New Yorkers are divided over Mayor Bloombergs proposal to limit the size of sodas they can buy, according to a poll conducted by the New York Times. Proponents of the initiative argue that such legislation is necessary to curb obesity and raise awareness about the harmful health effects of sugary drinks. Those opposed to the measure say consumers should have the freedom to make their own choices and not be coerced by an increasingly intrusive nanny state mentality of government.
The American Beverage Association, in collaboration with restaurant chains and other retail outlets that risk losing millions of dollars in revenue if the Bloomberg plan gets approved next month, have launched a formidable counter-campaign, insisting that liberty itself is at stake if the government gets its way.
Meanwhile in California, an entirely different scenario is taking shape. Voters will decide in the November election whether consumers should have the right to know what goes in their food. Proposition 37, if it passes, will require food manufacturers to disclose whether their products contain genetically modified organisms (GMO).
Genetic engineering is a process by which the DNA of living organisms is changed to improve certain qualities such as faster growth or resistance to pests. It is estimated that 40 to 70 percent of foods currently sold in grocery stores in California contain some genetically altered ingredients.
Countless food items like baby formula, corn flakes or soymilk have such components, although they are not labeled as such. The U.S. A fat burning review can help you establish a clear describe of what you require to focus on to achieve your fat reducing target if you're a beginner; or serve as a reminder for the ones who are at an advanced or more boost step of their weightloss program. Following are seven steps that can serve as instructions for your own weight loss system. The first thing that one must understand is that losing weight and losing fat is not the same thing. Many weight loss programs have misled people into wondering that it is the same, but most diets and weight loss programs only work by producing a person's body to eliminate more muscle tissue and water than actual body fat, more help please visit The Fat Loss Factor. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require safety studies, and no long-term research on potential health effects has been conducted yet, although there are reports of preliminary studies that have linked GMOs to allergies and other health risks.
There are also environmental concerns. Critics say that GMO crops have led to an overall increase in pesticide use and unintentional contamination of non-GMO crops.
Proposition 37 does not intend to impose any bans. Its simply saying: Lets give consumers information so we can choose for ourselves whether or not we want to eat genetically engineered foods. Consumers in 50 other countries including all of Europe, Japan, China and Russia all have this right, argued Grant Lundberg, the CEO of Lundberg Family Farms, and Kathryn Phillips, Director of the Sierra Club California, both strong supporters of the measure, in an op-ed article in the San Francisco Chronicles online publication, SFGate.
Having started as a grassroots movement, Proposition 37 has a good chance of succeeding. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, a whopping 65 percent of registered voters in California say they support the measure.
But so far, less than 3 million dollars have been raised by the organizers, mostly from organic farmers and environmental activists and their supporters. Opponents, mainly chemical and food-processing companies, including Monsanto, BASF, Bayer, Dow, Nestle, Coca Cola and Pepsico, have raised more than nine times as much, almost $25 million to date.
The question in both cases the fight over New York Citys ban on supersized sodas and the disclosure requirement for GMO in California is whether they are just another reflection of our political and social divisions or whether they are signs of a major shift in our relationship to our food and, in turn, to our health.
Food manufacturers are keenly aware that they are increasingly becoming a target for stricter legislation, like the tobacco industry before them. They are already facing a barrage of lawsuits brought by individual consumers and advocacy groups who feel mislead by false advertisement or worse. Their campaigns in defense of the status quo appear like last stands in a losing battle. Ignoring facts and keeping information secret is not a sustainable strategy in the long run. Once the paste is out of the tube, there is no putting it back in. California's Right-to-Know movement could morph into something like that with the potential of spreading across the whole country.
If you enjoyed this article, you may also be interested in "The Right to Know What's in Your Food."
Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book The Healthy Diner How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun, which is available on her blog, Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D. (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.
Barry Schwartz: The paradox of choice - YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO6XEQIsCoMhttp://www.ted.com Psychologist Barry Schwartz takes aim at a central tenet of western societies: freedom of choice. In Schwartz's estimation, choice has ...
Freedom Fighter RadioFreedom Fighter Radio Armed Infidel and ...
freedomfighterradio.netArmed Infidel and Crusader Against The Beasts Organized Religion of Government (The BORG), Islam, and any other Satanic Death Cult that would destroy our Liberty
Freedom House
www.freedomhouse.orgDedicated to promoting free institutions worldwide. Publishes surveys detailing state of civil liberties, political rights, economic freedom, religious freedom, and ...
Educate-Yourself.org:The Freedom of Knowledge; The Power of
educate-yourself.orgIf you are a first time visitor to this website, this home page will give you a brief summary of many of the major topics covered. I've placed the subjects of ...
The Bovine Freedom of Choice for Raw Milk Drinkers
thebovine.wordpress.comFreedom of Choice for Raw Milk Drinkers ... Dr. Thierry Vrain visited Surrey, BC on June 5 to address the general public at the Northwood United Church.
FOIA.gov - Freedom of Information Act
www.foia.govThe Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a law that gives you the right to access information from the federal government. It is often described as the law that keeps ...
Egalitarianism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EgalitarianismEgalitarianism (from French gal, meaning "equal")or, rarely, equalitarianism is a trend of thought that favors equality for particular categories of, or for ...
Freedom of Information Act Office - National Institutes of Health ...
www.nih.gov/icd/od/foia/index.htmThe NIH FOIA Staff welcomes you to the NIH FOIA Home Page. We hope you will find this site informative and that it will give you a better ...
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education - FIRE
thefire.org"FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation devoted to free speech, individual liberty, religious freedom, the rights of conscience, legal equality, due process, and ...
Food Freedom Decentralize, Grow Your Own, Buy Local.
foodfreedom.wordpress.comMar 11, 2013 Decentralize, Grow Your Own, Buy Local. ... Glyphosate Drives Breast Cancer Proliferation, Study Warns By Dr Mercola
Save the Internet Join the fight for Internet Freedom Free Press
www.savetheinternet.comInternet Freedom means Net Neutrality Learn More Internet Freedom means Mobile Rights Learn More ...
Company Adobe
www.adobe.com/company.htmlAdobe is the global leader in digital marketing and digital media solutions. We help our customers make, manage, measure, and monetize their content across every ...
FORCES International - News Portal
www.forces.orgFORCES International: your gateway to public health frauds, intellect, news, science, lifestyle choice, liberty... and a freshly different point of view: that of ...
FOIA.gov - Freedom of Information Act
www.foia.govThe Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a law that gives you the right to access information from the federal government. It is often described as the law that keeps ...
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) - Emotional Health
eft.mercola.comLearn about the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), a therapeutic psychological tool from Dr. Mercola, to tap your way to better emotional health today.
Stand Up for Religious Freedom
standupforreligiousfreedom.comThe US Conference of Catholic Bishops is sponsoring another Fortnight for Freedom this year from June 21 to July 4, in response to the still looming threats to our ...
Conservative Policy Research and Analysis
www.heritage.orgIssues Health Care Contact Us ResearchHeritage Foundation is a conservative research think tank based in Washington D.C. Read studies and papers on free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom ...
Level 3 Communications The Reliable Partner of Choice
www.level3.comContact Us Careers Company Information Customer CenterThe Reliable Partner of Choice. We understand how important your network is to accelerating growth, driving efficiency and securing the assets you depend on.
Educate-Yourself.org:The Freedom of Knowledge; The Power of
educate-yourself.orgIf you are a first time visitor to this website, this home page will give you a brief summary of many of the major topics covered. I've placed the subjects of ...
Foundation for Economic Education
www.fee.orgOffers online education, a bookstore, and links to its seminars and publishes Ideas on Liberty, a magazine on free markets and individual liberty.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
www.aclu.orgContact Us Criminal Justice Human RightsNational organization advocating individual rights, by litigating, legislating, and educating the public on a broad array of issues affecting individual freedom in ...
The CNN Freedom Project: Ending Modern-Day Slavery -
thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.comThis year CNN will join the fight to end modern-day slavery and shine a spotlight on the horrors of modern-day slavery, amplify the voices of the victims, highlight ...
0 comments:
Post a Comment