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SmellyBlog

GMO Perfume, Anyone?

It's no secret that I oppose GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) technology. The notion of consuming vegetables with lethal viruses and pesticides built-in to their DNA is not only non-appetizing to me, but also has taken a toll on the environment that we are only now beginning to see (the alarming rates of honeybee deaths, for instance).

With a technology that is defined as "Synthetic Biology", scientists in large phramaceutical firms are interfering with natural yeast fermentation by injecting it with DNA that will convince it to turn organic matter into molecules otherwise occurring in precious spices such as vanilla, saffron and cinnamon does not excite me either. It's a process similar to beer fermentation - but produces various molecules instead of ethanol (the grain alcohol found in beer).

There is much that we don't know about the world of fungi, and it's role in this earth's ecology and it cringes me to think how our planet's health could be further compromised. Not to mention its implication on growing true spices in (mostly poor) countries like Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Brazil and many more than I can even list here. And it will affect many farmers, perfumery raw material growers, and distillers. In Madagascar alone there are 80,000 vanilla farmers, poor and honest people that tediously hand-fertilize their orchids and provide us with real vanilla beans. We might just have to forget about vanilla beans, and those farmers will just have to support their families by digging cassava roots from the ground. 

"The advent of synthetic biology raises thorny economic and regulatory issues, such as whether such yeast-made ingredients can be called natural and whether developing countries dependent on these crops will be hurt".

Science has become a greed-driven industry that releases its Frankenstein into the wild way too soon.
Let's just follow our greed, and find out about the consequences are later. I'm certain that the solutions to the problems that will arise will be bring a steady flow of cash to those who created these problems in the first place.

Urgent Call to Stop the FDA Global Hamonization Act of 2008

Dear SmellyBlog Readers,

Not often do I like to make assumptions about my readers. But this time I will make an exception. I have a feeling that most of us, besides our love for fragrance, have a few more things in common:

We care about the products we are using on our body. We want them to be safe and healthy. At the same time, we also care about the small, independent and family-owned businesses and many of us prefer to support these businesses and the people behind them - rather than give our money to gigantic faceless corporations. Hey, many of us actually own our own business and earn our living from that.

Well, enjoying these beautiful products and supporting those businesses as well as being able to open and run an independent beauty business in the USA is now at risk due to the proposal of the FDA's Global Harmonization Act of 2008. This act proposes such threat to the existence of small businesses, and instead of protecting the consumers it will simply eliminate their choice and make the concept of free market and open competition completely invalid. By posing heavy burdens of fees and bureaucracy on every product released to the market, it will leave the USA devoid of any small businesses and free choice for consumers.

I ask you all to please view this short clip and sign the petition by adding a comment to this blog post:



To sign the petition, please leave a comment on Donna Marie's Indie Business Blog.

And if you are a USA citizen you can take further action to stop this unfair act from manifesting:
1) Print up the letter posted in the above link (or write your own)
2) Mail and/or email it to the State legislator requesting that this act shall not be passed

For more information about how to take part in your legislation process, visit Knowledge as Power, who will in a few days bring us more tips on "everyday democracy" and how you can get involved in the legislative process to take part in it and have a say in what bills will climb up to the higher stages of the legislative procedure, and what bills will be aborted for either lack of public interest or public opposition.
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