HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0271.152 2012-2014 Aloha, My Name is lyn Howe, I co-own an eco farm in
Waa Waa with my husband and work to promote saving
seed networks on all 5 islands.
I am aware that Governor Abercrombie has made
agricultural sustainability for the islands a high priority.
To achieve this goal we must make informed and
cautious choices .
Allowing the biotech industry and GMO technology to
become established and to proliferate on this island
does not move us in the direction of this priority.
The biotech industries are given free reign by our
federal government to regulate themselves.
They continue to make the same claims that they
conduct rigorous testing of their products, declaring
GMO food safe and their agricultural practices less toxic.
But If this is true why do these industries prevent
outside safety testing in the US?
Why do they continually refuse to release relevant data
to other testing institutions so they can compare results
and determine safety?
Comm.No oZ 71. 15•2,
Ref.To: P/PS i1 TG
Ref.Dote, MAY 14 HP
Why,iIF these foods are so safe, have these biotech
corporations spent millions of dollars fighting the
labeling of THEIR products across the country?
The Industries mantra of using less chemicals is now a
hollow promise. This technology has given us resistant
super weeds, super pests and jepordized the existence
our pollinators especially the honey bee. Now farmers
of roundup ready and BT crops must use more
chemicals than ever before to try to control these new
weeds and pests.
The biotech companies answer to this? Stacking genes
and they are close to releasing new GMO crops that will
allow the use of even more highly toxic substances, such
as 2,4-D and dicambra -
A nightmare to our environment and our health.
If this is such a safe and sustainable technology as they
say, then why in this past legislative session did the
biotech industry feel they needed to float a preemptive
bill "the right to farm" that would disallow nuisance
claims against acceptable agricultural practices?
These are industries that make huge sums of money on
a technology based on war chemicals and with this
technology they go to war with the environment.
Does Hawaii island want to join the growing ranks of
states and islands left with the costly job of cleaning up
polluted ground water, restoring reef die-offs, growing
health issues and so much more?
Monsanto's genetically modified "Bt" corn is equipped
with a pesticide that breaks open the stomach of the insects
that eat the plants and it kills them. This SAME Bt toxin has
now also been detected in the blood of 93 percent of
pregnant women tested; 80 percent of babies; and 67
percent of non-pregnant women.
Is this the model Hawaii island wants to embrace? I
don't think so
The counties general plan seeks to promote a model
where economic gains are in balance with social and
physical amenities. GMO free Hawaii is a reality consistent
with this vision, a dynamic and healthy model for real and
long term sustainability
Please vote yes on bill 79 and make Hawaii a GMO Free
zone - Mahalo