Subject: Monsanto ... again!!!
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 083800 -0600 (CST)
From: "Roy L. Beavers" <rbeavers@llion.org>
To: emfguru <rbeavers@llion.org>
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.......Perhaps some of you will remember that we circulated a report
a few weeks back ... about Monsanto having "acquired" a patent (from
the U.S. Government, DEVELOPED BY the U.S. Government) which enables them
to market seeds that will germinate and produce ONE CROP -- then the
seeds of the next generation are infertile and will not reproduce....
An agriculture marketer's dream!!! The farmer cannot save his seeds for
the next planting, he must go back to the seed company and buy again.....
America's "thoughtful" gift to the third world.......guru.......
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 06 Nov 1998 13:28:22
From: Alasdair Philips
To: "Roy L. Beavers"
Roy, I know this isn't about EMFs but it really needs circulating
to environmentally aware and concerned people..............
I have only just found out about this (5/Nov/1998)
The edition should be on GreenNet at http://www.gn.apc.org/ecologist
by this weekend or early next week.
The Ecologist September/October 1998
WHO'S AFRAID OF MONSANTO?
29 Septenber 1998 (UK Guardian Newspaper and other sources)
In September the printers of The Ecologist, Penwells of Saltash, Cornwall
destroyed the 14,000 print run without notice just hours before it was due
to be released. Although it refused to comment on its decision, it is
understood the company was afraid of laying itself open to a libel action
from Monsanto. They had worked in partnership with The Ecologist for over
twenty-five years without conflict of any sort. Now, with highly respected
retailers like Menzies and WHSmith refusing to stock the magazine, citing
"potential legal problems", the very independence of the press is being
called into question.
Leading newsagents WHSmith and John Menzies have confirmed that they would
not sell the latest controversial issue of The Ecologist magazine for fear
of being sued by the giant biotechnology company, Monsanto. The special
issue was a direct response to Monsanto's large-scale Europe-wide
advertising campaign, in which the company claims among other things that
"Food biotechnology is a matter of opinions. Monsanto believes you should
hear all of them."
The magazine highlights Monsanto's track record of social and ecological
irresponsibility, and illustrates its readiness to intimidate and quash
those ideas which conflict with its immediate interests. "Through
reputation alone," says Zac Goldsmith, the magazine's co-editor, "Monsanto
has been able time and time again to bring about what is in effect a
defacto censorship. Their size and history of aggression has repeatedly
brought an end to what is undeniably a legitimate and very important
debate. They believe in information, but only that which ensures a
favourable public response to their often dangerous products." The
Ecologist's office has been inundated with phone calls from the public
wanting but unable to buy copies of the magazine. "No one will deny the
importance of balancing the one-sided messages put out by Monsanto in its
advertisements," say the editors, "and yet in practice it is almost
impossible for critics to do so."
Penwells has been printing the Ecologist for 29 years without complaint.
Zac Goldsmith, the magazine’s co-editor and son of the late Sir James
Goldsmith discovered that no copies of the edition, which took two months
to produce, had survived. His uncle, Teddy Gold smith, Sir James’s brother,
funds the magazine. Mr Goldsmith is known well in green circles for his
environmental views.
The Ecologist has been controversial since it was founded. It is read on
both sides of the Atlantic and was one of the first publications to point
to the potentially dangerous power of multinational companies.
"We are shocked and amazed. We have a long history of being forthright
about environmental issues and attacking powerful organisations, yet not
once in 29 years has this printer complained or expressed the slightest
qualms about what we were doing," Zac Goldsmith said yesterday.
"We have been good friends, but suddenly out of the blue, this happens. I
asked if they could send us just one copy but they said no, the lot had to
be destroyed. I just cannot find out what happened; they are not returning
my calls."
Penwells were not prepared to discuss their decision to destroy the
edition. "We cannot comment on what has happened at all, or our reasons,"
a spokesman said. "The relationship between Penwells and the Ecologist
had ended."
Daniel Verakis, UK spokesman for Monsanto, said he was mystified by the
printer’s action. "I had talked to Zac Goldsmith way back in September
about the fact that this edition was a special one about biotechnology, and
I guess as the biggest company in that field I knew we would be mentioned,
but I did not know it was especially about Monsanto. The fact that the
edition has been pulped is news to me. We had nothing to do with it.”" Mr
Goldsmith said: "The fact that Monsanto apparently had nothing to do with
the decision to pulp is, if anything, more scary that if they had made some
kind of legal threat. It goes to show what a powerful force a reputation
can be." He said he was determined to get the Monsanto edition published.
[.....Much of our EMF "P.R." problem goes to this kind of "undocumented"
intimidation....guru....]
The pulped edition opened with an open letter to Robert Shapiro, chief
executive of Monsanto, describes it as one of the largest and most powerful
corporations in the world. It says the issue was put together in response
to Monsanto's advertisements in which it claimed it wanted a free and open
discussion about the impact of its work.
The editorial then accuses Monsanto of working against sustainable
agricultural practice by undermining the annual saving and improving of
locally adapted seeds. "In the past you have had a hard time accommodating
the view of your critics. Indeed, as the following pages make clear, you
have been quick to stifle any debate that might threaten your interests."
Among the issues examined are the recent injunctions against the Genetic
Snowball movement, which symbolically pulls up a few plants in genetically
modified crops as a protest. It has been the subject of blanket injunctions
banning its activities against Monsanto.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alasdair Philips (aphilips@gn.apc.org)
Director, UK Powerwatch,
EMC Engineer and EMF-bioeffects researcher
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Archive provided courtesy of WaveGuide, http://www.wave-guide.org
Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.feb.se/EMF-L/EMF-L.html