This is no longer fresh news, but I find the fact that it has gotten so little airplay in the U.S. mind boggling. Russia is not exactly a country known for its onerous restrictions, its lousy scientists (they did beat us into space) or even onerous enforcement of actual laws, but they have joined Egypt, Ireland and other nations which seem to have larger problems in banning GMO corn.
Obviously they think this problem is pretty real. The dead rats may have something to do with that.
GMOs were supposed to be the answer to global problems. We heard about drought resistant corn, and golden rice which would do wonders for starving children blinded by vitamin A deficiencies. What we got was corn that produced its own pesticide and converted gut flora into pesticide factories and Roundup Ready everything which has lead to glycosphate levels in human urine being so high that they violate water standards.
And now we have corn that causes tumors…at least that is how it looks.
Right now a battle is being fought in California for labeling. Not banning GMOs like Russia did…just labeling food that contains them. Big food is fighting this. They are fighting your right to choose. This is one of those issues where all my conservative friends and all my liberal friends tend to agree. They want to make their own informed choices.
If you want to read what the Russian press has to say you can see that here
http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_09_27/Russia-bans-import-of-genetically-modified-cobs/
If you would like to read the actual work of the French scientists (they published in English…science English but English all the same) you can go here
http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm
And if you are freaked out and angry that the Russian and Egyptian governments seem to care more about the safety of their children and you want to support Prop 37 in California you can go here.
http://www.carighttoknow.org/
