianatos, Ph.D. 

Stephanie Seneff
Senior Research Scientist
MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

I agree with you that it has to happen bottom up.  However, apparently, in parts of the US, there has already been sneaky legislature passed to prevent municipalities from banning Roundup.  I gave a talk in Wellesley to the League of Woman Voters, and the Wellesley leader of that group decided to investigate the idea of banning Roundup use in public spaces in Wellesley.  She looked into it, and found that there was already a state law on the books that prevented municipal levels from issuing such a ban. I was shocked to find that out.

In Hawaii, however, this is working superbly well.  All the counties except the big one (which is Oahu and Honolulu and most of the population) have successfully passed various laws restricting use of GMOs and/or pesticides.

Stephanie

Gretchen Zwickert, Northeast Pennsylvania.
Food activist, against the use of glyphosate.

I totally support your stance on GMOs. It is a political problem. Awhile back I wrote for a local newspaper here in the Poconos. I would attend the local township meetings and report what was discussed. I was disappointed to see the lack of turnout by the community. It is sad that the inaction of the communities shows the politicians how much citizens are concerned about local government and the decisions that are made for the community. It all starts at the local level, whether it is in Canada or USA. People need to show up, speak out, and not accept poisons in our foods, soil, water, on our earth!

Anthony Samsel
Research Scientist / Consultant
Samsel Environmental and Public Health Services
Dr. Samsel is the principle investigator of the Glyphosate and Modern Disease papers, written with  co-author Dr. Stephanie Seneff.

Hi Tony,

This is a brief update on my current work…
Today, the vast majority of industrial agriculture is a two part system which consists of the use of genetically engineered (GE) or genetically modified (GM) plants and chemical herbicides.  Some of these GM plants contain the ability to manufacture insecticidal toxins and may also be resistant to the application of chemical herbicides.   My previous work focused on the biochemical effects of the herbicide glyphosate on our biology, as it is the most widely used herbicide on GM crops.  
I’m now working on the other side of the industrial agriculture equation, an extensive field experiment with laboratory analysis of 44 varieties of corn, 33 of which are GM patented varieties and four of these represent an isogenic line.  These GM varieties contain the major genetically engineered event traits now available from Monsanto, Dow, Dupont and Syngenta.  These are all grown by commercial farmers in the USA and many countries around the world.  
 
All of the varieties for these experiments were grown in the same field, under the same conditions and with no added fertilizers or micronutrients.  I’ve done a mineral analysis of the soil from the root zone of all of the corn varieties, to determine minerals available to the plants for assimilation and then quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed the plants themselves for all mineral, fatty acid and vitamin content.  
I’m examining how the stacked GM traits of the gene cassettes, which are installed in these corn varieties, influence the uptake of minerals and how the plants then express the fatty acids and vitamin content.  These results are being compared to the results of non-GM and ancient corn varieties which make up the balance of the 44 varieties.  I’m also looking at how glyphosate influences all of these parameters by spraying half of each variety with glyphosate.   I can now tell you that both the GM genes and the use of glyphosate negatively impacts the crop.  This is concerning as these varieties are grown as a source of food for humans and feed for animals.  
I can also tell you, that GM corn is substantially different from non-GM corn, contrary to FDA and industry claims.  In fact the changes are inflammatory to our biology and I will be explaining how, through the biochemistry of minerals and fatty acids.  The gene cassette determines the genes and the genes, influence the uptake of minerals and the expression of fatty acids and vitamins.  In the sprayed varieties, Glyphosate impacts and causes further disturbances to the minerals, fatty acids and vitamins.  
These changes caused by genetic modification and glyphosate herbicide, in concert together in the food, are then responsible for increases in a multitude of modern diseases of unparalleled proportion.  These GM crops now make up the majority of the Western Diet which consists of processed food and food oils.  The details of this work will be summarized and published in a paper which I’m currently writing. 
In the spring of 2015 I will begin the same kind of field and lab experiments with GM and non-GM soy.  I am also looking at wheat and have been accumulating samples of both herbicide treated and non-treated wheat obtained from farmers in Canada and the USA.  I’m looking for any possible biochemical changes to the wheat and will report findings at the conclusion of the work and again will focus on the biochemical impacts to human physiology.
Anthony
PS:  I’m still analyzing plant tissue in the lab as I can afford.  Please be patient, this work takes time and I’m working with no funding from my own pocket.

It’s a shame that good scientists like Anthony Samsel cannot find funding for their research, while rogue scientists get the funds from industry. This is why agricultural research needs to be public funded. I hope folks would do something, such as initiate a crowd funding scheme or something to help scientists like Anthony.

Henry Rowlands,
International Coordinator of the Global GMO Free Coalition
Director of Sustainable Pulse.
Hi Tony,

Thank you for your e-mail.
I of course support your work and I hope that your blog continues to grow.
The truth is that the system needs to be forced to change – I am not sure people power works on its own – but I am sure a mixture of people power and legal force does work.
We now have almost 1 million people a month visiting Sustainable Pulse – interest is growing.
“GMO and pesticide agriculture currently dominates the globe, creating human health and environmental problems on a scale that has never been seen before. However, change is on the way, a growing awareness of the problems associated with GMOs and their associated pesticides is leading to increasing pressure on the biotech industry and its supporters. This is a global fight and it needs everyone to get involved!” 
Best Wishes,
Henry

 

GM science, or hubris?

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Good day.

Here we are, halfway through our Ontario tour on GE talk and I end up starting a new blog,  on the issue of science behind GMO. Is it science, or is it

  • voodoo?
  • hubris?
  • snake oil?

There was an attempt to heckle me at the end of my presentation at Trent University yesterday, on 17th of November, by a professor. I am given to understand his name is Dr. Seville. It is is something else, I shall be glad if someone corrects me. I am told he is an associate professor at the university and is engaged in some form of scientific research related to agriculture at the molecular or genetic level, perhaps related to plant pathogens.

Is that Dr. Seville ? I took the picture, but forgot to ask his name

The gentleman came to protest, loudly enough for everyone to hear, something to the effect that what I said in my presentation, that science has lost its objectivity and neutrality due to undue influence from the industry and political interference through funding, is untrue.

He also made a remarkable comment, that I had insulted him through that statement, because, he claims, his own funding does not come from the industry and only comes from my tax dollars.

Perhaps the gentleman considers the entire body of science, compiled by mankind over the past ten thousand years, is his personal property, and therefore anyone saying anything negative about the current state of science is a direct insult on his personal self. I know scientists are humans, and can have egos the size of the milky way, but is ridiculous.

Anyhow, bursting of inflated balloons is a task better suited to citizen activists like myself. I am not obliged to provide him proof that science is under undue influence of industry. If a man has a scientific approach to work and is given to search for evidence, he or she can easily find it. All I need to do is believe it – that science has lost its way through corruption and I have seen enough evidence of it. I consider actions of Dr. Seville (if indeed that is his name) in trying to heckle me, to be a an indication that science is beginning to stink. There was no need for him to take the issue personally, unless I touched a nerve somewhere.

Anyhow, I decided to start a blog. I had been speaking with Dr. Seneff of MIT just this morning. She will be happy to record her voice on how science has been corrupted by the industry. I am free to put that up on this blog. I aim to get a few more scientists also on board.

But, apart from scientists, I aim to drive another point here. Its not just about proof. It is also about respect and belief. People like myself, who are not being paid to speak to the public, and do so out of a sense of social responsibility, have lost respect for the pro-GM and pro-industry scientists.

Respect is not something one can demand. It has to be earned. Most mainstream pro-biotech scientists (with a handful of exceptions) have lost my respect. I do not respect their position, or their science, or their opinion, because they do not deserve my respect any more.

Few scientists are around today that are not yet paid for by the industry and are still able to conduct research work on the possible damages to human health, ecosystem and our very independence, from this avalanche of toxic pesticides and dubious science. Such scientists are facing all kinds of hostile treatment from the industry and the mainstream because of it. They are being discredited, and efforts are on to have their papers retracted. They are still standing up for their conviction, and are willing to face hostility and stick to their conviction. I consider these scientists to be not just more believable, but also to deserve my respect.

Not just that. I consider myself more qualified to speak about neutrality of science than those pro-GM scientists. Why ? Because I am not paid by anybody and I am offering my honest opinion out of my social consciousness. These scientists are working for money, and what they can say or do are restricted by the conditions that come with their salary and research grant.

I did say I was an engineer and not a scientist and thank goodness for that. I do not have to be restricted by the industry on what I can say or cannot say.

This blog will be edited, modified, and my comments shrunk, and other people comment, voice, video, letters, etc included on the general topic – is science still neutral, or has entered the realm of magic, voodoo, hubris and snake oil ?

I have to thank Sally Mason for sending the following comment and link, as to how Trent University is or is not influenced by the biotech industry
Quote
Office of ResearchTrent University, STRATEGIC RESEARCH PLAN Approved by Senate, May 26, 2000

THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH AT TRENT
page 2 of 14
“Trent has cultivated collaborative research partnerships with a range of corporations in the private sector, especially with the chemical and petrochemical industry (e.g., Ciba-Geigy, Dow Chemical, Dupont, Imperial Oil, Lever Brothers, Monsanto, Proctor and Gamble, Union Carbide), the mining industry…power industry…and technical instrumentation industry….Many of these partners have participated in funding three NSERC-Industry research chairs over the past 5 years. Through its support of faculty, research centres, and graduate programs, the University attracts visiting scholars and postdoctoral fellows to campus each year, further enhancing opportunities for research collaboration and inter-institutional partnerships….”
Unquote

And here is the link.

 

 

Email sent today (18th Nov) to Dr. Stephanie Seneff of Artificial Intelligence research lab of MIT :

Dear Stephanie,

Thank you for speaking with me earlier this morning on our talk how neutrality of science is now corrupted through corporate interest and your willingness to speak on record about it to me at a convenient time, and for agreeing to speak separately on the need for Canadians to have a lab to test body fluids and food for presence of Glyphosate.

Meanwhile there is a grassroots movement starting in Canada where young mothers are beginning to ask for their breast milk to be tested for Glyphosate, and for people requesting for their blood or urine to be tested for Glyphosate. The idea bases on the assumption that, if enough people, doctors and hospitals start asking for it, some lab will come up and offer this service.

In that respect, I have received request from some young mothers, to send them a short and clear letter, addressing Canadian nurses and doctors, explaining why it is important to test body fluids and food for Glyphosate, in order to pinpoint potential sources of disease or ill-health. They requested that such a letter would really benefit some of the nurses and doctors in Canada who are sympathetic and know vaguely that Glyphosate might not be a good thing to have in your body or your food, but do not know enough. Such a letter might convince them to start asking for this test and would bolster our chances to get a lab quickly.

Could I request you, Stephanie, to please send me such a letter either from yourself, or from someone you already know, who has such a letter ready ?

I hope to catch up with you shortly about the recording on 1) neutrality of science and 2) need for Canada to have a lab.

Again, I much appreciate what you do, and taking time to help out citizens like me in Canada

With warm regards
Tony Mitra

Here is a response from Dr. Stephanie Seneff about the need for Canadians to have a lab to test Glyphosate, a part of my presentation yesterday, and a topic on which a lot of women are asking for a letter they can pass to their doctors and nurses;

It is absolutely essential that lab facilities become available in Canada on a routine basis to allow people to obtain tests for glyphosate residues in urine and breast milk. A recent study confirmed glyphosate in the tissues of deformed calves in Denmark, suggesting that there may be a link between the glyphosate exposure and the deformities.  Another study on humans showed that those who had serious health problems had higher levels of glyphosate in their urine, and those who ate a mostly organic diet had lower levels. It will also be important for people who switch to an organic diet to be able to confirm that glyphosate levels have fallen following the abandonment of GMO Roundup Ready foods. Significant amounts of money are already being routinely spent on tests for serum levels of LDL, which are likely to be much less important, in terms of health risk, than glyphosate levels in urine.  A nursing mother would be especially motivated to switch to an organic diet if she found that there were significant levels of glyphosate in her breast milk. Glyphosate levels in drinking water should also be measured routinely, so that people can find alternative sources of water if their standard water
supply is contaminated.

It is of paramount importance that medical facilities should be able to offer their clientele a routine test to help them assess the amount of glyphosate burden they are carrying in their bodies, so that they can make immediate corrective measures to try to reduce the levels.

Stephanie

Stephanie Seneff
Senior Research Scientist
MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

A copy or letter written to Dr. Seville by Rose Stevens of Manitoba, as she informed me

Your intentions as a scientist might be very noble, but I feel you are very naive to think that science has not been corrupted in Canada. I say get into the 90s sir and don’t heckle people like Tony Mitra who are standing up for the truth. Canadians are not stupid and we have seen through the lies and deceit that our government has tried to feed us via the controlled media. Cancer rates and disease are soaring in Canada and by the year 2025 one out of two children will be autistic at the current rates says Dr Stephanie Seneff from MIT. Take off your ‘rosy colored” glasses sir and help make the changes to bring back real independent science!

Have you ever listened to Dr Shiv Chopra speak or read his book entitled. Corrupt to the Core? http://shivchopra.com/category/corrupt-to-the-core/

Are you not aware that Mr Harper has been muzzling scientists in Canada.?
http://sciencewriters.ca/…/muzzling_canadian_federal…/
http://thetyee.ca/…/12/09/Dismantling-Fishery-Library/

Are you not aware that many pier reviewed studies are bought and paid for by corporations.  http://online.wsj.com/…/hank-campbell-the-corruption-of…

Are you not aware that the Federal of Union scientists acknowledge this and are standing up against this corruption and muzzling?
http://www.ctvnews.ca/…/union-for-federal-scientists… 

We need scientists like yourself to stand up for the truth and for “real science”—not “tobacco science.”

Sincerely,
Rose Stevens

 

Canada under chemical attack

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Canada is facing a chemical attack when it comes to the avalanche of man made poison raining down on us in the name of technology, development, modernism, and industrial agriculture.

Politicians stopped speaking the truth a long time ago. Higher you go in the political hierarchy, bigger a liar you are likely to face. If the pelican is not telling you an outright lie when defending Govt policies that support corporations in unleashing an ocean of poisonous chemicals on Canadian ecosystem, then you are facing an incredibly stupid and ill-educated politician.

Our very freedom and sovereignty is under attack, and not just our food and health. I do not know how not to call a spade a spade. And I consider it my duty, late in my life after having retired from active professional work as a Marine Engineer, to get engaged in low level grassroots political activism, to resist this outrage. It is an outrage, and it should be the duty of all freedom loving Canadians to stand up against it.

We are on a talk tour. Dr. Thierry Vrain is the scientist and the truth letter. I am the activist and the trouble maker.

But, I have a sore throat, a cracked voice, and a resulting problem, in presenting my case to the people, as a political activist and a general purpose trouble maker, on GMO and pesticide issues.

I wear so many hats, that it is difficult to cover it all within 20 or 25 minutes, especially with a sore throat and cracked voice, when I cannot rattle off like a machine gun.

So, last night, horse voice and all, I converted my most recent presentation into an utube video, for you all to see, Much as I tried, I could not shorten in below 25 minutes. But this as a blog reference, I should be able to reduce my slide presentation in future talks and ask them to refer to the blog.

[youtube L83a4BVHMKc]

If the video does not show properly, go to this link : http://youtu.be/L83a4BVHMKc

There are other issues that Canadians need to know – such as the Cartagena Protocol of the UN for preservation of biological diversity of a nation, and how Canada is losing out where 164 other countries are busy protecting themselves. I shall bring these into subsequent video clips and perhaps add them here, and ask folks to simply catch up here.

Independent Journalist Ms Michelle Adelman was in the auditorium at OISE on the 13th. I had spoken with her once on phone. She was taking notes, and came to speak with me. She had pertinent questions. I wish we get a chance to speak with her more.

More to come here. Watch this space.

Tony Mitra – tony.mitra@gmail.com

Asking Politicians to come clean on GMO and pesticides

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To :
Hon. Rona Ambrose, P.C., M.P., Minister of Health
Hon. Gerry Ritz, M.P., Minister of Agriculture
Libby Davies, NDP Health Critic
Hedy Fry, Liberal Party Health Critic
Elisabeth May, Green Party leader
cc:
Alex Atamanenko, M.P, NDP – concerned on GMO & Glyphosate
Bruce Hyer, M.P. Green Party – concerned on Glyphosate
 
Dated – Nov 6th, 2014
 
Honorable minister of health, Minister of Agriculture,
Health critics
Concerned Parliamentarians
 
Good day
I have written in the past to a few of you on this general topic and put up the feedback, if any, on my blog at www.ton.org on issues considered to be of grave concern for Canadians. Today, I have another set of questions for you.

Hon Rona Ambrose – Health Minister

 
I am a retired Marine Engineer, Shipmanagement executive, consultant, and a blogger, podcaster, science interviewer, photographer, videographer, citizen journalist, food security activist and a writer, not to mention a public speaker currently on a talking tour, along with retired Agriculture Canada Scientist Dr. Thierry Vrain, across Canada on GM organisms and what it means to Canada’s future as an independent nation. 

Questions I have are about GMO, pesticide, and patented life forms introduced into Canada, to replace natural life forms.

1) What Science ?
Science in the western hemisphere is no longer public funded, and is wholly supported by the Industry. The Industry has no interest in funding any science project that aims to find faults with its product. As a result, science itself has gotten one side and lost its neutrality.
Please comment on this. 
2) Where is the independent analysis?
GM crops are considered intellectual property of the patent holder, which denies the right for any independent analysis of its quality or safety without express permission of the patent holder, and this permission is only given with conditions that the findings be first be vetted by the patent holder and any analysis that is not flattering, does not get to see light of day.
Please comment on this.

3) Science under dictatorial censorship.
Few scientists that, in spite of such severe restrictions, found problems with the GM technology or its pesticides and published their findings, manage to get fired, or their papers retracted from the journals, and they are discredited, lambasted and literally hounded out of the academic world.
Please comment on this.
 
4) Who owns living organisms? 
How do corporations get to own living organisms and their DNA? They did not create them from scratch, but first stole the DNA of a few living organisms (I say stole because if life forms can be “owned” then those living organisms must have been property of some entity, even God, before the Corporations decided to use it). And then these stolen DNA were polluted it by inserting genes of unrelated organisms, such as a toxic bacteria and a food crop plant. So, should we allow such patents and let the whole organism be patented and owned by a corporation?
Please comment on this.
5) Attack on God’s creation and on Canadian Independence?
The plan, as it appears, is for all living organisms, be it food we eat, or grass and alfalfa in the prairies, or trees in the forest or fish and animals and micro organisms, all living creatures that have some value, to be owned property of a few patent holding foreign corporation.No living organism that has any value to humans in any way, will belong to Canada or be God’s creation any more.
Please comment on this.

This is an open letter and will be put up on the web (www.tonu.org) for the public. Any answer from you or another recipient in copy, will also be put up. Our belief is that the public needs to know where politicians stand on such issues

 
Thank you
Tony Mitra
tony.mitra@gmail.com
(Address and contact)

MP Bruce Hyer Responds:

Good letter

I agree

Bruce Hyer, Deputy Leader, Green Party


GE talk tour Ontario – CBC Radio talks with Tony Mitra

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We are on the GE talk tour already. While I have sporadic access to the internet, I believe one should still try to put up an update here for those interested. We are all in it together. So this is a fresh blog that I shall update time to time as more material comes in, and I find the time to collate it.

I am sitting in the wonderful home of Ann in Thunder Bay, Ontario. We arrived by a short flight from Toronto and Ann was there to greet us.

Attendees in Flesherton were very supportive and enthusiastic about our message. I did remember to tell them that without the women in Canada, our talk tour would not have gotten off the ground. Some of them said I should be staying back in Flesherton. I think some of these women should challenge the status quo in local municipalities, and try to emulate Richmond BC and other municipalities, and start pushing back at Glyphosate and GMO.

This was in essence our third stop. We had already spent an eventful day first at Flesherton, ON, and then at Owen Sound, ON, both within a few hours drive from Toronto. Both those events, in my view, went famously. The Flesherton event was a late morning+lunch+afternoon event. We got appreciated, and a lot of hand shakes and hugs.

Thierry Vrain addressing attendees at Harmony Centre, in Owen Sound, on Nov 1st, 2014

People in Owen sound were enthusiastic and knowledgable. The town has banned lawn pesticides, but they also knew about Neonicotinoids and were very keen to see what BC municipalities were doing with GMO and stretching the limit of how much authority municipalities have in banning substances that are federally approved.

Then there was this giant of a red bearded man that came up to shake my hand, along with many others. He found my talk on political activism within municipalities very inspiring and wished to get engaged himself in his municipality and also consider standing for election and beginning to bring change from the bottom up, and learn to kick some butt in the process, focussing on how a handful of corporations are attempting to hijack Canada.

This young man takes to heart my talk and would like to engage in the municipal election and consider working for the betterment of the community and pushing back at the attempt of Corporate takeover of Canada.

Those were in Flesherton and Owen Sound.

And now, we are in Thunder Bay. We shall only be speaking in the evening, but we already have news.

Mr. Bruce Hyer, Green Party MP, who is against Glyphosate

First, there was a call from a Canadian MP, Mr. Bruce Hyer. He was at the Thunder Bay airport. He called in to say that he could not cancel his flight since he needs to vote on an important budget bill in Ottawa, so will miss our talk, much to his regret. He is aware of the dangers of Glyphosate and has tried passing bill to restrict it, but did not succeed. He was once with NDP but is now with the Green Party.

He said I should send him an email so he could stay in contact and also so he can send me his statement or speak to me on record, so I could quote him in my blogs if I found the need. I did tell him I consider it my duty to tell them which politicians were keen to protect Canada from GMO and Glyphosate and I would like to talk about him. So far the only MP that has come out straight away in our support has been MP Alex Atamanenko, NDP, from BC.

He also hoped we could get to meet him while we are in Ottawa face to face.

And then I got interviewed on phone by CBC radio in Thunder Bay area. We shall see if my talk is aired or not. I have never learned to mince my words or not call a spade a spade. Sometimes, that is too much reality in todays mainstream media. So we shall see.

Thierry is having another radio interview this afternoon. Then we talk together in the evening. Thierry usually takes say 90 to 120 minute for his talk and question and answer. I usually take around 20 minutes to ignite the issue of Canadian sovereignty and set fire in a few politicians underpants.

Had another eventful afternoon in Thunder Bay

This involved speaking with two ladies.
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One of them is a councillor in the municipality of Thunder Bay. Her name is Linda Rydholm. Apart from being a councillor, she is also a board member of FCM (Federation of Canadian Municipalities). She is interested to know the exact wordings of the UBCM motion to be GMO free that was passed last year. I shall ask Harold Steves & Allan Patton of BC to please help. She is also keen to see if their own municipality could pass resolution to be GMO free and what the wording of Richmond resolution is.

I shall try and introduce Linda with Harold and Allan and hope she can kickstart it in Thunder Bay as well as in AMO (Association of Municipalities of Ontario), not to mention trying to bring it to the table at the next FCM.

Linda also got a copy of Thierry Vrain‘s letter to Rona Ambrose, explaining why Glyphosate needs to be the prime focus and not GMO per se, when discussing dangers to health and safety of Canadians.
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The other person was Kendal Donahue, food strategy coordinator working for “Food Strategy”, which, the best I could understand, is a sort of semi Govt organization with gets public funding, but is not strictly a Govt organization. She too was interested in different aspects of the GMO debate and spent some time with Thierry Vrain on the science of the item. They both would check up on my blog.

Linda cannot attend this evening talk by us since they have a Municipal meeting today, the first one after the recent municipal election. Linda got re-elected.

Kendal will attend this evening.

CBC – Up North Airs a talk with Tony Mitra

Attached is a recording of my 8 minute talk with CBC Radio that was aired on 3rd November at Thunder Bay and surrounding areas on FM.

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That is the update from the afternoon. I had a talk with Councillor Allan Patton, about the GMO free motions and his efforts in this regard in January this year. Those interested can check it out and hear Allan Patton speak about his efforts to get the GMO free motion tabled at the Federal Council of Municipalities –  Blog on Allan.

Addressing the Thunder Bay people on Nov 3rd. Dr. Thierry Vrain nearest to the Camera looking at me.

That is the update from the afternoon. I had a talk with Councillor Allan Patton earlier this year, about the GMO free motions and his efforts in this regard in January this year. For those interested can check it out and hear Allan Patton speak about his efforts to get the GMO free motion tabled at the Federal Council of Municipalities as well as the wording of the GMO free motion that he push through, unsuccessfully, at FCM –  Blog on Allan.

Meanwhile I am including the audio recording of his talk with me on this issue, here as well.