Headlines

In San Diego the annual meeting of BIO, the official trade and lobby association of the genetic engineering industry, is facing huge demonstrations from family farmers, consumers, environmentalist and others outraged at US policies that have forced untested, unlabeled GE foods onto the market. Industry front groups including the American Council on Science and Health and the Guest Choice Network are viciously attacking the real citizens groups in news releases and on websites such as www.guestchoice.com.

The industry-funded American Council on Science and Health is warning journalists to beware of accepting misleading information presented by activists protesting the Bio 2001 conference being held in San Diego June 24-27. ACSH wants journalists to report on what it views as the sound science used by the biotech industry to demonstrate the safety of biofoods.

The 2001 Environmental Excellence Awards, presented by International Paper and The Conservation Fund were presented to William H. Crawford of Frederick, Okla., and Keith Etheridge of East Lansing, Mich. Each award is accompanied by a $10,000 grant from the International Paper Company Foundation.

The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights put together this report on "the destruction of initiative democracy by big corporations trying to disguise themselves. ... When consumer advocates sponsor HMO reform, or utility rate reduction proposals, for example, insurance lobbyists or utility executives stay behind the scenes. Instead, they give money to individuals or organizations who then appear in their television ads, press conferences and other events, pretending to be impartial experts, consumer advocates, environmentalists, etc.