Comments

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  Peter McLeod February 9, 2016 at 11:51am

  Paul Stamets could put a lot of pesticide companies out of business. He has had very little publicity for his patents.

  http://humansarefree.com/2015/10/he-holds-patent-that-could-destroy...
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  Kali May 17, 2013 at 11:18pm

  jon Stewart's take on Monsanto 'democracy' in the US http://youtu.be/2K4pfiYK2IQ
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  Catherine May 17, 2013 at 12:28pm

  Hi Fiona,

  Mariana is in Christchurch, but this March against Monsanto is a mondial movement. There will be one in Auckland too! Make sure you and your friends interested join it.

  March Against Monsanto - Auckland

  May 25 at 3:00pm in UTC+12

  Aotea Square in Auckland, New Zealand

  599 people are going
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  fiona watt May 11, 2013 at 3:37am

  HI Mariana.  Are you in Auckland.  I would come with you.  Are others going?
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  Catherine January 18, 2013 at 4:40am

  I just had a look at your video, Mariana. All of this stuff is great, and I participate in collectiove actions, but most of the time it mean only that we said that we desagreed, but nothing happend next (look at the Tony Maryatt story)
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  Catherine January 18, 2013 at 4:29am

  Sandy,

  The problem is, that on our scale all we can do (and I desagree when you say it is the weakest of reactions) right here, right now, without waiting until  others will wake up is growing our own food/buying it local and organic!

  What do you propose to do?

  To change the corporation system, we would need A LOT of likeminded people, all very available and very active. I know a lot of people who thinks, that yes, it might be a good idea, but no, they would do nothing to help.

  And, a also know people who think that round up is great and look at me as a crazy person when I tell them that having an unperfect lawn is less important than make run their children on the round up soaked grass!
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  Sandy Hildebrandt January 15, 2013 at 2:40pm

  The story of Change is excellent! I didn't realize they'd made another video in the "Story of Stuff" series.
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  Andrea Brower January 14, 2013 at 12:10am

  Really important points Sandy. And following on from this...

  http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/06/12-4

  ....The slogan “vote with your fork” has become the hallmark of food movements. From Michael Pollan and Food Inc. to the vast majority of non-profit materials circulating on the internet and in grocery stores, we are empowered by the belief that we can change the world every time we take a bite. This idea of “ethical consumption” stems from classical market fundamentalism, which tells us that the market is a democracy where every dollar gives the right to vote. According to this logic, the social makeup is a result of interactions between billions of individual decisions, where markets simply respond to consumer desires and consumption is the primary arena of citizenship. Thus, to consume is to be political -- to be good, participatory citizens.

  Yet, buying “ethical” food does nothing to address the basic political economic structures that underly the destructive global food system. It doesn’t challenge corporate power, just re-orients it towards new niche markets. It doesn’t address the trade and subsidy policies that create inequality and hunger, or the privitization of our common genetic wealth, or the massive wave of farmland enclosures. While it may be an attempt to opt-out of supporting that food system, our vote of no confidence doesn’t do much to actually change that system. To illustrate further -- even if we tripled the purchase of organics overnight, we will have done nothing to address the industrialization and corporatization of organics, or the erosion of standards to allow for all sorts of ecologically destructive practices in what is supposed to be a sustainable form of agriculture. Further, the majority of farmworkers will still be exposed to agricultural chemicals that we know are sentencing them to cancer, as we all continue to drink those chemicals in our water......

  the full article is here - http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/06/12-4
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  Sandy Hildebrandt January 13, 2013 at 3:02pm

  Catherine, I strongly disagree. Corporations will continue to do whatever they can to increase their profits as quickly as possible, regardless of the effect on society and the environment (these effects are called "externalities"). As long as corporations exist, and are chartered for the purpose of making money for their shareholders, they will destroy our world and the most vulnerable people living on it.

  Consumer activism is the weakest form of activism by far. The entire system that regulates corporations needs to change, and frankly, corporations need to cease to exist. A few people buying at local markets won't make enough of a difference, when a majority of people in the world don't have access to such resources, and are trying to buy the cheapest food possible to feed their entire families.
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  Catherine January 13, 2013 at 9:52am

  Fiona, the biggest problem  ever is the consumer. If we buy things, then those things will stay on the market. The best things to do are to buy from the markets and family owned little shops. This is the action each of us should make every time we go for the groceries. And it is the only one which can change things!