HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0393.156 2012-2014 Page 1 of 3
Murashige, Laura
From: Jack Adam Weber[jackadamweber @gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, October 14, 2013 11:28 AM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us
Cc: Jack Adam Weber N.) (—)
Subject: Testimony for Bill 113 *� a
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Dear Council Members, ---
October 10, 2013
Testimony in strong support of Bill 113:
Forgive any formatting issues below; my computer crashed yesterday.
With our world on a fast-track path to climate collapse, we should not even be
having the debate over whether to allow GMO farming on Hawai'I, or fracking,
or geothermal, or any other unsustainable practice. We should not be burning
more fossil fuels driving to Hilo and to Kona to testify on issues that we need to
put behind us so that we can focus on the real issues at hand: reducing our
toxification of the environment with chemicals of all kinds, and in particular,
the addition of more CO2 into the atmosphere. Unless we act fast to address the
bigger picture of climate change, we are being foolhardy.
Therefore, in this letter, I will provide several links for you to review the good
science behind the serious threats posed by GMO in context of the even greater
issue of climate change (please watch this interview with expert scientist Dr.
Michael Mann), which is fueled by such unsustainable industries such as GMO
farming and distribution of GMO products.
I have testified numerous times previously and cited examples from my
medical practice. Placing patients on strict non-GMO diets has resulted in
cessation of chronic and insidious medical conditions. My own view, therefore,
and that of growing millions in Hawaii and around the world, is that GMO
food-stuffs and the glyphosate-based RoundUp and other pesticides used on
GMO crops, are unsafe. They have indeed been proven toxic, per the peer-
reviewed literature-not unlike DDT, PCBs and dioxins (also manufactured by
Monsanto and other biotech companies). The pesticides used on GMO crops
will be increasing not only in quantity, but in type, as the toxic treadmill of
continued stacked trait GMO varieties must be engineered to deal with the
constant resistance formed bysuperweeds and superbugs. These weeds and
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bugs mutate according to the same principles as resistant bacterial strains do
against antibiotics.
In my opinion, and that of many others, GMO foods are a farce. They are
merely a means for big chemical companies to sell their pesticides. To sell their
products exclusively, hand-in-hand, means these corporations had to find out a
way to control both the pesticide and food market. By creating food crops
which are pesticide-specific (for which no other pesticide will work, hence the
name "RoundUp Ready), these companies get to sell billions of pounds of
pesticides which work only on their pesticide-resistant inventions. Indeed, to
get farmers to spray tons of poison on their fields, and to justify their products
(GMO food-stuffs) they have to justify why their food crops are better than any
others. So, they come up with all sorts of reasons, such as greater yield and less
pesticide use (which claim is logically ridiculous) and feeding the starving, all
of which have been proven to be false; see here.
The existing evidence, as exemplified by the Cytochrome P-450 issue, in
addition to the certain near-future more toxic and uncertain pesticide
applications (no testing has been done for multiple pesticides such as RoundUp
and 2,4-D on one plant type, such as corn, per my research) are linked to severe
illness and degradation of the natural environment. We cannot risk such injury
to the 'aina (land) here on Hawaii Island, the last bastion for a life largely free
of the menace and chaos currently being experienced on the other islands by
GMO industry, most notable on Kauai.
The organic papaya market is expanding and in great demand, while that of the
GMO Papaya industry is shrinking, especially as people around the world learn
of the dangers of GMOs. Given that now you have gone on record as
supporting the GMO industry in Hawaii, I encourage you to learn about organic
papaya farming and educate farmers on future transitions to organic. Local
sustainable agriculture is the way of the future, if we are lucky enough to have
one as a human species.
Even though Monsanto and other companies are spending millions to maintain
their present control and influence in the marketplace as well as the
government, the rest of the world is refusing to import US GMO products, as
are more and more local communities in the US showing the same trend.
Mexico just announced a ban on GMO corn, a ban for which last yearlcreated a
petition that has garnered over 46,000 signatures, which ended up helping to
postpone massive plantings of GMO corn on Mexico soil.
Hawai'i island could well be in the forefront of a transition that would be not
only economically viable-a significant preventive health measure for humans,
plants, animals, and the land and sea-but also create a more robust and
sustainable environment, and as a bonus, confer the honor of doing what is
right. After all, no amount financial benefit justifies knowingly poisoning the
populace and environment. GMO farmers can find another way and we can
help them.
10/14/2013
Page 3 of 3
Of course there are many sides to consider, and I hope you have an
understanding of the gravity of the GMO issue and the passing of this bill to
bring Hawaii island one step closer to becoming a shining example of
intelligence and moral and environmental sustainability, not just another part of
the problem by caving into the destructive results found all over the world due
to GMO farming. I encourage you to take heartfelt concern in weighing the
short-term economic viability of our community versus the longer-term welfare
for all. Nowadays we all have to be part of the solution to reduce carbon
emissions and fossil fuel burning, which GMO farming and commerce
exacerbates as compared to local, organic farming.
In one sense, to discuss the issue of GMO in this context is almost absurd,
given that the newly released IPCC Report(International. Panel on Climate
Control) clearly says that our entire planet, including the survival of the human
species, is on a fast track to climate change collapse. GMO farming-with its
heavy petroleum-based, non-local import-export model, and chemical reliance-
make it a part of the problem, not the solution. GMO farming makes no sense
in the small or the bigger picture. I encourage you to act and to vote wisely and
to continue to educate yourself on the seriousness of the issues at hand, to
represent the needs and wishes of the people you represent, not only with
regard GMO policy, but with climate change generally.
We desperately need a local-based, organic food system that does not
significantly contribute to global warming and climate change. This is our best
bet for future security, not the myth and damages created by the GMO industry
and their pesticides. Human being can actually create more biomass and more
carbon-sequestering using organic and permaculture designs. This is our hope
for real security and tempering the already occurring chaos from climate
change. Please review the links provided in this letter; they are all scientifically
reputable sources. I think they cut through any political posturing and paint a
real and dire situation for which we need to stop futzing around and get serious.
Thank you for your attention and continued efforts to act for the long-term of
our health and survival.
Sincerely,
Jack Adam Weber, L.Ac., Dipl. C.H
Sent from my iPhone
10/14/2013