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BlogsWinter Cycling in Canada
Chances are you've seen a couple of Niagara Cyclists braving the cold with their bicycles. If you think that the summer cycling pathways in Niagara, like the Greater Niagara Circle Route, should be cleared let your local representatives know. As always, if you choose to join Niagara Cyclists equip yourself properly and abide by safety regulations. Also check local by-laws to see if Winter Cycling is prohibited in your community. Ride Safe, Ride Local. Check out the article: Winter Cycling Cool in Quebec
The Glare From Pomme de Terre, Saturday January 17th, 3-5pm
Arpad Pusztai, Ph.D. - Dr. Pusztai was dismissed from the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen Scotland after he went public with research on Genetically Modified (GM) potatoes in 1998. During his research he found that rats that were fed GM potatoes had problems with their immunity and growth. His conclusion was that the GM process had somehow made the potatoes less nutritious. This research was largely responsible for sparking the intense debate in the UK over the safety of GM foods. Dr. Pusztai's research was finally published in The Lancet in 1999. In 2005 Arpad Pusztai was honoured with a whistleblower award from the Federation of German Scientists. Since his research has gone public he has given close to 200 lectures across the world. Dr. Pusztai's work has been featured in many books on GM food e.g. Seeds of Deception by Jeffrey Smith and an interview was featured in the film The World According to Monsanto. We are fortunate to have such a world-renowned speaker at our seminar this year. Susan Bardócz, Ph.D. Dr. Bardócz is a Professor of Nutrition at the Agricultural Faculty of University of Debrecen, Hungary. She is an internationally well-known scientist who was part of the research team at the Rowett Institute on GM potato work. Currently, Dr. Bardócz is setting up a collaborative research programme in Debrecen to investigate the effects on the reproductive performance of rats fed on GM soybean diets. Saturday January 17, 3-5pm
UNBOTTLE IT! Free Event!
The bottled water industry has worked hard to undermine our faith in public water. The industry sells water - a shared public resource - for HUGE profits. It's time to get the facts! Kick The Bottle Friday January 16 at 7:00pm
New Year, New Co-ordinator, New EventsEvery now and then at OPIRG we have the opportunity to introduce a new staff member, and in 2009 we welcome Julia Kerr. This new voice means a new focus on bringing students from all walks of life out of their shells and into the community. The community at large and the special communities that are fostered by OPIRG at Brock University. In 2009 the Amnesty International and DIY Collective working groups will be spreading the word about the benefits of involvement. Involvement in the global community, raising awareness and encouraging action on issues related to injustice and poverty with Amnesty International. Involvement in the local community, by encouraging responsible use of resources with the DIY collective - as simple as jam making or as complex as residential fabrication workshops. Even though it is currently winter, the Niagara Region has cleared roads to the point where Critical Mass (a cycling event) has been viable even in December. It will continue throughout the winter - limited only by active weather and road clearance. OPIRGBrock.org, your online portal to OPIRG at Brock, will also be experiencing positive change. As more content becomes available in both the public domain as well as under free and open licenses (ex. Creative Commons, GFDL, etc.) it can be brought to you online or in the office in a paperless format. We find the best content, and our members benefit. Suggestions are welcome, involvement is better. Thank you.
Jeffrey M Smith at Brock UniversityInternational best selling author on the health risks of genetically engineered foods Jeffrey M Smith visited Brock University on Thursday, October 2nd. Smith has spent much of the past few years on the road as the Executive Director for the Institute of Responsible Technology a popular keynote speaker, has traveled to over 30 countries where he has been consulting with scientists and governments regarding the adverse health effects of genetically engineered foods. Smith discussed some of the over “65 health risks of GMO and linked them to thousands of sick, sterile, and dead livestock, thousands of toxic and allergic reactions, damage to virtually every organ in virtually every system studied.” The Canadian and American governments have based their policy on false, inaccurate assumptions based on “industry sponsored studies that are designed to avoid finding those problems. There is more than enough evidence … overwhelming, irrefutable evidence right now that GM foods are inherently unsafe.” Smith discussed how Dr. Arpad Pusztai conducted one of the most comprehensive studies done to date on the effects of GMO on mammals in 1996. Pusztai and his team of 20 scientists at the prestigious Rowett Institute in the United Kingdom received a 3 million dollar grant by the British government to create the new safety protocol to test new GMO foods. He found that the inherent process of genetic engineering was unsafe and created numerous health problem with the rats in his study within only ten days, including; potentially precancerous cell growth in the digestive track, smaller brains, livers and testicles, partial atrophy of liver and damage to the immune system. Dr. Pusztai with permission went on television to warn against consuming these products. After an alleged phone call from UK Prime Minister’s office Dr. Pusztai was fired after 35 years. His study was published in the Lancet Medical Journal in Vol. 354, Issue 9179 August 1999.
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Turns out cyclists in Canada really are unstoppable, check out 
The Breast Cancer Prevention & Research Group will be co-hosting, speakers Dr. Arpad Pusztai and Dr. Susan Bardocz for a compelling presentation of the safety of genetically modified foods.
OPIRG is excited to welcome Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadian, and Sid Ryan, CUPE Ontario President, to Brock University as they tour 15 cities speaking about the politics of water and the environmental effects of the corporatization of this public resource.