HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0271.605 2012-2014 Aloha, COUNTY CLERK
COUNTY (IF' wA' All
My name is David Sansone, and I live in Hakalau/North Hilo.
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I am the owner of Agroforestry Design, LLC which is dedicated to doing research, advocacy, education, and
consulting to help farmers and gardeners develop site adapted low input intercropping systems.
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I oppose the current draft of Bill 79 due to the exemptions for agribusiness and biotech. butt()c U1cA 5�1 'a+
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I take this stand because we are living in the midst of the 6th Great Extinction--an era with over 17,000 species
going extinct per year mainly due to agricultural clearing, Monocropping, pollution, and exportation of
biomass. Genetic corruption via GMO's will further erode the web of life, upon which we are all dependent.
GMO's cannot be contained,even if under lock and key. If any of the genetically manipulated plants make it
to their centers of diversity,there is great potential for engineered genes to pollute the native stock of wild
plant relatives or cultivated varieties. Exotic and unstable genes from humans, plants, animals,viruses and
bacteria would erode the long term genetic stability and may threaten species with extinction within as few as
40 generations as new studies are indicating.
For too long in Hawaii, agribusiness has been bullying government decisions—cane and pineapple ruled the
roost and polluted the land, water, and people with arsenic, lead, and more. People were told everything is
fine, only to find out otherwise and then lose their jobs.
Many levels of government have been letting the fox guard the hen house when it comes to our health and
safety--after all the FDA, USDA, and EPA have revolving doors with big agribusiness and biotech. How can we
know if GMO's are safe for humans if there are barely any studies on humans? The era of self-regulation in
biotech must end now.
GMO's are not the solution, they are a symptom of the problem—the belief that we can manipulate and
exploit anything for our own desires. I believe that humans are stewards of God's creation and it is our job to
support and protect ALL life. Failure to do so is leading much of creation, including humans,toward
extinction. I call upon people of all faiths to take action before it is too late.
Bill 79 is a step in the right direction, but caters to powerful lobbies with the classic exemptions. The time is
now for the County council step up and create a GMO FREE Hawaii Island. We can't afford to do otherwise.
We must go even further and stop funding destructive agribusiness and university biotech activities with
taxpayer's money.
If a portion of tax payer money spent promoting GMO's was dedicated to developing site adapted
agroforestry systems, we could provide natural solutions to agricultural pests, diseases, pollution, erosion,
reef sedimentation, and the complete lack of a truly local food supply. For more info,check out
agrofo restrydes ign.net
Mahalo Comm. °Z'7 1• °S
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