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Alert Update of the Week: Stop Vilsack

Over the past month, the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) has been alerting our nationwide network about Obama's proposed appointment of Monsanto ally and former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack to the position of Secretary of Agriculture. Far from representing the "Change" which Obama has promised, Vilsack has a disappointing record of promoting controversial genetically engineered foods, biopharm crops, and animal cloning, as well as cheerleading for unsustainable biofuels derived from corn and soybeans. In addition Vilsack has come under fire for aiding and abetting chemical and energy-intensive industrial agriculture, including Iowa's infamous Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). Thanks to all of you who have taken part in OCA's "Stop Vilsack" campaign. So far, we have collected over 60,000 online petition signatures, generating coverage from major media outlets and websites including the New York Times, Washington Post, National Public Radio, Pacifica Radio, Air America, Democracy Now, Common Dreams, Counterpunch, The Nation, and Huffington Post, as well as a number of major daily newspapers. Similar petitions circulated on the internet by OCA's allies, including fooddemocracynow.org, Pesticide Action Network, and the Center for Food Safety have generated an additional 60,000+ supporters, making Vilsack perhaps the most controversial and unpopular Obama cabinet appointment. OCA's petition is being delivered to Obama's Transition Team, as well as Congress.. If you haven't yet signed the petition, please do so now. If you've already signed the petition, here's another way to make positive change: The Obama Transition Team has set up a website soliciting input from citizens about various hot-button issues. One area of the website invites people to post questions and concerns and vote on them. Supposedly, those questions with the most votes will be directly responded to by President-Elect Obama. Please follow this link and vote for questions asking Obama to support policies promoting health, justice, peace, and sustainability.