HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0271.173 2012-2014 PIP5Mrc
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Aloha Hawaii County Council-members,
I am a registered voter and resident of this district of the Big Island for 13 years.I built a home near Pahoa
where I live with my partner and my daughter, who is one quarter Native Hawaiian. When I heard that I could
testify to the county council members about my views on GMO,I decided to submit this written testimony.
I support the ban of GMO oariculture in the County and State of Hawaii because:
GMO plants are invasive species that put the environment and farms at risk.
Because of the technique of producing the modified genes, they are randomly distributed in the plants'
DNA.There is no way to determine what effect a gene sequence will have on an organism if it is not consistent. In
some instances it has been shown that the results are plants that exhibit a high instance of deformities. Where
GMO plants are introduced,they have spread to create problems for farms that do not grow GMO seeds, such as
crossing with existing plants and accidental seed dispersal and contamination of areas other than those planted.
GMO plants may invade and negatively affect the environment and farms in Hawaii as well.
The farming techniques necessary to grow many GMO products are both a health risk and a financial risk for
farmers and the community.
GMO seeds are intended to be used with herbicides and fertilizers that are dangerous to humans and
flora and fauna.They contaminate the air,soil,and water.They put the rare and beautiful species of Hawaii at risk.
This island is also finally recovering enough from the mono-crop sugar growing that required heavy use of
pesticides. Many areas that once grew sugarcane can now be used to grow officially recognized Organic Produce. It
would jeopardize the future of the scarce arable land on the island available if it became contaminated again.
GMO seeds put farmers in many areas of the world at greater financial risk when they choose to grow
• them rather than growing seeds that they could save from their own plants. Their autonomy is lost when they
must buy seed every year and then the herbicides and fertilizers to grow them.This has had heart-breaking effects
in areas where farming is done on a small scale.So much money is invested that,when a crop fails,the farmer has
no hope of reinvesting. Should farmers be able to switch back to a non-GMO crop later, not only do they have to
deal with the herbicide and fertilizer contamination,but some of the seeds with GMO genes might remain.As they
are patented and technically a product for which the farmers have not paid, many farmers (including those who
never planted GMO but had their fields accidentally contaminated)have been sued by the seed distributors.
Ingesting GMO foodstuff is a health risk.
Studies are just beginning to hint at the danger these modified plants pose to the insects and animals that
eat the produce that results from these genetic modifications. Some studies done on animals and insects show
that they have the ability to discern the differences between GMO and non-GMO foods, and that they avoid the
GMO produce when possible.Their natural instincts may be telling them what other studies have indicated,that
their life-spans will be reduced and that their likelihood of having defective offspring will increased. It is not known
yet if the same is true for humans.
I hope that you will consider well my views. I appreciate this chance to express them to you.
Sincerely, Lynn Atterbury, RR2 6307 Pahoa, HI
Comm.No.. '2-7l' X 73
�►// Ref.To: P/PS" 7T-
Ref.Date, - 2 2013