95 lines
4.3 KiB
Plaintext
95 lines
4.3 KiB
Plaintext
|
|
Greetings. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is currently attempting to
|
|
revise the U.S. organic standards, as you may already know. The proposed
|
|
revisions are intended to allow large-scale agribusiness to absorb the
|
|
organic farming movement, by relaxing standards, establishing high
|
|
certification fees, and worst of all, by making more stringent standards
|
|
illegal. I urge you to join the chorus of protest against this
|
|
foolishness, by emailing the USDA. The USDA has made this moderately
|
|
difficult: it is necessary to access the USDA's "NOP" web site at
|
|
|
|
http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/
|
|
|
|
and follow the "Register to Comment" link. You will have to give your
|
|
name and zip code, choose a username and password, and submit the form.
|
|
You can then return to the main NOP page and follow the "Submit Comments"
|
|
link, and after entering the previously selected username and password,
|
|
you'll be permitted to choose a topic and submit your comments.
|
|
|
|
If you prefer submit your comments in writing, the fax number is
|
|
(202) 690-4632, and the address is:
|
|
|
|
Eileen S. Stommes, Deputy Administrator
|
|
USDA-AMS-TM-NOP
|
|
Room 4007-So, Ag Stop 0275
|
|
P.O.Box 96456
|
|
Washington, DC 20090-6456
|
|
|
|
For further information (from sources other than the USDA) I suggest
|
|
visting the www.saveorganic.org website. I enclose my comments below.
|
|
|
|
Yours,
|
|
|
|
Rev. Chris Korda
|
|
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
I am writing on behalf of the Church of Euthanasia, an educational and
|
|
religious organization devoted to restoring balance between humans and
|
|
the remaining species on Earth, through voluntary population reduction.
|
|
|
|
It is my understanding that the USDA proposes to revise the U.S.
|
|
organic standards, and that the proposed revisions will favor big
|
|
agribusiness, by relaxing existing organic standards, establishing high
|
|
certification fees, and worst of all, by making more stringent standards
|
|
illegal. I urge the USDA to listen to the recommendations from the
|
|
organic sector, and to the many consumers who are jamming up the USDA's
|
|
mailboxes and fax machines.
|
|
|
|
In the last decade, many small victories have been won for sustainable
|
|
agriculture; added together these small victories may be the beginning
|
|
of a sane way of life, based on harmony with the natural world, rather
|
|
than limitless growth and ruthless exploitation. The technological
|
|
state is at a crossroads, as the Unabomber and many others have pointed
|
|
out: humans will acquire humility, recognize their place in the order of
|
|
things, and begin to cherish and promote the diversity of life, or
|
|
become manufactured products, like the chickens and cows in their
|
|
concentration camps.
|
|
|
|
Perhaps you do not appreciate the urgency of the situation. The Earth's
|
|
atmosphere and hydrological systems are already seriously compromised,
|
|
the weather is increasingly unstable, and most of our topsoil is now in
|
|
the ocean, thanks to a mechanized agricultural assault that USDA
|
|
continues to support. The so-called "green revolution" has become a
|
|
nightmare of arrogance and short-sightedness, as the land and water are
|
|
poisoned with toxins that the USDA encourages the development of.
|
|
|
|
The farms and individuals that resist this paroxysm of greed have earned
|
|
the support of millions of consumers who care not only about their
|
|
health, but the health of future generations. Vast sums are now at
|
|
stake, and agribusiness, smelling lost profits, wants to muscle in.
|
|
That the USDA, supposedly organized to protect consumers from the
|
|
excesses of the food industry, should support this obvious effort to
|
|
crush the organic sector, is inexcusable.
|
|
|
|
Organic standards have prohibited, and should continue to prohibit
|
|
genetic engineering, and irradiation, used either directly or indirectly
|
|
in foods or anything associated with food production. Sewage sludge is
|
|
equally unacceptable, nor is there any place for "intensive" confinement
|
|
of animals. By upholding these standards, the USDA will join organic
|
|
farmers and consumers of organic food in their effort to create a
|
|
sustainable future, not only for humans, but for all living beings.
|
|
|
|
Yours,
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rev. Chris Korda
|
|
coe@netcom.com
|
|
|
|
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
The Church of Euthanasia http://www.envirolink.org/orgs/coe/
|
|
P.O.Box 261 ftp.etext.org /pub/Zines/Snuffit
|
|
Somerville, MA 02143 coe@netcom.com
|
|
|