HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0491.011 2020-2022 From: Mendy DantCOUNTY COQ T - � a�
GLPPK
Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2021 8:17 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Support banning use of Glyphosate based pesticides-
Aloha Council Chair and Council Members,
I strongly support the banning of this dangerous pesticide from our island. The soil it touches is harmed by the
pesticide, potentially causing the death of important insects, such as bees. ... In addition, scientists warn
that glyphosate and other similar products damage ecosystems by disrupting the natural food chains and
plant pollination.
Due to the fact that the company Monsanto, engineered crops that were resistant to glyphosate, farmers
were left with the need to spray Roundup (also made by Monsanto) in substantially large doses to get rid of
weeds and unwanted growth. With more and more exposure to glyphosate, the more these workers
suffered exposure to dangerous chemicals. Then, in March 2015, the World Health
Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), in The Lancet Oncology medical
journal, published the conclusion that glyphosate was a probable carcinogen. This carcinogen was then
linked to the diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and allegedly linked to renal cell carcinoma, DNA
damage, chromosomal damage, pancreatic islet cell tumors, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's
disease.
"In 2017, EPA published comprehensive ecological and human health risk assessments for glyphosate. No
human health risks were identified," the agency said in April. However, the EPA cautioned that
"potential ecological risks were identified for terrestrial and aquatic plants,birds, and mammals, primarily
from exposure to spray drift." Humans, of course, are terrestrial mammals, too. It is harmful to everything
we hold precious.
There is compelling evidence that this pesticide causes cancer-related disease and harms our soil, so why
continue to spray this pesticide,why continue to allow it to be sold in our county, state, and the planet? On
one hand, many countries are gathering and talking about saving our planet from pollutants, climate
change, sea rising...but on the other hand, we still buy pollutants with taxpayer dollars and poison our
island, which causes climate change and sea rising, killing our coral and endangering our life on the islands.
That is crazy!
Please take a positive step to help the aina as well as all mammals and stop the sale of glyphosate products
on Hawaii Island.
Mahalo,
Mendy Dant
Mendy Dant
Executive Vice President
Fair Wind Cruises
Kona Sunrise Charters Comm. N
78-6775 Box A Makenawai St Ref. To;V I LG'
Kailua Kona, Ili 96740 Ref. Date , ,
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