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Dear Friends, GM High Alert - a call for action……

GM GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION – 8 APRIL 2006

GM-free Beacons

No GM crops were grown in the UK in 2005 for the first time since 1993. This
is a huge success for the GM campaign in the UK. However, GM soya and maize
continue to be imported as animal feed and the recent WTO judgement will
bring further pressure from the likes of Monsanto, Bayer, Syngenta and Dow
to open up our shores to GM imports.

The GM Global Day of Action on 8 April is ideally timed to remind the UK
government, US government, EU, the biotech companies and the food/feed
industry that the UK wants to be a GM-free country in a GM-free Europe in a
GM-free world. It has been proposed that we all take part in one action to
mark the Global Day of Action across the country.

The suggestion is that groups and individuals join up to light Beacons on
the highest points or other prominent hills of their county (list by county
available from Pete Riley at pete@gmfreeze.org). We would all aim to light
up at 16:00 on 8 April and photograph our GM–Free Beacon plus suitably
worded banner for the local media and issue a press release. This action is
being jointly supported by GM Freeze, GM-free Cymru and Friends of the
Earth. For fliers and posters please contact Pete Riley on the above email
address.

GM-FREE BEACONS

THE BEACONS

The beacons need not be massive – just big enough to look impressive in a
photograph. A minimum of three people would be needed to act as sherpas for
a banner, wood, newspaper, lighter/matches, fire lighters, water and digital
camera to the top of the hill. The best way to carry such loads would be on
your head but on your back is a good second! Choose a bare piece of ground
or rock to make your beacon. Fire lighters and a lighter might be handy in
very windy weather.

GETTING A GOOD PICTURE

You will need a reasonably high resolution digital camera to get pictures
accepted by newspapers. Three to four million pixels should do. Work out
your best angle before lighting the beacon. Take several shots and pick the
best ones.

SAFETY AND FIRE PREVENTION

If the weather remains dry and windy the risk of fire spreading may be high
so we need to be seen to be acting in a responsible manner. Here are a few
tips: • Check that there is not a ban on fires on the hill tops you intend
to use for the beacon before starting to plan. • Smaller beacons will be
easier to control than large ones. • Choose bare ground or a flat rock to
build your beacon. • Extinguish the fire completely, including embers before
you leave (hence the water).

BAD WEATHER

The weather in early April can be appalling on high ground (and low ground!)
so check the forecast before you set out. Take water proof and warm
clothing, food and water, plus torch, map etc. If it is a day when the cloud
cover is very bad or very poor weather is forecast please do not proceed.
It’s simple enough to inform your local media that bad weather forced you to
cancel.

LOCAL MEDIA WORK

Send an announcement of your GM-free beacon ahead of the Global Day of
Action to warn your local papers that they can expect a picture by email
over the weekend. Talk to someone to get them interested and find out the
right person to email photographs to after the event. Include background
information and a good quote. You never know they might even send their own
photographer. You might consider dressing as GM-free scare crows to increase
the appeal of the pictures. After the GM-Free Beacon select your two best
pictures and email them to all your local press contacts again enclosing a
press release and quote in time for the first edition of the paper. If you
are trying to get coverage in several papers it's best to send a difference
picture to each one – they are funny like that. Ideally send pictures as
soon as possible after the event to maximize chances of getting it in.
Include local radio and TV as you might get a pre or post beacon interview.

NATIONAL MEDIA

If we get sufficient support (say 20 Beacons) we will compile a list of
actions and issue a national press release. Please copy pre-Beacon
announcements to us Monday 3rd April so we can get them to any paper that
might be interested. Copy photos to us as well – we'll put them on the web.

WHAT TO DO

If you would like to get involved either by lighting a beacon, organising
people to do it, or arranging publicity please contact: Gerald Miles:
gm@stdavids.co.uk 07879 664703 or Pete Riley: pete@gmfreeze.org 07903
341065. Give your name, number and the area in which you wish to operate. We
will then send you more information and compile a list of actions.

DON'T THINK ABOUT IT – DO IT NOW!

Carrie Stebbings, Co-ordinator
GM FREEZE CAMPAIGN
94 White Lion Street
London
N1 9PF
Tel: 020 7837 0642
Fax: 020 7837 1141

carrie@gmfreeze.org
www.gmfreeze.org