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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0271.130 2012-2014 Page 1 of 2 COUNTY plc Murashige, Laura COUNTY Or CLERK HAWAII From: Mu Subi [momishells @msn.com] Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2013 10:13 PM 2013 HAY —9 ( 9: 08 To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us Subject: Support Bill 079 Aloha, • As a resident of the island of Hawaii, I support this bill that would prevent any transgenic genetically engineered organisms from the biotech industry into our fragile and irreplaceable environment. Some of the reasons to keep the biotech industry off of our islands are: • Cultural and Environmental degradation - If transgenic materials cross with our own gardens, we no longer have the true traditional diversity of our crops. As has happened with the GMO papaya which led to the industry failing because the smart countries refused to buy unnaturally bred papaya. • Damaged lands that will adversely affect our future generations. • The health of the community and visitors. • The overuse of pesticides leading to run off into the sea. • There are no tests to prove it's long term consumption is safe and all studies have been paid off buy Monsanto and biotech companies to make it seem that other factors are the issue however the bees have been declining, along with other pollinators which is an indication that it is not safe for human consumption as well. • The bacillus theringensus GMO version is detrimental to the intestines of bees. • In fact, the farmers who grew GMO round up ready corn had to use more pesticides and suit up like Hazmat workers in order to work in their farms. The outer communities getting the drift are not wearing these protections and should never have to just to be wearing protection out in our yards. • The CEO's of Monsanto and other biotech companies have worked in politics and have paid lobbyists to push legislation through so they would not be regulated, and don't require any testing. This means our children are the tests without our consent. • As a Native Hawaiian, I'm alarmed at the amount of GMO's already here and have great concerns over the future of Hawaii. • The smart countries will not accept GMO's because they know it will effect the diversity of their food. • The transgenic genes are patented which I am vehemently against patents on life in general. • Monsanto is a major war chemical company which actually kills trees. • I drove past GMO farms on Kauai which was shocking to see because some corn looked good in each plot and every other plot contained dead corn left standing. • The Coral around Kauai is dying where run off of GMO's and pesticides are occurring. • Wherever GMO companies and materials reside, organic farmers are at risk of cross contamination and getting sued by the company for farming their patent such as occurred with canola farmers in Canada and America. • Thousands of farmers in India have committed suicide after they were lied to by transgenic companies to grow their seed as it would be more "sustainable" in actuality, Comm. No. � f. 'QC Ref. Duce Y 4 2013 5/9/2013 Page 2 of 2 they couldn't afford to buy GMO seeds every year (as they were sterile), and could not afford the non organic pesticides the transgenic companies sell to the farmers. • Loss of self reliance. If GMO companies control all the food, we will starve or eat their toxic brew. • Loss of life from biotech companies pesticides in our already bad quality air. • The island of Hawaii has a wonderful opportunity to keep GMO companies away and truly be self reliant and uninfringed on in our own organic gardens. • Transgenic companies and their crops place a huge risk to our islands organic farmers which is the one thing flourishing in our ailing economy. • To keep the rights for our island to grow and share our own food. • Monsanto has constantly ignored people's concerns. • Transgenic companies did not do any education to the communities they were introducing their genes into. • Hawaii was chosen to be the leading test areas for the GMO companies because the people were passive (thanks to them not educating anyone on what they were doing) and our isolation in the pacific which is also the home of the most endangered birds, bugs, and people (the kanaka maoli). • Pharmaceutical sugar flowers and places all the amazing varieties of Hawaiian sugarcane at risk due to cross pollination. For this reason, if transgenic sugar was allowed in our islands, it could cross with our Hawaiian varieties in our yards and when we eat the sugar, we could be taking someone's diabetic medicine. That is alarming to a mother and educator of ethnobotany. As an educator of people of all ages in Ethnobotany, I am urging you to pass this bill as it would make our future a little safer. Mahalo nui, Anna L. Subiono (Ethnobonist) David K. Subiono (Construction) 89-709 Lani Kona Rd. Captain Cook, HI 96704 808 328-8939 °-'5/9/2013