Terminating Food Sovereignty in Ecuador?
Submitted by ETC Staff on
On February 18, 2009, the Ecuadorian Congress approved a new Law on Food Sovereignty, which, among other important points, declared the country “free of transgenic crops and seeds.” However, in spite of vocal popular opposition, the legislation left the door open to approvals of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in “exceptional” cases. Now, President Rafael Correa has proposed several changes to the legislation – in what is known in Ecuador as a partial-veto – and sent it back to the Congress. The president's changes dangerously weaken the law and open the door to Terminator seeds.
¿Terminando la soberanía alimentaria en Ecuador?
Submitted by ETC Staff on
El 18 de febrero de 2009, la Asamblea Nacional de Ecuador aprobó una flamante Ley Orgánica de Soberanía Alimentaria, que entre otros puntos importantes, declara al país “libre de cultivos y semillas transgénicas”. Sin embargo, a pesar de una amplia oposición popular, la legislación dejó una puerta abierta para la aprobación de cultivos transgénicos en casos “excepcionales”. Posteriormente, el presidente Rafael Correa ejerció un veto parcial a esta ley y la mandó de nuevo a la Asamblea legislativa, con una serie de modificaciones. Los cambios que hizo el presidente debilitan peligrosamente la ley y abren la puerta a las semillas Terminator.
Obama and Geo-engineering? Yes, you can – but don't!
Submitted by ETC Staff on
OTTAWA – Reports[1] from an Associated Press interview with U.S. Chief Science Advisor John Holdren claiming that the White House could now be taking a serious look at geo-engineering – including the radical proposal to shoot nanoparticles of sulphate into the earth’s atmosphere – are causing alarm around the world. “If this is somebody's trial balloon to test Obama's acceptance of geo-engineering, the White House should shoot it down immediately,” says Pat Mooney, executive director of ETC Group, an Ottawa-based civil society organization that has been monitoring geo-engineering technologies since 2006. Geo-engineering refers to large-scale, intentional manipulations of the planet's climate and other systems.
¿De verdad Obama promueve la geoingeniería?
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Ottawa, El 8 de abril 2009 Associated Press informó que la Casa Blanca podría considerar seriamente la geoingeniería —incluyendo la radical propuesta de disparar nanopartículas de sulfato a la atmósfera—, según John Holdren, Jefe Asesor Científico de Estados Unidos.(1) Dichas declaraciones están causando alarma. “Si esta es una prueba para explorar qué aceptación tiene Obama de la geoinigeniería, la Casa Blanca debería rechazarla inmediatamente”, dice Pat Mooney, director ejecutivo del Grupo ETC, organización de la sociedad civil con sede en Ottawa, que ha estado monitoreando las tecnologías de geoingeniería desde 2006. La geoingeniería se refiere a las manipulaciones intencionales, de gran escala, del clima y otros sistemas del planeta.
Global Civil Society Opposes Charred Earth Policy
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An international declaration was launched by 147 organisations opposing the growing hype and political support for Biochar. The groups signing the declaration "strongly oppose the inclusion of soils in carbon trade and offset mechanisms, including in the Clean Development Mechanism.” The groups further assert that ," the ‘biochar’ initiative fails to address the root causes of climate change.” [1]