The Gaia Reports

By Theodora Filis The most effective way to keep American citizens silent and under control is through fear. The "spiral of silence theory" describes the process by which one opinion becomes dominant as those who perceive their opinion to be in the minority do not speak up because they fear isolation from society, or in this case, being prosecuted as a terrorist. The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) hopes to accomplish just that by making it an "act of terrorism” for anyone to investigate animal cruelty, food safety, or environmental violations on corporate-controlled farms producing the bulk of US meat, eggs, and dairy products. The Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act, designed to protect Big Ag and Big Energy, was written by lawyers for the Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force, which is funded by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). That in itself should send red flags through the earth's atmosphere... This new information comes ...

By Theodora Filis Generally, one thinks in terms of a nuclear war when considering pollution that involves radiation. The background level of radiation in oceans and seas varies around the globe. The primary source of radiation pollution has been nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific Ocean, but some regions have experienced additional inputs. The Irish Sea in 2008 showed elevated levels compared to large ocean basins as a result of radioactive releases from the Sellafield reprocessing facility at Seacastle, U.K. Levels in the Baltic and Black Seas are elevated due to fallout from the 1986 explosion and fire at the Chornobyl nuclear reactor. --Data courtesy of MARIS/IAEA and CMER Scientists continue to track the many pathways by which radioisotopes from the damaged nuclear reactors at Fukushima make their way into and out of seawater, marine life, and seafloor sediments.  These depend on the behavior and metabolism of an individual animal, the nature of complex coastal a...

By Theodora Filis Today, developed nations do not consider GMOs to be safe. In nearly 50 countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMOs. In the US the government has approved GMOs based on studies conducted by the same corporations that created them and profit from their sale. Increasingly, Americans are taking matters into their own hands and choosing to opt out of the GMO experiment. Polls consistently show that a significant majority of North Americans would like to be able to tell if the food they’re purchasing contains GMOs (a 2008 CBS News Poll found that 87% of consumers wanted GMOs labeled). And, according to a recent CBS/New York Times poll, 53% of consumers said they would not buy food that has been genetically modified. In the US, GMOs are in as much as 80% of the conventional processed food. Many people don’...

by Theodora Filis A bill to introduce compulsory registration of all products containing genetically modified  components is in the final stages of adoption by the Russian parliament. Following an explosive French study suggesting a link between Monsanto’s (known now as Bayer)  controversial genetically engineered (GMO) corn and cancer, Russian authorities have suspended all imports and use of the US biotech GMO product until further safety testing can be performed.  Officials worldwide are also investigating the matter.  Researchers in France released the results of their two-year study, published in  The Food & Chemical Toxicology Journal . According to the scientists, both the genetically engineered corn and the herbicide Roundup were linked to early death, massive organ failure, tumor growth, and other serious health problems. US analysts and Monsanto have downplayed the significance of the Russian government’s decision, claiming t...

By Theodora Filis On the heels of a worldwide protest against biotech giant, Monsanto Company, the US Senate has just voted overwhelmingly, 71 to 27, against an amendment in the US Farm Bill that would have required labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). A ballot initiative that would have required GMO labeling in the state of California was defeated after Monsanto and other companies benefiting from GMOs spent nearly $50 million on ads opposing it. GMOs are widely used in processed foods, but shoppers hoping to avoid them now stand no chance of doing so. The biotech industry and its supporters resist labeling, likening informational labels to warning stickers on cigarettes and liquor, saying such labels could “alarm” shoppers. Link to US Senate Roll Call: To permit States to require that any food, beverage, or other edible product offered for sale have a label on indicating that the food, beverage, or other edible product contains a genetically engineered ingredient. http...