GMO Speaker Training Webinar

With Jeffrey Smith

July 13, 27 (Tuesdays)

August 10, 24 (Tuesdays)

September 8 (Wednesday after Labor Day)

Welcome to the GMO Speaker Training

Webinar

Goals:

• To speak confidently, accurately, and with compelling facts about the risks of genetically modified foods, particularly in the area of human health, using short, medium and long formats, and to inspire the audience to take effective action.

Participants will also learn

• About tools and tips to publicize your lectures and build a coalition.

Webinar General Points

• Focus on content, not style

• Assignments

• Practice sessions

• Not a certification. (You will not be authorized to speak on behalf of the Institute for Responsible Technology)

• We provide a support community

5 Sessions

• 5 components of a presentation; how to structure a brief talk

• Health risks of GMOs; using third party support

• Undermining the credibility of GMO proponents; exposing spin

• Large scope of problem; action steps

• How to facilitate an “activist circle” and mobilize your audience

Lesson concept

• A fully scripted PowerPoint is available to you online (3 versions)

• You don’t “require” anything else• The webinar will provide;

– Depth– Confidence– Practice– additional information– strategies, and– Q & A.

Lesson 1

• Minimalist presentation, e.g. 1 minute

• Discussion about the sample presentation

• Breaking out components– Why they’re important– What other information can be used

• Showing a PowerPoint (short version)

• After the webinar– Practice– Assignments

Minimalist Presentation

1. FDA scientists warned that GMOs might create allergies, toxins, new diseases and nutritional problems. But the person in charge of policy at the FDA, Monsanto’s former attorney and later their VP, ignored the scientists and allowed GMOs onto the market without a single required safety study.

Minimalist Presentation

2. Now years later, the concerned FDA scientists have been vindicated. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine says that animal studies show that GM food is linked to infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, organ damage, and gastrointestinal problems. They urge all doctors to prescribe non-GMO diets to everyone.

Minimalist Presentation

3. GMOs are genetically modified organisms, where genes are taken from one species, like bacteria or viruses, and forced into the DNA of other species, like soybeans and corn plants. Irrespective of what particular gene you insert, the very process of creating a GMO results in massive collateral damage in the plant, which can increase toxins, allergens, carcinogens, and anti-nutrients.

Minimalist Presentation

4. (Option to insert more health material)

5. Furthermore, the only human feeding study shows that GM genes can remain inside us, in our intestinal bacteria and continue to function, long after we stop eating GMOs.

Minimalist Presentation

6. Somehow, animals are clued into the problems. Eyewitness reports from around the world show that when given a choice, many species of livestock and wild animals avoid GMOs. For us humans, we need help. Go to www.NonGMOShoppingGuide.com to learn how to avoid the 8 GMO food crops and their derivatives.

Minimalist Presentation

7. Since GMOs offer no consumer benefit, if even a small percentage of shoppers avoid GMO brands, we can create a tipping point of consumer rejection, to force them out of the market. This happened very quickly in Europe, and we believe it is going to happen soon here too. In fact, there is a campaign to achieve this in the near future.

8. Go to www.HealthierEating.org to find out more.

Analyzing and Refining the

Presentation 1. What is your overall reaction to the

presentation?2. What points were important to you?3. Convincing? Not convincing?

Problematic?4. What questions did it raise?5. Are there any main points that are

missing?

5 main components

1. Undermine the credibility of those who promote GMOs

2. Describe the risks (health risks)

3. Cite third party support

4. Convey the large scope of the problem

5. Call to action

Undermine the credibility of those

who promote GMOs

1. FDA scientists warned that GMOs might create allergies, toxins, new diseases and nutritional problems. But the person in charge of policy at the FDA, Monsanto’s former attorney and later their VP, ignored the scientists and allowed GMOs onto the market without a single required safety study.

Undermine the credibility of those

who promote GMOs Creates receptivity and handles the objection: “But if it’s so bad, why…”

Tip: Try to bring out health risks with each example, so it does double duty

1. FDA corrupted Show quotes from FDA

2. Independent scientists are thwarted/attackedRefer to first chapter of Seeds of Deception for Arpad Pusztai storyRefer to Urban Garden magazine, November: Carasco, Pusztai, Ermakova, Traavikhttp://www.seedsofdeception.com/utility/showArticle/?objectID=4302

3. Industry research is rigged1. rbGH2. Soil protein3. Rigged control group4. Ignoring gender differences5. Short term studies6. Refer to Genetic Roulette part 3

Third party endorsements; The risks

2. Now years later, the concerned FDA scientists have been vindicated. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine says that animal studies show that GM food is linked to infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, organ damage, and gastrointestinal problems. They urge all doctors to prescribe non-GMO diets to everyone.

Third party endorsements; The risks

• Gives us credibility, and the audience “permission” to reject GMOs

– AAEM (Doctors prescribe non-GMO diets)• Read their statement

http://www.aaemonline.org/gmopost.html – Excellent quotes: Not a casual relationship– lists specific disorders– Read my write up of their position– http://www.responsibletechnology.org/utility/showArticle

/?objectID=2989

Health Risks, continued(adding “definition” and “process

itelf”)

3. GMOs are genetically modified organisms, where genes are taken from one species, like bacteria or viruses, and forced into the DNA of other species, like soybeans and corn plants. Irrespective of what particular gene you insert, the very process of creating a GMO results in massive collateral damage in the plant, which can increase toxins, allergens, carcinogens, and anti-nutrients.

Health Risks (Process itself)

– Process is unsafe, causing massive unpredictable side effects

• This answers the question about golden rice, etc.• It also answers questions about GM oils, and other

products without DNA or proteins– E.g. The endocrine disruptor changed in GM corn is

expected to remain in corn syrup (see pg 37 Genetic Roulette)

• Use Stomach Lining slide from Pusztai’s potato study (see PPT slides)

Health Risks continued

4. (Option to insert more health material)

5. Furthermore, the only human feeding study shows that GM genes can remain inside us, in our intestinal bacteria and continue to function, long after we stop eating GMOs.

Health Risks

Choices for presenting health dangers1. Easy summary (AAEM)

2. 5 categories of what can go wrong (See my keynote presentations)

3. Focus on the two varieties: soy and Bt corn/cotton, plus the dangers of the process itself (see medium length PowerPoint on IRT site).

4. List problems by disease category (See health risk brochure).

– Allergies, toxins, antibiotic resistant diseases, reproductive disorders, digestive issues, nutritional problems.

Additional health info (Optional)

• Lab animals fed GM crops showed damaged organs, higher infant mortality, smaller babies, organ lesions, signs of toxicity, potentially precancerous cell growth, and sterility. Investigations link GM feed with livestock sickness and death. And thousands of farm workers that handle a specific variety of GM plant are reporting rashes, itching, and allergic reactions.

Third party endorsements; Action (avoid)

6. Somehow, animals are clued into the problems. Eyewitness reports from around the world show that when given a choice, many species of livestock and wild animals avoid GMOs. For us humans, we need help. Go to www.NonGMOShoppingGuide.com to learn how to avoid the 8 GMO food crops and their derivatives.

Third party endorsements

– Animals avoidance is VERY compelling• Cows, pigs, geese, squirrels, elk, deer,

raccoons, mice, rats, chickens, buffalo, dogs, and chickens

• Reference Seeds of Deception or page in Genetic Roulette

Action (avoid)

– Avoid• See www.NonGMOShoppingGuide.com • iPhone App, ShopNoGMO• Pocket Guide• Downloadable pages• 4 tips

– Non-GMO Project verified• New standard• New criteria for Guide (enrolled products only)

Action (vision and activism)

7. Since GMOs offer no consumer benefit, if even a small percentage of shoppers avoid GMO brands, we can create a tipping point of consumer rejection to force them out of the market. This happened very quickly in Europe, and we believe it is going to happen soon here too. In fact, there is a campaign to achieve this in the near future.

8. Go to www.HealthierEating.org to find out more.

Action (vision and activism)

– Tipping point• rbGH & Europe are examples

– How to help• IRT site

– learn more– tell parents, show videos– pass on CDs, podcasts– Email and FaceBook network– Other healthcare practitioners– religious organizations– Natural food store– Etc.

Large scope of problem

• Creates sense of urgency and leads to commitments for action

1. Industry plans to replace all food

2. Self-propagating pollution is irreversible

3. Statistics on rising health issues in the US, e.g. multiple chronic illness, food allergy, autism, diabetes

Sample Combining: Undermining Credibility with Large scope

• The very few safety studies are mostly funded by the biotech companies themselves and widely criticized as rigged to avoid finding problems. When independent studies do discover problems with GMOs, the scientists are typically silenced, threatened, and fired, and no follow-up studies are done. Thus, we don’t have enough data to say that a particular disease is caused by a particular GM food. But many experts believe that they GM foods are a significant contributor to many of the serious health problems that have been on the rise since GMOs were introduced in 1996.

Homework

• Meet with your group or buddy and present a 1 minute improvised talk on GMOs. Give feedback (emphasize positive)

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/practice1

• Then give the short 37 slide PowerPoint, either reading the PPT script or improvise. http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/TakeAction/PowerPointPresentations/index.cfm

Homework

• Read: GMO Health Risks Brochure http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/SpreadtheWord/HealthRisksBrochure/index.cfm

• Review the left side of every 2-page spread in Genetic Roulette, Part 1. http://www.seedsofdeception.com/Public/GeneticRoulette/HealthRisksofGMFoodsSummaryDebate/index.cfm

• Read: State of the Science: GMO Health Risks, pages 1-10 http://www.responsibletechnology.org/documentFiles/145.pdf

Homework

• Watch the DVD, Everything You HAVE TO KNOW About Dangerous Genetically Modified Foods. See home page of either SeedsofDeception.com or HealthierEating.org.

http://www.seedsofdeception.com/GMFree/MediaCenter/VideoAudio-Interviews/EverythingAboutGMOsVideo/index.cfm

• Put the Audio file, Don’t Put That in Your Mouth, on your iPod, or download onto a CD and put into your car. Listen whenever you have a break. http://www.responsibletechnology.org/utility/showArticle/?objectID=166

Homework

• Watch Your Milk on Drugs—Just Say No!, www.YourMilkonDrugs.com

• Read New study on Hamsters fed GM soy

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-smith/genetically-modified-soy_b_544575.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=readblog1

Homework

• Write up your 1 minute talk on GMOs

(don’t hand in, but hold on to it to refine)

Optional: Add citations so the talk can be used as a the basis for a referenced article or letter to the editor.

Recommended

• Genetic Roulette• Seeds of Deception• November/December 2005 - GM Peas Caused

Dangerous Immune Response in Mice• Attachment: Open Letter to TJ Higgins, GM Pea

Developer• August 2005 - A Deadly Epidemic and the Attempt to Hide

Its Link to Genetic Engineering• July 2005 - Scrambling and Gambling with the Genome• June 2005 - Genetically Modified Corn Study Reveals

Health Damage and Cover-up

Homework

• Email me questions or comments in advance of the next session. Use the Subject Line:

• “Question for Webinar Session 2”

• Jeffrey@seedsofdeception.com

Homework

• For materials go to www.ResponsibleTechnology.org/webinardocs

• Please fill in evaluation form today www.surveymonkey.com/s/NCYJHWY

• Sign up for Spilling the Beans www.ResponsibleTechnology.org

• Sign up for GMWatch, www.GMWatch.org