Stop GM Growing Join the Green Gloves Pledge

"This is Iraq Mark 2: there is no supporting evidence … the public don't like it and the Government seems determined to overrule all opposition."
(Former Environment Minister Michael Meacher on GM Crops)

After five years of massive public opposition to GM and a nationwide public debate, Tony Blair will decide in October whether to allow commercial growing of GM crops.

There's every indication that he'll ignore the results of the public debate and even the advice of his own economic advisors. Planting could begin as early as spring next year, contaminating our countryside with GM. That would please a handful of powerful corporations and the US government but bulldoze democracy.

If Tony Blair gives the green light for GM, then a nation of gardeners will put on their gardening gloves, take GM crops out of the ground and make sure that the people have the last word on protecting our future.

You are invited to join with others who have signed the Green Gloves Pledge, below. This is a pledge to take, or support others who take, non-violent action to prevent genetic pollution and its damage to life and livelihoods. You will be acting in the public interest with the support of many others. The number of people signing the pledge will indicate to the government how many people are willing to actively defend nature and democracy. It will remind Tony Blair where real power finally lies: with the will of the people. Perhaps, just perhaps, he might even listen.

Some facts

* Only 14% of the British public support GM food (MORI, June 2003)
* All UK supermarkets have told the government they will not use GM foods in the foreseeable future
* The government’s own economic review concluded that there was no benefit in the near future from growing GM crops and that organic and non-GM crops would be threatened.
* The head of the committee overseeing the government's public debate on GM, involving over 20,000 people, reported that the results are overwhelmingly against GM commercialisation.
* Only 4 countries worldwide grow 99% of all GM crops: the US, Canada, Argentina and China. GM farmers there are seeing problems.
* In New Zealand over 3000 people signed a similar Green Gloves Pledge in 12 weeks. New Zealand currently has an official moratorium on growing GM crops, as do increasing numbers of countries around the world


The Green Gloves Pledge

If the UK government gives the go-ahead to commercialise the growing of GM crops against the overwhelming wishes of the British public, I pledge to non-violently remove GM crops from the ground or support those who take action to remove GM crops

I am signing this pledge because



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Note: Your details will be stored securely and not published (Data Protection Act). They are submitted by unencrypted email to Green Gloves.

You can also join the Green Gloves in these other ways:

* Print out the Pledge from the A4 leaflet and send by post to: Green Gloves, 16B Cherwell Street, Oxford, OX4 1BG
* Email your name, address and postcode to :  pledge@greengloves.org
* Send the following text/SMS message:

EMAIL  pledge@greengloves.org I will join the green gloves pledge

to: 00 3933 3477 4753 (text message only)



Website last updated on 4 August 2003