2 August 2002

RE: LOVE AMIDST THE MUTANT CORN?

More on our fiends Aventis - the only company known to have had a Head of Corporate Communication called 'Dr. Faust' or whose press releases have been subject to the following caveat: "Statements in this news release other than historical information are forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially..."

For more on Aventis - now owned by Bayer, 1 of the 10 worst corporations of 2001: https://members.tripod.com/~ngin/agrevodiary.htm
http://www.connectotel.com/gmfood/aventis.html
http://www.bayerhazard.com
http://www.cbgnetwork.org/

For more on the World Atlas Of Biodiversity referred to below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2166306.stm

***

Subject: Re: ngin: love amidst the mutant corn?

From: Jeremy Smith <jeremy@theecologist.org

Oh Aventis...

Open the new World Atlas of Biodiversity, a big hardback glossy book published by UNEP and what do we read?

'UNEP would like to express its sincere thanks to the Aventis foundation and the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for their generous support towards the production of this book.'

Which is nice.

What is even nicer is that if you turn to the index, guess what?

Genetic Modification is not there. Neither is Biotechnology. Oh, and they forgot Industrial Agriculture too. Though fortunately Industrial pollution is mentioned (only once, though, on page 185)

Apparently the Iberian lynx is at risk of extinction due to 'habitat loss and hunting'. And what caused the habitat loss? That is not deemed important. Maybe the lynx just put it down somewhere and then forgot where.

Pesticides - no they aren't in the index. Neither are Monarch butterflies.

And, for the record, neither is greenwash.

Jeremy