HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0212.412 1996-1998 11'lay 20, lyy~
'97 (~flY 20 Ail 7 16
Dear Councilmembers,
COUI~ ,
Are you familiar with this product? It is Wek;h's red grapeju~yl~1~~?I~gi~
this every day, because I read in the paper that it reduces the chance of a heart-
attck by 50%. That article impressed me enough to go to the store a few days
later and buy a couple of bottles of this juice. So did a bt of other people; often I
found empty shelves and had to Dome back another time to try my luck.
In the Honolulu Advertiser of Dec. 1997 it read (I quote): "Last year Japanese
consumer groups writing as the Food Irradiation Network told the Papaya
Administration Committee in Hilo lhat they would ask Japanese consumers to
boycot irradiated fruit. (end quote). As a member of Irradiation Free Food Hawaii
I found out just recently that Japan already bans the importation of irradiated
food. We should ask ourselves, why? Consumers In Japan, consumers on the
Mainland, consumers in Europe, they are all the same. They all want good
quality, heaRhy foods. Instead of empty shelves in the Mainland stores, we will
see shelves filled with unsellable irradiated papayas. Fortunately, they have a
kxrg shelf-life we have been told.
As a reaction to the Mayor's proposal to build an irradiation plant in Hilo on the
Big Island, and as a reaction to the solar favorable response of the County
Council and as a result of the public's concern and input during the fast forwarded
procedures to get this proposal approved, a large "Coalition Against Irradiation"
has been formed. Mainland groups have been invited to join our Coalition. They
will help us to inform the consumers about irradiated fruits from Hawaii.
The future, members of the Council lies in your hands, right here, right now. Make
up your minds which future you want to help create on our Island. I just spoke of
one possible future, unsellable fruits from Hawaii. Here is another one, created
somewhere else by another body of Govemement:
Dutch Government allocated 300 million dollars last year to those farmers who
wanted to make a change to growing poison-free products. The Government saw
the needs of the consumers and responded appropiately by subsidizing those
growers and farmers who wanted to provide the products the consumers walled.
These two million could do a lot for those in our community who are already
listening to those consumers concerned with their heath and the health of their
children. Help them, they need it.
Why make a BIG mistake NOW? Why be blinded by a few dollars and a few
influential people?
FNy ~ CAP
lCc,f. To:_ Wres~e iTe~~l.~~~
Ret. Dr+rr hIAY 2 01991
I invite you, Council, to join our Coalition and together look into a future that has a
change to stretch beyond just a few years. Irradiation is the way of the past, it will
never come to this island and if it will, it will be an economic disaster.
thank you.
'"". Gerdine J.Markus
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Ululani St.
iv Hilo,HI 96720
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