Action Alert:

Senate Bill 510: FDA Food Safety Modernization Act

Tell the Senate committee not to threaten quality organic and local food production

Act now! Contact your senator before November 18.

Our food safety system is broken. Industrialized food production gives rise to serious food safety problems, and our government's ability to regulate corporate agribusiness must be strengthened -- without harming small-scale and organic family farmers.

Bills in Congress propose to give more authority to the Food and Drug Administration to regulate for food safety, inspect food processing facilities, and order mandatory recalls. The House passed its own food safety bill in July. The Senate's bill is in committee and scheduled for a mark-up (committee vote) this coming Wednesday, November 18.

Allowing the FDA to crack down on corporate food producers that threaten our citizenry's health is a step in the right direction -- as long as legislation contains protections for small-scale, organic and local food systems. Small farms could be forced out of business by increasing costs for record-keeping, testing and other measures they will not be able to comply with. These are our country's safest farms -- part of the solution, not part of the problem!

Now is the time to contact Senate committee members (especially if one is from your state) that will make changes to the bill on November 18. Our message is: Senate Bill 510 must contain protections for small-scale and organic family farms.

Please call as many committee members as you have time for!

MESSAGES FOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

1. Regulate farms and food processors based on risk -- with organic and local systems as the lowest-risk.

While no farm and processing plant can be completely safe and completely eliminate food safety risks, different production systems carry different levels of risk. Small and medium-sized organic farms are low-risk farms from a food safety point of view, and local food systems are low-risk systems. This fact speaks to a risk-based regulatory approach, particularly given limited federal dollars available for system-wide regulation and the need to prudently target the use of those funds.

Organic farms are already controlling pathogens and improving food safety in various ways that conventional, industrial-scale farms do not. Specifically, food safety regulation for organic and small-scale producers should focus on education and training, not one-size-fits-all food safety standards.

2. Protect organic farmers from conflicting food safety regulations.

Tell your Senator to ensure that the bill directs the FDA to integrate any food safety standards with the existing federal organic standards. No farmer should be forced to choose between organic certification and food safety rules, and the two should be streamlined to avoid unnecessary additional burdens and incompatibilities.

3. Protect wildlife, biodiversity and habitat from misguided food safety regulation.

Likewise, the food safety bill should ensure that FDA food safety standards do not conflict with existing federal conservation, environmental and wildlife standards. Farmers should be encouraged to adopt conservation practices on their farms -- in fact, many conservation practices such as vegetated buffer zones and wetland preservation have been shown to reduce the presence of foodborne pathogens on farms.

Take Action Today – Call Senate Committee Members

See the list below for Senators on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Please call or fax their office, ask to speak with the aide in charge of food safety issues, and share the concerns of the small-scale and organic farming community with them.

List of Senate HELP Committee Members

Senator / Phone / Fax

Democrats

Tom Harkin (IA) / 202-224-3254 / No fax
Chris Dodd (CT) / 202-224-2823 / 202-224-1083
Barbara Mikulski (MD) / 202-224-4654 / 202-224-8858
Jeff Bingaman (NM) / 202-224-5521 / No fax
Patty Murray (WA) / 202-224-2621 / 202-224-0238
Jack Reed (RI) / 202-224-4642 / 202-224-4680
Bernie Sanders (VT) / 202-224-5141 / 202-228-0776
Sherrod Brown (OH) / 202-224-2315 / 202-228-6321
Bob Casey (PA) / 202-224-6324 / 202-228-0604
Kay Hagan (NC) / 202-224-6342 / 202-228-2563
Jeff Merkley (OR) / 202-224-3753 / 202-228-3997
Al Franken (MN) / 202-224-5641 / No fax
Michael Bennet (CO) / 202-224-5852 / 202-228-5036

Republicans
Mike Enzi (WY) / 202-224-3424 / 202-228-0359
Judd Gregg (NH) / 202-224-3324 / No fax
Lamar Alexander (TN) / 202-224-4944 / 202-228-3398
Richard Burr (NC) / 202-224-3154 / 202-228-2981
Johnny Isakson (GA) / 202-224-3643 / 202-228-0724
Orrin Hatch (UT) / 202-224-5251 / 202-224-6331
Pat Roberts (KS) / 202-224-4774 / 202-224-3514
Tom Coburn (OK) / 202-224-5754 / 202-224-6008
Lisa Murkowski (AK) / 202-224-6665 / 202-224-5301

The Cornucopia Institute P.O. Box 126 Cornucopia, WI 54827 www.cornucopia.org <http://app.streamsend.com/c/7209661/1309/HZO9dFI/9pOA?redirect_to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cornucopia.org>

OPCTJ Agenda

Meeting on Thursday, November 12^th, 2009

Gather at 7:00 PM - Meeting Starts at 7:15 PM

This meeting will be at the Oak Park Public Library-  2^nd floor meeting room

To make additions/revisions to this agenda contact Rich Pokorny - rvpokorny@... at least one day prior.  If you are trying to contact me on the day of the meeting call 219-736-0330 (ask for Dick).

1)      Introductions

2)      Review & approve minutes from previous meeting.

3)      Choose minutes taker.

4)      Reports

Treasurer   - Bill

Blackwater/Clearwater - Bill / Peg

OPAHA - Bill/Bamshad- .

Film Series - (Beverley) -  Rich

Meeting with Elected Officials - John

5)      Old business

Discussion about creating a Steering Committee to Chair meeting -  ? and Treasurer?

Fund Raising Event / Membership Building - dinner / auction?

The New New Deal – Future events?

6)      New business

Tim Wais - OPCTJ speaker for his Human Thread event on Saturday Nov. 14.  Rich or Bamshad?

7)      Announcements

 You’re invited to the Healthy Planet Series

Home Energy Audit Workshop

SAVE MONEY AND REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING

Attend and have a chance to win a free home energy audit^[1]

Sunday November 8, 2009 at 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm

Unity Temple, 875 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL

This educational presentation will describe an action plan for making your home more energy efficient. A fully implemented home energy savings plan may save 30% of your utility bills. A typical home energy audit requires a team of two energy inspectors 4 to 5 hours starting at $500. Attend this workshop and register for a chance to win a free home energy audit.

Scientists overwhelmingly agree that human activity is warming the earth. Heat is being trapped in a layer of “greenhouse gases,” including carbon dioxide, produced by the fossil fuels we use, including those fuels we use to heat and cool our homes.  The Home Energy Audit will pinpoint how to save energy and money, and in so doing will reduce your “carbon footprint.” Come on November 8, 2009 and find out how you can reduce your carbon footprint, save money, and register for a chance to win a free home energy audit.

Presenters:

John Porterfield, eZing Principal - 34 years experience in high performance building design, testing, modeling, and verification; participated in designing Energy Star certification for residences; author of How to House Doctor (1982); helped adopt the 2003 Chicago Energy Code; degrees in Economics and Architecture.

Cheryl Pomeroy, eZing Principal – 19 years experience in the building trades, licensed home inspector; on Board of Directors for the Northern Illinois Chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors; performed hundreds of home energy surveys.

Healthy snacks will be provided.  To qualify for the drawing, make a suggested donation of $10.  Please come and invite friends, coworkers, neighbors and family members – people you want as partners in making a difference.

Home Energy Smart

Cut through misperceptions about energy performance! Sure, lower energy consumption is “a good

thing to do.” Don’t let “good” distract you from doing the smart money thing:

“Cash In” your Utility Bill. Cut expenses. The income released from utility bills has much higher

yield (look for 8% to 80% annual yield) than most Berkshire Hathaways.

Hedge. Can you “second guess” future utility costs and pre-purchase ("hedge" against energy price runup)?

OK, a portion of your present utility expense can be nailed down now— consumption and waste

that can be replaced by less costly efficiency. “Hedge fund growth” (yours) results from higher costs of

energy you have avoided. Efficiency is the most reliable protection from energy costs.

Leverage. Most people who say “I don’t have the money to take advantage of efficiency.” True,

perhaps, but why use your funds? Leveraging: using available financing (other people’s money) to

improve your income. For energy financing available from local lenders see

http://www.resnet.us/ratings/mortgages/default.htm. An ‘energy rating,’ (explained at RESNET site)

presents the “package” of improvements that yield expected utility savings in excess of the loan

payment. Financing is available on the condition that you will gain immediate income.

It’s Your Net Worth. Efficient houses have higher sales value, a whopping $10 to $20 for each $1

reduction in annual utility bills. See the study of 4,500 home transactions, from The Appraisal Journal,

at www.natresnet.org/ratings/overview/resources/appraisal/default.htm. Efficiency

increases wealth. “Payback” weighs the merit of a “wasting” asset—an asset whose value vanishes. In

fact, when carefully selected, the value of efficiency upgrades exceeds cost. And serious efficiency

work usually lasts indefinitely. For efficiency, figure net worth and tax-free income, not payback.

Secure. Enhance an asset you hold title to.

Flexible. You select the amount, target return, and time schedule of efficiency work.

Tax Credits (direct reduction of your Federal tax) for homeowners, residential construction, and

commercial property are described at www.energytaxincentives.org

“There’s no money in it.” goes way beyond misperception—it’s flatly untrue. And You Don’t Have to

Wait. Every interesting thing above follows from your action.

You might think new construction or rehab must conform to Best Practices for durability, safety, health,

etc. Energy best practices do improve property in other ways; however do not assume “new” means best

practices. And “good practice” is not good enough. Best practices for air sealing, for instance, block

routes of smoke and fire spread. Best air seal practices can fire safe and help isolate smoke odor.

Healthy Living is the result of insulation and air seal practices that keep moisture and mold outdoors.

While we might expect healthy living in a new home; recent “mold” settlements were paid to owners of

new houses. Heating equipment installed and controlled in a way that eliminates carbon monoxide being

produced indoors makes your CO detector precautionary rather than essential.

Durability can be enhanced by controlling moisture. Efficient appliances are often more rugged.

Every action that reduces energy use reduces demand for energy suppliers. Helpful

when prices tell us it’s a “sellers market.” Every reduction helps to stabilize price – you benefit along with

every person. Every action that reduces electricity demand improves reliability of the “wires” network and

helps to eliminate power plants before they are built. True, by reducing your energy use you help create a

cleaner environment, a healthier economy, and, perhaps, a safer world . . . AND you’re money-smart. All

Positive Outcomes are Received Bundled as a Package.

The first step? “Stop guessing.” Survey your use for opportunities to reduce. Have an energy survey

for the same reason you would seek the most reliable information before committing to an investment.

Energy use and waste is most often invisible, so eZing will bring problem detection equipment to bear. We

also get the ‘low-down’ on comfort, such as where and when you feel discomfort. This helps us assemble a

“game plan” to address your particular and overall objectives. You receive our findings, suggested

corrections, and strategies for improvement, in conversation and in writing.

I hope you will join us at this vigil, and bring signs and flyers representing your own views.  We will have several local clergy members speak, and are contacting the local media as well.  We want to encourage more people to contact their elected officials.

We decided to use the theme "Healthcare for All," in order to welcome people for Single Payer as well as Public Option.  Although Public Option is what is possible now, we much favor Single Payer in the future.

Rich Pokorny

Interfaith Vigil: Healthcare for All

Come join fellow concerned people who believe that healthcare reform is a moral imperative on Sunday afternoon, November 8^th at 3:00 p.m in Scoville Park. We will witness to the wider community our conviction that healthcare should be accessible to all people. All ages are welcome. Bring signs and warm clothes! Please be part of this public demonstration of support for moral responsibility and significant and profound change to the status quo.  In case of rain the event will be held at Unity Temple, 875 Lake St.  If you have questions, please contact Rev. Alan Taylor at 708-848-6225 x101. Sponsored by the Social Mission Committee of the Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation.  

Dr. Hatem Bazian is the chairman of the AMP National Board. He received his Ph.D. in Philosophy and Islamic Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Currently, Dr. Bazian is a senior lecturer in the departments of Near Eastern and Ethnic Studies, and is an adjunct professor of law at Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley. He teaches courses on Islamic Law and Society, Islam in America, Religious Studies, and Middle East Studies. In addition to Berkeley, Dr. Bazian is a visiting professor in Religious Studies at Saint Mary's College of California and is an adviser to the Religion, Politics and Globalization Center at UC Berkeley as well as Zaytuna Institute.


What: Seminar with Dr. Hatem Bazian on the Islamic Significance of Palestine
Where: BENEDICTINE UNIVERSITY, 5700 College Road, Lisle, IL 60532, Birck 112 (Tellabs)
When: October 24 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.


Lunch and refreshments will be provided. For more information on AMP seminars, email info@... 

Questions?  Contact Rich Pokoirny - rvpokorny@...

Or  -  Kathy Clark -  kathsid@...