URGENT

URGENT! Your help is needed!

GM in Scotland? the vital stage

2 WEEKS TO STOP GM TRIALS

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This is probably our last chance to end all
the GM crop trials in Scotland.
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Mr Ross Finnie has been given 2 weeks (until 14th April) by the Transport
and Environment committee to justify the continuation of GM trials in
Scotland in the light of new scientific evidence and continuing public opposition.

GM crops have been attacked in numerous and varying ways ever since they
have been planted. At the end of August last year people from the Black
Isle and surrounding area tried to stop the planting of a second GM trial
crop just outside Munlochy. This followed previous action, including a
court case by Highland Council against the Scottish Executive and a symbolic

'X' being placed in the initial crop as the 'first vote' cast on election day,
June 7th, last year. A Vigil was set up to monitor the field and provide
information on GM. This Vigil has now been in existence for nearly 8 months,
surviving the Highland winter.

Meanwhile, a local organic farmer, Donnie MacLeod, was imprisoned for 21
days for refusing to implicate another GM activist involved in the symbolic
'X'. Donnie was standing up for the environment, for public health,

and for consumer choice. He was protecting organic agriculture from

GM contamination.There is no compromise here we either have a

future where all food isGM or a future where farmers and consumers have freedom.

A petition was initiated demanding the halt of GM crop trials and a full
debate in the Scottish Parliament on the issue of GM in Scotland. It now
has over 4,000 signatories and complete cross-party political support.This
petition was presented to the Scottish Parliament recently and last week
the Transport and Environment Committee referred it urgently to Ross
Finnie, the Minister responsible, to look at new scientific evidence of
environmental threat. What we need now is for Mr Finnie to know just how
strong public opposition is to GM crops.

SO PLEASE EMAIL OR WRITE TO HIM BEFORE 14 APRIL.

(Contact details below.) Please stress the new evidence of environmental

risk from various sources:

The European Environmental Agency report:

'Genetically modified organisms: the significance of gene flow through

pollen transfer'.
This report states that GM oilseed rape is a high risk crop for crop-to-crop

and crop-to-wild relative cross-contamination, which 'increases the
likelihood of extinction of wild relatives' (thus reducing biodiversity),

as well as threatening the livelihoods of conventional and organic farmers.

Thisreport can be found at:http://reports.eea.eu.int/ environmental _
issue_report_2002_28/en

There is also a summary of the report from the Soil Association at:
http://www.soilassociation.org/sa/saweb.nsf/librarytitles/News20032002.htm

English Nature: 'Research report No 443: Gene stacking in herbicide
tolerant oilseed rape: lessons from the North American experience.'

This states the inevitability of the rise of multiple herbicide resistant

'superweeds', necessitating the increased use of damaging herbicides

such as paraquat and 2,4D (derived from agent orange).

www.english-nature.org.uk/

Sunday Times, 17 February 2002: stated that leaked preliminary results
from the trials show that GM oilseed rape is 'damaging the environment'.
Federation of European Microbiological Societies: carried out research
in Canada which shows that the soil around the roots of GM oilseed rape
is altered.

http://www.fems-microbiology.org/

The Herald, 2nd March 2002: Charles Saunders, Chair of the BMA's public
health committee, warned that the Scottish Executive was taking a 'gamble'
with public health by carrying out the trials.

Also stress the issues of democracy and environmental justice; health
risks; economic problems for conventional and organic farmers; the lack
of a market for GM produce (an EU survey shows that 79% of consumers will
not eat GM), resulting in supermarkets removing GM from their shelves.

It will also be worthwhile to lobby CHARLES KENNEDY and the First
Minister, JACK MCCONNELL, as well as your local MSPs

(especially Labour and LibDem), urging them to make representations

to Mr Finnie over the Easter recess. Mr Finnie has said he will,

'pull the trials if he has evidence of a threat or risk to the environment'

He now has this evidence.

IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT ACTION IS TAKEN NOW FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT,

HEALTH, RURAL AND FARMING FUTURE, THE MAINTENANCE OF CONSUMER CHOICE,

AND FOR DEMOCRACY.
LET'S ALL MAKE SURE THE SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE AND ROSS FINNIE

UNDERSTAND THE HUGE PUBLIC OPPOSITION TO GM CROPS

WRITE TO THEM NOW!

HOW TO CONTACT THEM:
Ross.Finnie.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
Jack.McConnell.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
?or write to them at: Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh EH99 1SP
Charles Kennedy: rossldp@cix.co.uk
or write to him at: Houses of Parliament, London SW1A 1AA

For more information contact:
Anthony Jackson on 07720 817 847

5 DAYS to stop GM trials in Scotland

Ross Finnie must be given encouragement to stop the GM trials in Scotland.