Illumination 2.0

Here you can get the seeds that represent the future of fruits and vegetables-- New Heirlooms.   These are Garden Gem and Garden Treasure tomatoes, new varieties produced by Dr. Harry Klee's lab at the University of Florida.  You can get seeds as a "thank you gift" in exchange for a small donation to his research program.   Garden Gem and Garden Treasure are two "new heirloom" varieties that were bred starting with consumer evaluation of huge numbers of heirloom varieties.  The best tasting were combined with a line that provides strong production traits. The result- A great-flavored tomato that performs well! CLICK HERE , and  donate $10 or more to tomato improvement at the University of Florida.  As a thank you gift you'll  receive 20 Garden Gem and 20 Garden Treasure seeds.  Put your shipping info in the space on the bottom. (Don't fill out "appeal code") Here's the Story: When you order a sandwich at Sub

This Facebook post frames the problem we face as educators. So much of the public is clueless, paranoid, and knows nothing about basic biology. This is why folks like US-RTK must silence and intimidate scientists.  If anyone learns, they lose their power to influence them. 

When US-RTK filed the public records request on the #science14, they didn't realize they were creating a turning point in public perception. The public is sick and tired of those that waste limited public funds to abuse important transparency mechanisms, or even hacking, to silence or harass scientists.  The public sentiment sees this as slimy, expensive, and an undue attack on their public scientists, just like ClimateGate.  For instance, two days ago there was a post on GMOInside.com's facebook page that claimed that I was "afraid" of the public records request and gave the impression that I was somehow refusing to cooperate.   I posted that I have always been 100% in compliance, and to their credit, they let my post stand.  Within a day, that post had 1000 "likes" and over 1000 supportive comments.  I have obtained screen caps of all of it from Philip Crews and others, and will immortalize that thread on this blog in the coming days. 

Since the public records request was filed against fourteen public scientists, its intent has become increasingly clearer.  It is nothing more than a hunt for words to smear a few visible public teachers and researchers that engage public dialog in animal and plant biotechnology. The effects are larger, scientists feel a violation of privacy, intimidation, and are less likely to reach out to lay audiences, which is what we should be doing most.  This is a malicious waste of public resources, and a hunt to harm those that said nothing outside the scientific consensus.  Baseless personal attacks still hurt, but the truth is out there. Let's resist the urge to put others through this legal invasion of privacy.  (Millions?) Over the last week I have heard calls to return the favor.  They came from those impacted by the US-RTK action and our supporters.   Yes, there are a few individuals with university ties that decry transgenic plant technology.  Some have suggeste

This is a blatant attack on science and reason. It is an attempt to muffle those who teach. Let's stand up together.  This could be the turning point. But YOU have to participate.  Fight back against the War on Science.  

All of my private emails are being turned over as per Gary Ruskin's request for public records via US-RTK as planned.  There was never any push back, no question of our compliance.  But this appeared across the internet today: Here GMO Inside characterizes me as a "Monsanto Activist" and makes the false statement that there is some sort of non-compliance.  This shows their true intent.  If we can't even trust these people when we are in full cooperation and compliance with the law and the request, how can we expect them to behave when over two years of private correspondence is turned over to them?  Frankly, I don't care.  Nothing was done wrong.  There was no crime committed, and my handful of interactions with anyone in the Big Ag world aren't too exciting. What this shows is that this is NOT about a Right to Know . This is about a Campaign to Destroy.  This is an activist desire to harm the reputation of a public scientis