Does It Snow At Ft Campbell

The pharmaceutical and biotech lobby in Government Initiative ZP

Soon they fulfilled the worst expectations on health and environment with the new government of Zapatero. The play of the disappearance of Cristina Narbona and the Ministry of Environment, or more accurately, the absorption by the Ministry of Agriculture (this particular chemical, industrial and assignments to GM food lobby) of the Environment portfolio has been much discussed. Is interpreted, and the facts begin to confirm, as a attempt to end a critical political voice and that of Narbonne itself, and a ministry that could be an obstacle to the current development model is unsustainable and therefore environmentally unhealthy practice that the Government.

Post to run a second term, won the first with a "social" policy, the PSOE is opting to give a more market profile, more PROEMPRESA the new Executive. Narbonne bothered, in many cases was getting his pro Ecology is a Ministry, and this is necessarily contrary to logic pro-market government, any government in Europe today. Narbonne

bothered and "charge" of the result of an entire Ministry, the Environment, would be too shocking, it has come to Agriculture, which has a tradition of favoring large companies over small and medium-sized farms ; to promote intensive industrialization and toxic chemicals from the field, and that is now the guarantor of the interests of big biotechnology industry, ie GM foods (Spain is the country with the largest area of \u200b\u200btransgenic crops Europe).

The new Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Minister Elena Espinosa will continue to support the inclusion on our plates of GM products and therefore endangering our health and the environment. And have in their hands all part of Environment not previously managed and led Narbonne with an acceptable result.

But the pro GM lobby not only control most of the decisions of Agriculture, as it has been doing over the last decade, the Government has placed ZP Cristina Garmendia as Minister of Research and Development. In the book Conspiracies toxic, with numerous examples explain the phenomenon of "revolving doors" (transfer executives from public to private or vice versa). This is again a textbook case. Garmendia was to enter the government of Zapatero, president of the English Association of Biotechnology Enterprises (Asebio), the largest GM food lobby and biotech drugs in Spain (which are other lobbies such as the Foundation or the largest multinational antam GM in the world: Monsanto or Pioneer), and also brings much of the biotechnology pharmaceutical industry (Bayer, Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche, Schering Plough, Esteve-directing Farmaindustria-or-creators Gilead Sciences Tamiflu / Bird Flu-).

This business until a few days ago, in 2000 founded Genetrix, a private company in the biotechnology sector. Garmendia, do not waste your time and also is president of the Foundation Inbiomed that publicly funded, is dedicated to genetic research farmasanitarios purposes.

The Ministry of Science and Innovation is key to the pharmaceutical industry. Thus, one of the medical journals which acts as spokesman for the same, has reported that its establishment "has been very well received by the industry." Large laboratories Garmendia see one of their own, "will good support to avoid excessively harmful legislative developments for the sector, "argues that publication.

Keep in mind that half the previous legislature, the Ministry of Health underwent a radical change. The minister Elena Salgado, who like many media specializing in health issues have not liked anything published Farmaindustria, was moved to the Ministry of Public Administration. Instead entered current Minister Bernat Soria, very much in pharmaceuticals. As published Post Pharmacist: "The minister wanted to turn Bernat Soria this term in the momentum of the English pharmaceutical industry, "including addressing the possibility of a change in patent law, '"Farmaindustria true philosopher's stone.

Cristina Garmendia If you want to take forward the draft-law change is now their competition after the new powers of his ministry, will have to have with the Ministry of Industry, which also has legislative powers on patent issues. The newspaper cited recalls that "at the forefront of industry will in the coming years, Miguel Sebastian, a friend and political protector of Cristina Garmendia and is on rise for your friendship with Rodríguez Zapatero.
If I have not miscounted, the biotechnology industry (consisting of the transgenic pro and pharmaceuticals) have four ministers and four ministers at their disposal: Agriculture, Health, Innovation and Industry. And have seen its authority undermined the Environment.

Some things, as I say, begin to change, at worst, of course. For just one example. Last weekend TVE broadcast a report on GM food. As an account in a letter to the program that aired a person who has worked in the Ministry of Agriculture and has witnessed the ups and downs of pro GM lobbyists in it, was removed (due to technical problems) the involvement of the only critical voice with the theme of National Modificados Genéticamente (OMG´s) aplicados a la agricultura, la de Juan Felipe Carrasco, de Greenpeace.

Además, se utilizaron imágenes de la deforestación de la Amazonia para el cultivo de soja transgénica justamente para lo contrario, para explicar las bondades de estos organismos que no son necesarios y que sólo traen beneficios a muy pocas empresas privadas. ¿Estará cambiando la línea editorial de la tv pública al ritmo de los cambios pro corporaciones en el Gobierno ZP?

Compressed Air Duster Pc Connection

transparency in EU lobbying

El próximo día 8 de mayo el Parlamento Europeo votará el denominado Informe Stubb sobre lobbies en la Unión Europea (Which is named Alexander Stubb, Finnish MEP). The Conservative proposal seeks to promote a project that "anime" to lobbyists to register and force them to publish how much and what they spend their money and how companies appropriate. Measures include, of course, that MEPs declare when to pass laws to which lobbyists have received. Stubb Report is part of the European Initiative for Transparency, driven by European Commission Vice President Siim Kallas.

press conference with reporters to present the books

not surprised these initiatives and what we've seen these days in the Parliament building in Brussels is corroborated. Guests (Rafael Carrasco, Joaquín Vidal and I, Miguel Jara) by the Group of the Greens have been three days of intense knowledge of the insides of the European government, presenting the book dealers health and toxic Conspiracies and participating in a seminar with the eloquent title of What happens to democracy? , on the role of lobbyists in the absence of democracy in Europe.

Because this is the main idea: the mere presence of representatives of the various industries that push political, back to the citizens, to legislate in their favor, is an attack against democracy and leaves citizens sold to private interests. And this is what is happening in the European institutions and different countries.

Upon our arrival on Monday afternoon were greeted by several MEPs who we caught up with concrete examples and documents on the activities of lobbyists. We saw a letter from an association of English publishers in calling on European leaders not to legislate in favor of warning in an advertisement for cars on CO2 emissions level of each model. Clearer water, allegedly pressured car by its advertisers a lot of print media responsible for request to be hidden from the public how polluting vehicles advertised, for the warning, useful to the public, "dirty image" of the companies that paid advertising.

exemplifying was contemplating a report by the Greens in showing that large companies known to us all, get that European politicians write rules virtually at the foot of the letter of the reports and send them suggestions of lobbyists first.

So, my brain full of information and empty casings gave us time dinner, we made into a charming restaurant in the historic center of Brussels.

On Tuesday, soon, we had a meeting with English press attended by numerous means the cream of native landscape. Explain, especially David Hammerstein, our host spokesman for the Greens in Europe, what is it and why it is good and necessary Transparency Initiative. I let the fellow tell journalists that yes, it seems essential to sink my teeth into the problem of lobbyists, but I fear that not only have to regulate their activity and make it public but will have to outlaw many practices current. I doubted even the outlawing it as I put for example, is now illegal to buy health (either with gifts or money) through the medical and many pharmaceutical companies do (practice similar to that realzian lobbyists). And in America, citizens have a Freedom of Information Act which obliges politicians to make public how much money they received for their campaigns and how companies come and practice that democracy is even worse than the European or European.

had not concluded the press conference when I took out of it to join the seminar on what happens to democracy? and lobbying activities. A large room we received full European Parliament. MEPs, journalists, researchers and activists made up the capacity. There scrutinizing the recent and current activities of many pharmaceutical companies, as well as chemical, mobile phones and electromagnetic pollution of ceramics and ceramic tile or nuclear energy. One's face was all one poem.

A comment by an MEP, whose name escapes me, closed the debate. This person alluded to journalists and scientists today are the fifth and sixth power. I answered with an example that combines the two areas, the medical journals. They come together under the control of the pharmaceutical industry, scientific and medical writers, and has not always been, let alone the benefit of the quality and independence of information.

The rest of the day was on participation in a seminar on environmental journalism for fifteen journalists who had traveled from Spain, an event very useful to meet other colleagues, their views and discuss problems ecological our area and how they affect the health of ecosystems and the public. A nice dinner in a restaurant all bio-ecological and closed the night with a lengthened some Belgian beers essential (no bad) on the Grand Place, the Plaza Mayor of Brussels.

Once we have the video of the seminar on lobbying will post it.

Letters Of Community Service

Gran Scala and endemism of Los Monegros

many days and without writing in these virtual pages. So to make today will be two new entries. This weekend I participated in a "testing", a marathon photo, in Los Monegros. This is a project in which dozens of nature photographers who love photographing insects specimens of the same so that after some experts analyze and classify.

The choice of Los Monegros was not accidental because in these beautiful landscapes full of life (one of the ecosystems with the largest number of endemic entomological world) speculators with the Government of Aragon to jelly want to build Greater Scala. This is a huge project, as well as building a city of gambling (sic) to live Las Vegas hotels, "villas", malls and golf courses.

The project aims to get called a map of the Peninsula in the representation of all the possible endemics "bugs" in order to demonstrate their biological wealth and provide arguments for the conservation of ecosystems inhabited by them.

The initiative is the Insectarium virtual organziación and you can see more at: http://www.insectariumvirtual.com/blog-iv/

Tekonsha Mark 12 Brake Controller

business lobbies to debate in Parliament

As we have told in the past weeks, we go to Brussels, the European Parliament, invited by the parliamentary group of the Greens / European Free Alliance. Investigative journalists Rafael Carrasco, Joaquín Vidal and Miguel Jara, three days we will be making presentations of books dealers health Conspiracies and toxic and participating in the seminar Lobbies in Europe. The next day, April 15 between 9 am and 10 pm in the Restaurant of Deputies of the Parliament in Brussels, we will talk about how they industrial pressure groups or lobbies of the most representative sectors such as pharmaceuticals, nuclear energy , GM, toxic chemicals, mobile phones and electromagnetic pollution or builder and real estate. The event, which will be presented by the English Green MEP David Hammerstein, coincides with the opinion that the Parliament is making to Transparency Initiative in Europe , the first regulations on the role of business lobbies in continental politics and has been developed by the European Commission Vice-President, Estonian Siim Kallas.

After several delays and numerous pressures from the associations of lobbyists, the European Parliament will vote on the Stubb report Initiative Kallas, on 8 May, in plenary. Be the first time that the European Parliament plenary session devoted to this institution and the first time that the controversial role of corporate lobbyists occupy the agenda Community institutions. European Parliament itself created in the late 90's, a register of lobbyists accredited to the Parliament by a full access card, including full and commissions, to their units. According to data of Parliament today are 4,435 officially registered lobbyists in the Parliament, which, with a capacity of 732 seats, giving a ratio of six lobbyists per member!

commonly accepted informal estimates, only in Brussels, the capital of the European Union, operates about 2,000 lobbies which employ between 15,000 and 20,000 "lobbyists", spread by the departments of "regulatory issues" of multinational corporations, business associations, NGOs, public relations agencies, consultants "public affairs", law firms and institutes of ideas or think tanks .
According to the Observatory of European corporations (CEO), an anti-lobbies foundation based in Amsterdam (Netherlands), about 200 multinationals have opened an office in the vicinity of the European Commission or the Parliament to deal with these issues their business.

No great company that claims to sell their products in international markets no longer has any representation in Brussels. This same association estimates that corporate spending lobbismo in the Belgian capital in excess of 1,000 million euros a year, a figure really dizzy but not too surprising when you consider that the oil company BP and the cigarette company Philip Morris, rental offices in the Schuman Square (the square where is located the European Commission) were the modest annual cost figure of 300 euros per square meter. For these reasons, the European Commission has launched its European Transparency Initiative, which, inter alia, proposes to limit the activities of these professionals hired by corporations to political institutions, a voluntary register of lobbyists and lobbyists and incentives to publicize its activities, nature and funding.

The proposal, drafted by European Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Siim Kallas, has been flatly rejected by the associations of lobbyists, but even so, approval is expected this spring. Both

toxic Conspiracies as health dealers are the first documents in book form that delve into those connections of policies affecting the environment and human health and the pressure most powerful economic sectors. Are serving also to revive the debate on the role of lobbyists or pressure groups in the English government's policies of various regions and the EU institutions that affect the environment and health of citizens. Following the presentation of books, Miguel Jara will join the seminar:
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO DEMOCRACY? CORPORATE INFLUENCE ON
EU POLICIES
A seminar on lobbying in Europe
It will host a conference between 10.00-10:20 a.m. on how to operate the pharmaceutical lobbies, electromagnetic pollution, ceramic, atomic energy or petrochemicals.

In effect, this seminar has the good sense to question whether we live in a democracy when most of the decisions made by European politicians and citizens affected are determined by large companies and economic sectors.

More info about the books:

Laura Fernandez (Conspiracies toxic) 914 230 328

Monica Bertran (health Dealers) 933 011 723

Bsr Soundesign Turntable

Side Effects: The manufacturer's Nazi past Thalidomide

Last April 3 took place in London a demonstration of about a thousand of the drug affected Thalidomide. It was organized by ICTA (International Alliance of Associations of Victims of Thalidomide) and attended by victims of virtually all European Union countries, Cyprus and Canada. At the same time and in the German embassy in Bangkok, a small concentration was also affected. Several television in the United Kingdom attended the mobilization even offered live. A tv in Ireland, another from Germany, several radios and all British newspapers covered the protest action. But despite being invited all the English press correspondents, did not go-except by the editor of EFE.

50 years are not even see these people recognized the damage caused by the laboratory Grünenthal. The affected by the drug in our country broadcast a film these days, as they themselves suggest, shows the Nazi past of this drug, under the title of Side Effects.

American Little Models

Bribes physicians: No Thanks

After spending a few days in Barcelona lands and to publish the books (health and Conspiracies dealers toxic) way to offer some nuanced presentation in Madrid, on Wednesday March 26, the platform No Thanks , which I attended. First highlight the huge number of signatures of health professionals is collecting No Thanks ( to view and / or sign the manifesto ). It is clear that there are desires to major changes in the health care system in search of ethics, largely lost the benefit of private interests minority.

During the presentation of No Thanks, Joan-Ramon Laporte , Professor of Pharmacology, explained that today there are divergent interests between patients and the pharmaceutical industry. One of the workhorses of this platform is to end bribery or bribery of doctors and medical personnel from many laboratories and companies.

also with private funding for training of physicians, it should be public, depending on the government, demand from No Thanks. It will not be easy, because as discussed in the conference, the latest reform of the Medicines Act, made almost two years ago, we tried to include the regulation of medical visits but almost all political groups rejected the measure.

This again raises the question: who finances the campaigns of those political parties? We will not know, at least until we have a law similar to the Freedom of Information in the U.S. have, which requires parties to state which companies from financing their campaigns and how much money they receive (the truth is that There is no point because as I demonstrate in health dealers the pharmaceutical lobby controls the U.S. Government through the financing of election campaigns).

Spain, according to those present at the appointment of No Thanks, is the country with more drugs with less five years of marketing. This leads to an increase in public spending on drugs, as these brand and growth of the damage and deaths from adverse effects of preparations, being less proven its potential damage.

Juan Gervás , a doctor in the Madrid mountains, made a public acknowledgment of financial conflicts of interest with the industry to show several events that will partially fund certain labs. Put this as an example that is now almost impossible to be 100% independent medical laboratories.

voluntarily disclose conflicts of interest is a the next steps in search of lost ethics. Very welcome is the idea that these professionals have placed on the doors of their consultations stickers that warn that they do not get reps.

Gervás also denounced the huge traffic of influences that exist in the health system, in which top managers frequently move into the ranks of private companies.

Gervás is a rare bird on the panorama health: do not get reps. Most health professionals who attend these labs sellers do, and see it as something natural. Since not advocate eliminating Thanks the visit to avoid tarugueo wills or buying gifts, hospitality or money ( View Informational Videos Tele5 ).

Carmen Ortiz, president of the Federation of Associations for the Defence of Public Health , promoter of No Thanks, explained that there was a spirit of confrontation with other health professionals but try to encourage them to be redirected towards good practice.

These and many other issues were discussed in the presentation of No Thanks. Keep you informed. For now, the organization for receiving accessions, the penultimate of the Association of Progressive de la Comunitat Valenciana.