May 30, 2000

Subject: Various amazing/beautiful/touching/passionate feedbacks + Where You Least Expect Them - A True Story + Seeing Sparkies + Earth Signal Proposal + Navy Cancels LFA Sonar Test + The Spraying Of The World + GM genes can jump species, says expert

Hello everyone,

Just a quick word to mention that I believe you'll find quite interesting some of the comments and news compiled in this email. If I had more time and space here, I would also share with you in more details my deeply moving experience yesterday when I saw for the first time the Spielberg movie "Saving Private Ryan". With Memorial Day yesterday, I think one could not think of a more profound way to refocus one's attention on the critically vital awareness that war is an absolute evil and that every minute of our lives should be dedicated to ensuring that one day soon all forms of war are eradicated forever from the face of the Earth. Those who have seen this movie and remember its ending will understand me when I ask "Are we living good lives? Are we doing all we can to help alleviate suffering? Are we inspired everyday by the irrepressible urge to do good deeds, to utter good words and to hold good thoughts?"

The horrifying battles of World War 2 and the terrible deeds that were committed still reverberate today and are still being replicated to some degree in too many places on Earth.

The courageous souls who sacrificed their lives to restore freedom and justice must never be forgotten and their example of courage and determination must inspire us to continue in their footsteps until war becomes only a fading memory from the distant past of humanity...

May Peace Prevail on Earth

Jean Hudon
Earth Rainbow Network Coordinator
http://www.cybernaute.com/earthconcert2000




Date: Thu, 25 May 2000
From: Gail J <ebonysea7@cheerful.com>
Subject: How Can I Help?

Dear Jean,

I am new to your mailing list and consider it a blessing to have found you.
I'm sure you get a lot of mail but after reading Ilyes' impassioned letter I
felt compelled to write. Like many people, my awakening has been a gradual
process over several years. Through the grace of the Universal Spirit, I
have been lead to just the right books, people and, in this case websites,
that have helped me along my way. The latest book I've read was Compassion
in Action by Ram Dass and Mirabai Bush, a wonderful book on the path of
service. I find myself being inexorably led to the path of service; to join
those who want to make this a better world.

Being an awakened being is a beautiful and fearsome thing. Beautiful
because you are truly present to your life and you realize that your state
of mind controls your happiness and destiny. Fearsome (and lonely) because
you are surrounded by so many who are still asleep. I want to run up, shake
them and say, "Wake up. Let go of your petty problems and miniscule worries
and look at the true suffering around you. Stop closing your eyes to it,
hoping it will go away. Hoping it won't touch you. It's up to all of us to
change things."

I am a Black single mother living in Brooklyn, NY. I had to send my oldest
child away to live with his grandfather because his life was threatened by a
gang for helping a friend out of a tight spot. To protect my other son, I
moved to what I thought was a better neighborhood. Yesterday my 10 year old
son was threatened by another 10 year old with a knife! I for one have had
it and I'll meditate, communicate, educate, advocate, whatever I have to do
to stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution.

I've been reading your many articles and I must admit I'm overwhelmed by the
sheer enormity of the problem's facing us in the world today. It's going to
take a lot not to become discouraged and to keep a positive, loving,
compassionate attitude. Where do you begin to help? How do you start? How
do you help without creating more harm? I wish I could find a group of like
minded people here in NY with whom I could dialogue. Not necessarily a big
organization, but just people with whom I could discuss the issues, meditate
on solutions and take various types of action. I'm sure that in a city like
NY there are such people; so I hope you'll post this and perhaps someone
could get in touch with me. I believe I have a lot to offer. I believe God
has a major purpose for my life and that I'm meant to help many people. My
signature quote sums up how I feel about my life.

Thanks for listening. I hope I didn't ramble on too much.

Peace and blessings. <{{{><
/gfj

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
--William Henley

AND MY REPLY WAS:

Dear Gail

Thanks for listening to your heart and taking up responsibility to help make this world a better place. It is possible, It is occuring. And the moment you step onto your divinely chosen path - for we are all a divine part of God, aren't we... - you cease feeling lonely because you are in touch with the deepest most precious part of yourself which is the same in all of us -- throughout the universe. You may appear to be alone, but you are never alone for that precious divine Spark of Life in you connects you with the entire universe and the person next door or next street or next neighborhood who, I'm sure, will soon respond to your call and goodwill offer to co-create with others the means to bring to fruition your unique contribution in this world of unlimited opportunities for evolution and service.

Love and blessings,

Jean




From: Jo Winters <jona.earthsurfers@vt4.net>
Sent: Sunday, May 21, 2000
Subject: My response to you about the Focus Group.

The center of attention was Columbia. I connected to the Great central Sun en Lady Gaia. I filled my chakra's and all the rest of my bodies with the mixed gold and silver energy.

After my colum of light was complete, I called for some ascended masters and my personal guides. the energy started to descend and a wave of light left my hart-solarplexus area. (I held a miniature globe in my hands) I focused on Columbia and I saw that this place is right the opposite of Indonesia as I travelled thru the Heart of the Earth. So somehow these two places are connected.

Then after connecting to the gridwork of lightworkers, I saw how thru maintained focusing our energies started to have an impact on people over there. Some got new hope and were taken off some havy loads of their shoulders( negative thoughts they had about their country and themselves.)

I saw people with influence being touched by our combined energies and all of a suddon they had new insights about how to react on certain political subjects. I saw how people and soldiers shook eachothers hand. Then I held this picture in my mind for 30 seconds. After this I was in a great cirle somewhere in space. the circle went all the way around the Earth and a lot lightworkers held hands as they sent their love and energy to the Earth.

She grew and became more light and radiant. She was not in our solarsystem anymore. There were planets orbitting the Earth. Behind us were all our helpers from the angelic kingdom. It was as if we were standing in a huge footballstadium with rows and rows of lighbeings behind us.

Then I went to the center of the Earth and I huged a radiant being. I think it was Lady Gaia heself, cause she said; thank you, you are free, free, free. Go were you want to. I turned away and behind me were some of my guides. I felt very emotional. I don't always have such strong visions in meditation, but the last few days I encounterd quiet a lot of such events in personal meditation too.

I hope this may come to in service, in love, light and cocreation,

Jo Winters.




From: "V. Maia" <vmaia@editoradcl.com>
Subject: Re: The Birth Pangs of a New World
Date: Thu, 25 May 2000

Hi Jean

I just would like to express the sheer apreciation for all the e-mails i've
got from you. Most striking was the last one on sprayed chemichals during
flights. I myself am somewhat of a plane user and it sure got me worried.
What is the purpose of those sprays? mind control, affecting our immune
system( to prove the medical stablishment theories about aids are correct
for instance?), or what? On fluoride i feel the following: Our bones are
carriers of much of the information our souls bring in the sense of
thousands of years of learning. And they could defenitly help our system
as a whole to access much of this information over this time of massive
influx ( is there such a word in english?) of light onto the planet. Let's
just think of the crystal skulls... The fluoride serves the intention of
stopping this process from happening.

Mineral water could help just now. Not the water bottled by big
multinationals but the brands which are not as affluent.
Demands some look up and browsing.

Sincerely

Vitor Maia




Date: Fri, 26 May 2000
From: Margot Maurice <rainbowm@compwest.net.au>
Subject: Re: The Birth Pangs of a New World

Hello Jean

After reading this email of yours I felt that I should reply to
let some of your readers in other parts of the world know what the situation is
here in Australia & in particular Western Australia. During the last month there
has been a discovery of a resource of underground water in the middle of our
country . The authorities have stated that there is more water there than exists
in Sydney Harbour ( east coast) & enough to keep Perth ( the Western Australia
capital city) in water for many thousands of years. Western Australia is probably
the driest part of Australia & many years ago millions of dollars were spent in
piping water to the goldfields. With this latest find it means that the VERY dry
areas will no longer have to be such & the arid parts of our country in future can
be habitated as there will be enough water to irrigate future farming areas. I
was told many years ago that there would be farming communities in the centre of
Australia in years to come because there would be water found there & at the time
I felt that couldn't be possible. The woman that told me that was a very elderly
diviner with very clear inner vision. It just goes to show...we don't know how
things will change.

Whilst this information is of cold comfort to those poor people who are having to
buy water in other countries, I wanted to raise the hopes of some that 'we just
never know what's ahead' & we must TRUST that 'right will out'.

Thank you Jean for the wonderful information you send.

Sincerely

Margot Maurice




From: "Ien VanHouten" <ienvan@cancom.net>
Subject: Re: Miscellaneous Subjects #6: Lots of interesting *coincidences* and various feedbacks
Date: Thu, 25 May 2000

Jean, cough up your snailmail, I will be happy to send you a small donation too.

Thanks Ien for your kind support. Much appreciated :-)

Jean Hudon
14 Les Plateaux
L'Anse-Saint-Jean
Quebec, Canada
G0V 1J0

By the way, for a very small amount, please send cash hidden in a folded carbon paper in a regular envelope because the bank here now charges $2.50 to cash a check made in U.S. dollar (if you are from the U.S.). Same thing for other currencies.




Date: Thu, 25 May 2000
From: Telarion <telarion@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: Did An Airline Mechanic Stumble Upon The Truth?

Dear Jean,

I just read with great interest the many articles about chemtrails and what
the government(s) are doing with this.

I have been sick for two weeks now with the symptoms of a very strange
upper respiratory virus that attacks the lungs and the sinuses. I believe
contracted this while up in Northern California.

A doctor friend of mine says he knows a person who works in one of the
secret labs in Utah that produces the agent(s).

Keep up reporting on this. It has to be exposed.

Regards,

Fred




Date: Mon, 29 May 2000
From: Paula Peterson <earthcode@cruzers.com>
Subject: ** Where You Least Expect Them - A True Story

Jean: Hi! As I promised, I'm sending another story. You were so gracious
to share my story with the folks on your list . I was rewarded with some
very wonderful responses from your readers with reqests for more stories!
Thank you again for all the great work that you do in the way that you share!

Namaste' - Paula


WHERE YOU LEAST EXPECT THEM

A True Story

By Paula Peterson

Angels can pop up anywhere. They can manifest themselves into any physical
form, at any time, anywhere, whenever there is an immediate need for divine
intervention - even amid the chaos an scurry of busy city life in the most
unlikely of places. I had just such an experience several years ago.

I had taken my car to an auto shop for some urgent repair work. This had
taken place during a time in which I was struggling financially while
building my counseling practice along with developing a lecture series on
less than a "shoe string" and never knew from one week to the next how much
money would be coming in.

The unexpected, critical repair work set me into worrying as to whether I
would have enough money to cover the months expenses. While the mechanic
was finishing the work on my car, he reported that my brakes were in bad
shape and needed replacing. Oh great! Just what I did not need to hear.

If I paid for the new brakes now, it was highly unlikely that I would be
able to pay the rent on time as well as pay for other purchases. Barely
able, was I, to afford the emergency car repairs that brought me into the
shop in the first place. I asked the mechanic how much longer I could get
by without replacing the brakes. He said he didn't know...maybe a couple
thousand miles. Maybe less. I decided against replacing the brakes until
a later time: maybe in a few weeks.

I turned to walk toward the entrance of the repair garage to wait outside
while the mechanic finished with my car and I noticed a man sitting in a
chair near the mechanics tool counter. The man was not sitting there a
moment before. I wondered how he suddenly seemed to appear out of nowhere.

His desert brown clothing was worn and dusty, as if he had been traveling
on foot for a long while. I guessed that he was a homeless transient,
although he had nothing more with him than the clothes that he wore and
none of the belongings typical of the homeless. Incongruent with the
"homeless " appearance, as well, was that his light blonde hair was well
trimmed and his face was clean, radiant, even angel-like. The warmth
emanating from his eyes was engaging and for a fleeting moment, I was
transfixed by his gaze: something about this man seemed familiar to me.

Looking steadily into my eyes, his beautiful face beamedwith a sweet smile
as he gently yet firmly commanded, "Get your brakes done".

As if in a trance, I walked back to the mechanic and was compelled to tell
him to put the new brakes on my car.

Immediately, I glanced back at the angelic looking man, seeking to get a
nod of approval, only to find that he was gone!

Whoa...hold on here. He could not have moved out of sight so fast. I
quickly looked up and down the alley outside the garage, fully expecting to
see the unusual stranger walking away. He was no where in sight. I asked
the mechanic if he knew who that man was. "What man?", was the mechanic's
reply.

Hmmmmmmmm......

I may never know if that radiant stranger (angel?) saved me from a possible
auto accident by urging me to get the brakes replaced on my car. Al l I
know is that whenever I tell this story to anyone, I get a rush of goose
bumps all over me.

And by the way, I had enough increase in clients during the next several
days that I easily covered the months expenses AND paid the rent on time!

© (c) 2000 - by Paula Peterson

HAVE A GREAT DAY !!!!!!!!

EARTHCODE & INNER LIGHT NETWORK
PO Box 3395
Santa Cruz, CA 95063 USA
831-454-1440
earthcode@cruzers.com




Seeing Sparkies

Copyright by Jennifer Shepherd

I first became aware of the sparkies when I worked as a tarot reader. For years I had been developing my clairvoyance and empathy throughout my experiences as a psychic counselor. I became used to trancing out, opening up my heart and my third eye and projecting my focus into the spiritual realms. I often received downloads of information as I was giving a reading to someone. Other times, pictures of the person's life would unfold like holograms in my mind's eye.

But through it all, I had a firm rule. No apparitions were allowed to appear to me. I didn't want my client's dead Aunt Bertha to materialize next to us during session. The same was true for seeing auras. What good would it do for me to suddenly see a blue or a pink energy fiel surrounding someone? I resolved to stick to what was pertinent to my immediate counseling work. Others could get immersed in hallucinogenic visions and light shows. For me, they were just distractions from the work.

But over the years I started to see sparkies from time to time. These we tiny pinpoints of light that seemed to be spiritual in origin. They would often appear after a reading while I was still sitting within the sacred, fourth dimensional space I had tried to generate during my work with people. As I always called in angels and loving spiritual archetypes, I figured that the sparkies were just a manifestation of this high-energy charge.

For a long time, I didn't tel anyone about them. Then many other spiritual seekers (who didn't know each other) told me about seeing them. And that's when I came out of the closet.

So far, the consensus among people who have shared sparkie stories with me is:

1. They appear to be divine energy, whether raw Holy Spirit or actual spirits/angels, we don't know. They carry a vibration of joy, love, and laughter, often showing up to punctuate a witty observation or a warm-hearted moment.

2. People see them both with their eyes open (physically flashing in front of them) and closed (like someone briefly shining a tiny flashllght into your eyes.)

3. Sparkles of different colors seem to appear. Color range reported: deep blue sparkles, purple, white, whitish-silver, and gold.

4. Usually people see just one spark of light at a time, although some have reported a cascade of golden sparkles in the shape of a human form (Perhaps this was a guide of some sort?)

5. Sparkies wlll pop up frequently when someone is going through a period of spiritual acceleration, doing lots of meditation, prayer, or healing work. When you're in a more mortal period, dealing with heavily third dimensional stuff (work, family, money), the sparkies don’t seem to show up as much.

6. They seem to have a sense of humor about them. I can't count the number of times that I've been having an inspired, spirit-filled conversatlon with someone, and one of us would see a sparkie appear briefly to punctuate a phrase. It's like they jump in to say, “You're on the right track. Keep following this idea/energy!”

There has been some anthropological research on the sparkies. Holger Kalweit, anthropologlst and author of "Shamans, Healers and Medicine Men" talks about many North American, Indonesian, and Siberian shamans who report seeing blue or multi-colored sparks during sweat lodge ceremonies. Fool Crow, a Lakota medicine man, said that when a person attending a sweat lodge had skeptical or bad thoughts, orange lights would appear. But if everyone was in a higher, spirltual frame of mind, blue lights would appear. The blue lights were not only desired, they were expected. They were seen as a sign of successfull communication between worlds.

There could also be a magnetic explanation for this phenomenon. As Kalweit says in his book, "Changes in magnetic fields produce electric potentials, whose effect on the eye is often described as a bright blue light. These magnetic phosphenes arise when an alternating current of from 10 to 100 hertz flows through a person's head."

And the medical community describes flashes of light as a sign of a potential physical illness or disorder. Lights can be seen that prove only to be floaters, loose debris within a person's eye. And people with various seizure-related disorders can be prone to seeing lihts of many kinds.

All I can say is, none of the dozens of people who have told me that they see sparkies has been diagnosed with any such medical disorder. And the feelings of joy and love that issue forth when a sparkie is around seem to be evidence of a more metaphysical visitation.

One of my favorite esperiences with the sparkies is as follows. A few years ago, I visited my cousin, who was living with some friends of hers in Connecticut. I didn't know her housemates at all, and I didn't plan on sharing my psychic side with them. All I knew was that they had just had their fourth child, a little boy.

I met the family, who has a lot of loving, happy energy. I sat near their new baby for a few minutes. What a little cherub! I just sat there, beaming at himand enjoying his sweet spirit. All of a sudden, I saw a circle of silver-white sparkies dancing over his head, rather like a circular halo! All the while, the baby was laughing and grinning.

I didn't know whether or not I should share this observation with the baby's mom, since she could just write me off as a loony tune, and I was a guest in her house! Just as I expressed this doubt to myself, the dancing white sparkies appeared again over the baby's head! Since I don't usually see manifestations like this in broad daylight, in the middle of a mundane afternoon, it seemed like I should tell the kid's mom about it.

It turns out that she was deeply moved by my report. She shared some personal information. With three small children already to support, she and her husband had been shocked to find themselves pregnant with their fourth child. But they had put their faith in God and decided to have the child. He seemed a miracle baby in many ways, possessed of a sweet spirit, and for these reasons they decided to name him Christian.

Were the sparkles that I had seen Christian's spiritual guides or angels? They definitely played the role of divine messengers here, bringing affirmation and joy to a special mom who had sacrificed much to bring this fourth baby into a the world. The sparkies seemed to be telling her that she was doing a great job, and that Christian was meant to be on a this planet.

I invite readers to share their own sparkie stories with me at ShepherdJenn@aol.com
What color do you see?

Taken from the June issue of Paradox magazine, published by Ron Van Dyke <paradoxman@juno.com>.
See his webpage at http://homestead.juno.com/paradoxman




From: TrusteeOne@aol.com
Date: Thu, 25 May 2000
Subject: Earth Signal Proposal.

EARTH SIGNAL PROPOSAL

The global media message that can now provide a future for our planet.

STATE OF THE WORLD

Internet has made the world more aware of the wide range of differences about
most everything. This at a time when information technology provides a
thousand different perspectives of global dangers and opportunities.
There is constantly new data that provides another view.

There is common agreement about some things. It is hard to generalize, but
most scholars will agree that we have an amazing planet. There is raw
material, natural resources and now technology which wisely used could
provide a good life for most everyone.

To move in this direction we need a sense of global community and a common
cause that will unite us in a moral equivalent of war - a grand global effort
for the rejuvenation of Earth and a future of peaceful progress.

This must be done in a way that is fair and that will enable all to
participate - with greater benefit for those who render greater service. No
individual, corporation or government is capable of organizing the whole
world for this task. But a general description of the policies and actions
needed are available. See the "Earth Magna Charta" (www.earthsite.org). The
keystone of the Earth Magna Charta is the Earth Trustee idea: Everyone has a
right to benefit from Earth's natural bounty and an equal responsibility to
help take care of it.

The Earth Magna Charta provides enough information for any group, institution
or government body to initiate an Earth Trustee effort. There are already
projects (many with different names) that are pursuing these goals. This
Earth Signal program will increase and spread such efforts.

CLIP - TO GET THE REST OF THIS LONG EMAIL, WRITE TO John McConnell at:
earthtrusteeone@aol.com OR VISIT www.earthsite.org




A VERY GOOD NEWS CAME IN LAST WEEK!

From: light@ilhawaii.net (Lanny and Mary Rose Sinkin)
Sent: Friday, May 26, 2000 5:26 PM
Subject: Navy Cancels LFA Sonar Test

Yesterday, I received word from Andrew Wetzler at the Natural Resources Defense Council that the United States Navy officially cancelled the LWAD 00-2 Sea Test scheduled to begin this week off the east coast of the United States. For those interested in the details of this event, I have provided below a chronology. The cancellation of LWAD 00-2 is a remarkable victory for those devoted to protecting marine life, especially cetaceans, from the unwise technological decisions being made by humans in the United States Navy. Congratulations to everyone involved in achieving this outcome.

The next major developments, as far as I know, will come from the hearing scheduled in Honolulu before Judge Alan C. Kay on June 13 at 9:00 a.m. A suit filed in February challenges the environmental impact statement (EIS) process being conducted by the Navy for its low frequency active sonar system. The central challenge is that the entire EIS process is compromised by the fact that the Navy spent at least $350 million preparing to deploy this system without preparing an EIS first, as required by law. The hearing will consider the defendants' motion to dismiss the case and a motion filed by plaintiffs' counsel seeking to reopen a 1998 LFAS case for further litigation.

CHRONOLOGY - LWAD 00-2 CANCELLATION

CLIP




From: "Shanna MacLean" <shannamaclean@mindspring.com>
Subject: Fw: The Spraying Of The World
Date: Mon, 29 May 2000

Dear Jean: received this today from a friend. It is unverified of course.

In love, Shanna

------

Subject: Airline Manager's Response to Chemtrail spraying (he admits it!)

The following information is now available: http://www.carnicom.com,
or directly at: http://www.carnicom.com/mgr1.htm

AN AIRLINE MANAGER'S STATEMENT

Posted by C.E. Carnicom on behalf of the author

Mr. Carnicom:

I read the email you received from the anonymous mechanic and felt compelled to respond to it. I, too, work for an airline, though I work in upper management levels. I will not say which airline, what city I am located, nor what office I work for, for obvious reasons. I wish I could document everything I am about to relate to you, but to do so is next to impossible and would result in possible physical harm to me.

The email from the anonymous mechanic rings true. Airline companies in America have been participating in something called Project Cloverleaf for a few years now. The earliest date anyone remembers being briefed on it is 1998. I was briefed on it in 1999. The few airline employees who were briefed on Project Cloverleaf were all made to undergo background checks, and before we were briefed on it we were made to sign non-disclosure agreements, which basically state that if we tell anyone what we know we could be imprisoned.

About twenty employees in our office were briefed along with me by two officials from some government agency. They didn't tell us which one. They told us that the government was going to pay our airline, along with others, to release special chemicals from commercial aircraft. When asked what the chemicals were and why we were going to spray them, they told us that information was given on a need-to-know basis and we weren't cleared for it. They then went on to state that the chemicals were harmless, but the program was of such importance that it needed to be done at all costs. When we asked them why didn't they just rig military aircraft to spray these chemicals, they stated that there weren't enough military aircraft available to release chemicals on such a large basis as needs to be done. That's why Project Cloverleaf was initiated, to allow commercial airlines to assist in releasing these chemicals into the atmosphere.

Then someone asked why all the secrecy was needed. The government reps then stated that if the general public knew that the aircraft they were flying on were releasing chemicals into the air, environmentalist groups would raise hell and demand the spraying stop. Someone asked one of the G-men then if the chemicals are harmless, why not tell the public what the chemicals are and why we are spraying them? He seemed perturbed at this question and told us in a tone of authority that the public doesn't need to know what's going on, but that this program is in their best interests. He also stated that we should not tell anyone, nor ask any more questions about it. With that, the briefing was over.

All documents in our office pertaining to Project Cloverleaf are kept in locked safes. Nobody is allowed to take these documents out of the office. Very few employees are allowed access to these documents, and they remain tight-lipped about what the documents say. Mr. Carnicom, I am no fool. I know there's something going on. And frankly, I am scared. I feel a high level of guilt that I have been aware of this kind of operation but unable to tell anyone. It's been eating away at me, knowing that the company I work for may be poisoning the American people. I hope this letter will open some eyes to what's happening. Again, I wish I could give you documented information, but you have to understand why I must remain totally anonymous.

Thank you.




Date: Sun, 28 May 2000
From: dj <djhewitt@jps.net>
Subject: GM genes can jump species, says expert

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,319704,00.html

GM genes can jump species, says expert

GM food: special report

James Meikle
Monday May 29, 2000

A claim that genes used to modify crops can jump the species barrier into other
forms of wildlife was last night raising new concerns about the potential threat
to human health and the environment.

Unpublished work by Professor Hans-Hinrich Kaatz of the University of Jena,
Germany, suggests genes from GM rape seed can be transferred to bacteria and
fungi in the gut of honey bees, posing serious questions for GM supporters and
the biotech industry who believe the chances of gene transfer are very limited.

The findings, if substantiated, could further dent public confidence in
scientists and the government, whose handling of the crisis surrounding the
growing of GM-contaminated conventional crops over thousands of acres in the
last two springs has provoked anger from farmers, anti-GM campaigners and the
Tories.

Prof Kaatz has been experimenting for three years with honey bees on a field
sowed with GM rape, engineered to resist certain herbicides while surrounding
weeds were treated. He removed pollen gathered by the bees on their hind legs
when they returned to the hive and in a laboratory fed it to young honey bees
which naturally eat it as part of a high protein diet.

Then he took intestines out of the bees and spread the contents on a growth
medium to grow micro-organisms. In some bacteria and in a yeast from the gut he
found the gene that conferred resistance to the herbicide.

Prof Kaatz told the German television station ZDF that the "bees had obviously
taken up these genes. They were in the bacteria in the intestinal tract of the
bees and seemed to have come from the genes of the original plant and to have
been taken up into their own genetic make-up." He said this happened rarely,
but it "does happen".

The Ministry of Agriculture made clear that it would only study the research if
it was published in a scientific journal, after being reviewed by other
scientists. A spokesman said the work "made an interesting point we will have
to look at, and will do, once it is published. We are not going to jump to any
conclusions."

Adrian Bebb of Friends of the Earth said: "I think this is pretty alarming
research. It shows us how little we know."

CLIP







BACK TO THE FIRST HOME PAGE OF THIS SITE