Many in the environmental movement criticize the EDF-GM agreement. Mark Dowie, an investigative journalist who has been critical of environmental groups' alliances with big business, says both sides have a public-relations interest in the deal, "EDF's 200,000 members are pretty conservative. Most of them are lawyers. This kind of initiative impresses their membership and their board. And GM gets a greenwashing."
But EDF attorney Joe Goffman defends the alliance, saying, "If conversation rather than confrontation leads to net emissions reductions, then it is worth doing. The proof is in whether or not we get better controls."
Dowie is highly critical of EDF's leading role in pushing emissions trading as a method to combat air pollution, and of EDF Executive Director Fred Krupp for negotiating with McDonald's in 1990 to switch from styrofoam carryout containers to coated paper containers. Dowie says that while EDF took credit for McDonald's switch from styrofoam, the driving force behind the change was the Citizens Clearinghouse on Hazardous Waste, which called on citizens to mail their used packaging back to McDonald's in the late 1980s.
"It's a unique decision, and unless it's overturned, it's going to be a very bad precedent for scientific and medical research," says Edward Greer, the lawyer representing researcher Dr. Joseph DiFranza. "Whenever [scientists] are doing any research that potentially infringes on the profitability of any corporation, the corporation is going to look for an opportunity to get hold of their research material."
R.J. Reynolds sought access to DiFranza's research material, notes and correspondence, along with the names of the children interviewed by the authors who published their findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in December 1991. The studies found that children as young as three recognized "Joe Camel" and that the ads seemed to influence teenagers who smoke.
Reynolds' action came in response to a sut filed in San Francisco Superior Court last December which charged the tobacco manufacturer with violating California's Unfair Business Practices Act by distributing T-Shirts, mugs and other items emblazoned with the "Joe Camel" character without including the surgeon general's warning that must accompany cigarette advertising. The San Francisco lawsuit cites the three studies reported in the December 1991 JAMA.
Peggy Carter, of R.J. Reynolds, says that Reynolds asked the researchers for the data to, "better understand the accusations coming out of them. ... Our research people found fairly significant flaws in the methodology and data."
"We are not going to sacrifice the entire history of culinary art to revitalize the biotechnology industry," said chef Rick Moonen, of the Water Club restaurant in New York City.
Monsanto, Upjohn, Calgene and Frito-Lay are all using gene splicing technology to produce genetic foods. In genetic food, animal or even human genes are inserted into plants or other animals creating "transgenic" foods. Examples of biotechnology use include: human genes added to pigs in order to create leaner meat, and to fish to increase their size; fish genes added to tomatoes to make them more resilient; and chicken genes added to potatoes to slow spoilage.
Health professionals are concerned that newly introduced genes could affect other genes and create foods which are toxic or highly allergenic.
The FDA should pre-test genetic foods and label them "so that the consumer can decide whether we want this food for our families," said Jeremy Rifkin, leader of the Pure Food Campaign.
- Ben Lilliston