The right thing?
The right thing?
Richard Ha writes in a recent editorial (Tribune-Herald, June 29) on GMO agriculture that science is self-correcting. GMO crops, a science lab technology with built-in pesticide, has self-corrected by making insects resistant to it, requiring the escalating use of increasingly toxic sprays.
Weed-killer-resistant GMO crops have spawned resistant super weeds, forcing farmers to mix together more toxic sprays. The fix for this out of control “self-correcting” is to make GMO crops resistant to “2, 4-D,” an ingredient of Agent Orange used to defoliate the jungles of Vietnam that wreaked havoc on the health of the Vietnamese and U.S. soldiers.
GMOs contaminate conventional and organic crops in the field, damaging the livelihood of growers. No wonder the Hawaii County Council exempted GMO Rainbow papaya when refining the GMO prohibition ordinance. The altered gene has jumped the fence, escaped into the wild and consumers have planted those papaya seeds in their back yards, making it impossible to clean up the GMO pollution. GMO papaya growers rejected the papaya exemption in the ordinance that was up to them, but it has nothing to do with what farmer Ha states was the right thing to do.
There are no safeguards for non-GMO farmers because state and federal laws do not address crop loss or GMO pollution cleanup. Ha writes that he sued Hawaii County to gain clarity about the rules of the (GMO) game, but a result could be the loss of home rule for counties, allowing GMO agriculture on this island, the likes of which the people of Kauai are now suffering, with 10 times the national average of some toxic pesticides being sprayed on fields drifting into their homes and workplaces. Still, farmer Ha believes this is the right thing to do.
Merle Hayward
Hilo
Aloha, all
This is to my community between the island of Kauai and our island. I have shared many events, whether it was a luau, birthday party or a fund-raiser.
I portrayed as either Patches the Clown, Mrs. Cottontail, Mrs. Claus or Piccadilly the Story Teller.
We all have worked together, laughed together, and aimed for a goal. I am grateful to have been a part of this. I can no longer kokua due to a medical situation, but my heart is treasuring the memories.
Mahalo to each and every one of you. Be happy, and God bless.
Lynise Tarring
Kurtistown