Nicole Hughes
May 19, 2008 | 1:15 pm EST
The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!
Katie Halper:
Necklacing Returns to South Africa, Tutu Calls for Peace, and History Repeats Itself
Ted Kennedy’s Malignant Brain Tumor: Sad News, But the Work Goes On
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Nicole Hughes:
Bush’s Food Aid Package Promotes Use of GMOs
Gas Prices Exceed Those of 1973 Oil Crisis
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Greenhouse Gas Emissions Could Cost US 38 Trillion Annually
USDA Budget Squeeze Forces Agency to Stop Tracking Pesticide Use
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Jon Popham:
Brooklyn Bridge Birthday Celebration!
Smokey the Bear: Environmental Icon
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Giulia Rozzi:
Suicide Tourism in New York City
Kristin Davis and Her Solar Powered Home
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Gina Telaroli:
Media That Matters Film Festival Premieres on May 28th
The Bush administration has added controversial language to a $770 million world food aid package that would promote the use of genetically modified crops (GMOs) in nations suffering from food shortages. The use of GMOs is a widely disputed issue in both the US and abroad, with some countries in Europe banning them entirely. Proponents say that GMOs can create higher crop yields and survive harsher climates than regular crops.
Opponents say GMOs can cause allergies and other medical problems in those who consume them. They also contend that this additional language to the food aid package is really meant to benefit agro-business firms like Monsanto, one of the biggest chemical companies in the world, and the technology provider for 90 percent of the world’s genetically engineered crops.
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The World According to Monsanto 1 of 4 27min