This is an impressive and encouraging example of the power of social media to pursue social and political change. After President Obama nominated FDA insider and ex-Monsanto exec Michael Taylor to be a senior advisor to the FDA Commissioner, a storm of protest resulted. In roles both in and out of government, Taylor helped to keep the GM bovine growth hormone rBGH unregulated and untested. It will take decades to know how humans who consume milk products from rBGH-treated cows are affected. With this appointment, Taylor can do even more collateral damage as a friend of Big Food.

The FDA press release read Noted Food Safety Expert Michael R. Taylor Named Advisor to FDA Commissioner?. The Commissioner, Margaret Hamburg, noted that Taylor will assist the FDA?s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Center for Veterinary Medicine, the Office of Regulatory Affairs, Congress, and the Obama Administration. Nowhere does the press release mention that Taylor was a VP at Monsanto for seven years.

To a significant degree, the current protest against Taylor has been fueled by one person?s initiative. In 3 days, almost 400,000 people signed the MoveOn.org petition that one Frederick Ravid launched on February 6th. Its Facebook page has been viewed by 47,000 users. CREDO has picked it up and garnered another 200,000 signatories on its own.

Mr. Ravid wants to compile a book and is asking for help from knowledgeable people. In an email he said:

I see a great need to produce a BOOK to tell the amazing story of this petition, its background and the issues that drive it. Most Americans don?t even know about this problem that strikes such a strong chord with us!  A book can go a long way to change that. The various parties have to iron out details, but I am committed to producing this as fast as possible to extend the event horizon of this important work we are doing. We need the help of writers, researchers, journalism interns, and editors, so if you are such a person or have one to introduce to us, email MonoutofFDA-at-gmail.com with Subject: BOOK HELP.

Two years ago, Obama named Taylor Deputy Commissioner for Food at the FDA, charging him with bringing order to a baker?s dozen of FDA food and nutrition programs (as the New York Times reported). Taylor was also a policymaker in the Clinton White House, where he helped write the rules governing use of rBGH. He keeps turning up like a bad penny.

It is very hard to remove the influence of seasoned revolving-door types such as Taylor. Let?s see if such intense response of so many citizens moves the White House (which is not as easily influenced as the Susan G. Koman Foundation). The more people who want this there are and make noise about it, the more likely Obama is to change his mind, so retweet and repeat!

By Geoff Dutton

Image source: Tikkun