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+--- Thread: Maui GMO protest (/showthread.php?tid=13484)
RE: Maui GMO protest - PaulW - 04-28-2014
Delta9r: "Papaya farmers? Last I knew the vast majority of papaya farmers were 1st & 2nd generation Filipino.
My family has been here longer than that."
Wow, what an achievement! So, you're saying that people born here (2nd generation Filipino) should move back to a place
they've never been in order to allay your irrational fears?
"Kindly illustrate where I have promoted the change of existing laws?"
You're against GM and you don't want it on this island, yet it is already here.
How do you propose to change that if not by having the law changed?
RE: Maui GMO protest - Delta9r - 04-28-2014
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/05/big-island-biotech-ban_n_4395521.html
They Mayor enacted anti GMO legislation, which exempts current GMO crops.
Who's being irrational here?
"Life is labor, and all that is good in life comes from that labor..."
RE: Maui GMO protest - OpenD - 04-28-2014
quote:
Originally posted by Delta9r
OpenD, your initial statement was not made in the spirit of encyclopedic knowledge, it was an attempt to marginalize someone who holds a divergent viewpoint from your own.
Had you actually meant "... GMO black beans on the market..." I'm fairly sure that your initial statement would have contained your new qualifier.
Please don't attempt to marginalize my views by presuming that you know better than I do what I meant by what I said.
The context was the purchase of a can of black beans. I was commenting on the fact that no GMO black beans are sold anywhere. It was an accurate statement. Period.
Delta9r - That is right in line with your "plausible fairy tale" statement, which is yet another attempt at marginalization of someone who doesn't share your love for big agribusiness.[/quote]
Please don't attempt to marginalize my views by ascribing to me beliefs I don't have. I'm not a fan of big agribusiness. Period.
And I'm even less of a fan of people making stuff up that has no basis in verifiable fact.
Delta9r - As for big agribusiness taking advantage of our year round growing season, they could do the same elsewhere by utilizing indoor/greenhouse techniques... [/quote]
Doubtful, since 6,500 acres are devoted to seed crops (per Hawai'i Farm Bureau, 2011-2012). It's the same reason you don't see fields of corn or pineapples or soybeans planted in greenhouses. It's simply not feasible for most crops except high-value ones. Orchids, yes. Marijuana, yes. Field crops, no. And by the way, hybrid seed corn has been grown out in Hawai'i for more than 45 years, long before GMO technology was even developed. Having a strong, diverse agricultural sector as part of our state's economy that is not dependent on tourism or military spending helps build economic strength, and that benefits everyone.
Delta9r - The facts remain; the GMO crops being cultivated here in the state are nearly always monoculture crops, heavily sprayed with chemicals, and are of little benefit to our local population. [/quote]
Little benefit? Taken together, agricultural seeds are the largest agricultural crop in the islands, producing more than a third of the total value of all crops, far surpassing sugar, and valued at something like $250 Million per year. And a lot of the land being cultivated is leased from local owners.
That represents a lot of jobs, and a lot of economic benefit to the communities those workers live in. And personally, closer to home, I know most of the papaya growers on the Big Island are small family farmers, who would have lost their farms, their homes, and their livelihood if the Ringspot Virus Resistant papayas had not been developed, and the seeds distributed free of charge by the University of Hawai'i at Hilo.
And this is a reality that anti-GMO activists gloss over... that the small farmers, the family farmers, the people whose whole life is on the line, totally dependent on the productivity of their growing efforts, are the ones who seem to have the smallest voice in this long ranging debate. To a very large degree, the majority of those small farmers want the increased yields of GMO crops. Otherwise there would be no market for the seeds.
Obviously.
RE: Maui GMO protest - Bullwinkle - 04-28-2014
"That is right in line with your "plausible fairy tale" statement"
whom is discounting whom here?
Im sure the reader is able to come to their own conclusion - bill oreilly doesnt work here - nor do we need his insight in Puna - grin
Rational discussion discussion does not follow a irrational shout show format....
RE: Maui GMO protest - OpenD - 04-28-2014
quote:
Originally posted by Delta9r
I'll say it again...
The ragtag bunch of anti GMO protesters in Maui don't appear to have any big money backing them.
Look at the facts.
Homemade cardboard signs.
Two bullhorns!
A few websites, none of which cost more than $10 or $20 each.
Yes, let's look at the facts. It has been documented that large amounts of money are being funneled into this anti-GMO effort from off-island. Here's just one of those articles, from Forbes:
"The Genetic Literacy Project has identified millions of dollars flowing from mainland anti-GMO organizations to Hawai’i, funding local activists who represent their efforts to restrict the technology as ‘homegrown’ and ‘grassroots’."
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonentine/2013/10/02/hawaii-anti-gmo-activists-rely-on-mainland-millionaires-for-grassroots-campaign/
This is known as "astroturfing," or creating fake grassroots efforts. Of course the signs are handmade and there's not a lot of polish on anything... that's part of the astroturfing Modus Operandi. Keep it LOOKING simple.
Why would they do that? Several things come to mind. First, Hawai'i is a relatively small and compact state, so marketing efforts like the anti-GMO crowd uses are relatively inexpensive compared to many other states. Second, after high profile defeats in several states, the anti-GMO folks are looking for a big win, something that can be used as leverage in other states.
They didn't get much of a bump from Connecticut passing a mandatory labeling law, because it may not go into effect for years, if ever. The same can be said for Maine, which obviously does not want to stand alone. So until Vermont recently passed their law, to go into effect July 1, there was a lot of focus on trying to force something to happen in Hawai'i, with all the automatic publicity that would come with it.
But WHY would millions be funding this effort? Because despite this being framed as a David and Goliath fight between consumers and big business, it actually breaks down as a fight between one food business segment... the natural and organic food segment... and another, the conventional food business, with the actual wants and needs of average consumers and small scale family farmers playing no significant role.
Never underestimate the power of a handful of trained community activists to create movement in the community, as long as they're not seen to be outsiders. Hence the carefully cultivated "homegrown" look.
RE: Maui GMO protest - Delta9r - 04-28-2014
quote:
Jon Entine is a journalist focusing on sustainability, science and public policy. He is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Health & Risk Communication and the Statistical Assessment Service (STATS) at George Mason University, where he is the founding director of the Genetic Literacy Project. He is also co-founder of ESG MediaMetrics, which advises corporations and NGOs on Environmental, Social, and Governance issues, and on brand reputation and strategic communications. Clients have included KKR, The Carlyle Group, The Alliance of Merger and Acquisition Advisors, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, P&G, American Greetings, DHL/Deutsche Post and Nicor.
Hmmm... "Strategic communications," sounds like "paid corporate shill."
That's the thing about Forbes' bloggers... You can find anything to back a corporate position on the Forbes blogs.
http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2013/09/03/hawaii-anti-gmo-corruption-scandal-genetic-literacy-project-investigation-underway/#.U17lXKZy16o
John Entine even goes so far as to claim that the anti GMO fight is "threatening to tear apart the aloha spirit..." As well as fomenting the idea that GMO papayas have saved the "papaya on Hawaii from extinction..."
What complete and utter nonsense!
People who don't grow papaya in a monoculture method have had few problems with the ringspot virus.
Then there is the issue of genetic drift.
http://hawaiiseed.org/local-issues/papaya/
quote:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/genetically-modified-hawaii/
Conventional Hawaiian papayas have already come under scrutiny by organic farmers and environmental organizations in Hawaii for "genetic drift"—crops grown from non-GM seeds that test positive for being GM. In response, South Korea stopped buying papayas from the island of Hawaii, and Hawaiian papaya farmers who ship to Japan now have to test their trees for contamination and certify that they're "clean". In other words, these countries don't trust the genetic integrity of Hawaii's "non-GM papayas," which in turn has economically harmed many of the islands organic papaya farmers, and can lead to them losing their organic certification.
Looking outside the corporate sphere of influence we find the following article about John Entine:
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/02/atrazine-syngengta-tyrone-hayes-jon-entine
quote:
But what caught my eye about Entine's post in the first place is that his name had shown up in a recent report by the Center for Media and Democracy (part one, part two) about the efforts of Syngenta, the globe's largest agribusiness firm and the maker of atrazine, to protect its lucrative chemical from possible regulatory action by the Environmental Protection Agency. EPA is currently reviewing the herbicide's registration. Last year, a panel of independent scientists convened by the EPA recommended that the agency revise its assumption that atrazine is "unlikely to cause cancer." Pointing to what it called "strong" epidemiological evidence linking atrazine to thyroid cancer, the panel states that the agency is currently acting with "inadequate information to assess carcinogenic potential." The European Union banned atrazine in 2004, based mainly on its tendency to run off into drinking water. A similar move by the EPA would cut into Syngenta's profits in the United States, where atrazine sells briskly as an herbicide for our massive corn crop.
The CMD's report is based on Syngenta documents that show how the company's PR operation has tried to influence news coverage—while also keeping tabs on journalists who have reported on atrazine's potential health risks. These internal documents, according to CMD, expose the company's campaign "to influence the media, potential jurors, potential plaintiffs, farmers, politicians, scientists, and the Environmental Protection Agency." One Syngenta document reveals that in 2009, the company toyed with the idea of obtaining "the services of a well-know [sic] investigative reporter to probe around the EPA…At the very minimum to utilize the advice of an Investigative Reporter to council [sic] us on what buttons to push and cages to rattle."
As for the Walter Ritte bit, I don't see Ritte affiliated with the Maui protests at all, perhaps you have more information than I?
We can go round & round on this, as there is no dearth of information on either side of the issue.
For myself, I don't want big agribusiness dictating what will be grown on my home island, and a lot of my friends feel the same way, even if their reasoning is at odds with my own. (religion... Not my cup of kool aid - I prefer science)
"Life is labor, and all that is good in life comes from that labor..."
RE: Maui GMO protest - OpenD - 04-28-2014
quote:
Originally posted by Delta9r
[quote]
Jon Entine is a journalist focusing on sustainability, science and public policy... etc. <Biff!> <Pow!> <Wham!>
Yadda, yadda, yadda... slamming Joe Entine because he doesn't share your views... what was that word again? Marginalizing him?... misses the point entirely, which is that millions of dollars from the mainland have been fed into the Hawai'i anti-GMO fight.
RE: Maui GMO protest - dmbwest - 04-28-2014
The Heinz "organic" ketchup really does taste better ... You guys should try it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbezBnFZ7L0
RE: Maui GMO protest - opihikao - 04-28-2014
For what it's worth: (*Snipped - Much more at link)
https://www.civilbeat.com/reg/articles/2014/04/28/21924-will-the-gmo-debate-fuel-campaign-donations-as-local-elections-heat-up/
The Monsanto facility on Molokai, April 2014.
The fervor surrounding genetically engineered crops in Hawaii is expected to spill into this year's elections, as a number of candidates have already begun framing their campaigns around an anti-GMO sentiment.
It's also anticipated to lead to increased spending on particular races that will pit opponents of genetically modified organisms against those who believe that large agribusiness and chemical companies, such as Monsanto, Syngenta and BASF, are a boon to the local economy and global food production research.
Those companies, of course, grow genetically altered seed crops on many of Hawaii’s islands, and have a $250-million-a-year stake in making sure their business interests are protected.
But while the biotech firms, and in particular Monsanto, have long been financial players in local politics, the anti-GMO movement is ramping up its own firepower.
On the anti-GMO side, the Center for Food Safety, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that has been battling industrial agricultural practices since the 1990s, just opened a new office in Honolulu.
The group has already registered a political action committee with the Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission to help elect like-minded politicians to state and local office.
“We’re fighting because people have a right to know what’s in their food,” said Ashley Lukens, program director for the Center for Food Safety’s Honolulu office. “Unfortunately, to get the respect you deserve you have to have equal weapons.”
Lukens said the PAC has about $50,000 that will be used for “targeted voter education and outreach” and is not intended to support individual candidates.
Lukens described the PAC, which has yet to file any financial disclosures with the commission, as a prototype for the Center for Food Safety that could be replicated elsewhere if successful.
The plan, she said, is to evaluate candidates based on their positions related to food issues, such as GMO labeling and pesticide use, and develop a public report card that voters can use to help make up their minds.
Historically, the anti-GMO faction hasn't been a big spender on political campaigns. In 2012, Judith Kern and Kent Whealy contributed $12,000 to Molokai activist Walter Ritte's campaign for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Kern and Whealy head the Ceres Trust, a private foundation based in Northfield, Minnesota, that gives money to support organic agriculture and research.
But that appears about to change, especially as more candidates motivated by the recent debates on Maui, Kauai and the Big Island jump in the races.
And while $50,000 is a good start, the Center for Food Safety and other GMO opponents still must contend against the money and influence of the biotech companies that have been giving to Hawaii’s political campaigns for years.
(*Note: Mr. Tucker, Please move to politics if not appropriate here. Thank you.)
RE: Maui GMO protest - Delta9r - 04-28-2014
Sorry to overwhelm you with facts, but Jon Entine is merely another corporate shill, and my pointing out these facts is not the same as someone falsely claiming that millions in mainland money is driving the Hawai'i anti GMO debate.
The "credentials" which you so gleefully clung to are relevant to the rest of the information which I posted, namely, Entine's connections to Syngenta and his use of "strategic communications" in support of their continued sales of Atrazine within the US.
The Genetic Literacy Project is Jon Entine's own site, and is in no way an objective source for information on GMO.
Your claim of millions being "fed into the Hawai'i anti-GMO fight" is based upon Jon Entine's own conclusion that some outside entity is funding hawaiiseed.org, but look who the contacts are for hawaiiseed.org:
Code:
Domain Name:HAWAIISEED.ORG
Domain ID: D117005063-LROR
Creation Date: 2006-02-21T21:15:58Z
Updated Date: 2014-03-23T00:20:34Z
Registry Expiry Date: 2016-02-21T21:15:58Z
Sponsoring Registrar:Misk.com, Inc. (R119-LROR)
Sponsoring Registrar IANA ID: 401
Registrant ID:3c4d1358e116419e
Registrant Name:Jeri Di Pietro
Registrant Organization:Hawai'i SEED
Registrant Street: PO Box 1177
Registrant City:Koloa
Registrant State/Province:Hawaii
Registrant Postal Code:96756
Registrant Country:US
Registrant Phone:+1.8086525286
Registrant Phone Ext:
Registrant Fax:
Registrant Fax Ext:
Registrant Email:ofstone@aol.com
Admin ID:b9596fe5ae36013f
Admin Name:John Schinnerer
Admin Organization:John Schinnerer
Admin Street: HC2 Box 6482
Admin City:Kea'au
Admin State/Province:Hawai'i
Admin Postal Code:96749
Admin Country:US
Admin Phone:+1.8089826529
Admin Phone Ext:
Admin Fax:
Admin Fax Ext:
Admin Email:john@eco-living.net
Tech ID:dc715f7156bbd6cc
Tech Name:John Schinnerer
Tech Organization:John Schinnerer
Tech Street: HC2 Box 6482
Tech City:Kea'au
Tech State/Province:Hawai'i
Tech Postal Code:96749
Tech Country:US
Tech Phone:+1.8089826529
Tech Phone Ext:
Tech Fax:
Tech Fax Ext:
Tech Email:john@eco-living.netGosh, those folks are from Hawai'i, who'd a thunk it!
The whois for Jon Entine's geneticliteracyproject.org website returns no such info... Who's funding the geneticliteracyproject.org website? Syngenta? Monsanto?
The fact that Walter Ritte is connected to Ceres Trust is not in, and of itself, damning, since both Ritte & Ceres Trust are committed to keeping our environment safe, and OHA is not a legislative agency so what's Ritte's alleged malfeasance got to do with the current anti GMO protests on Maui?
quote:
http://themolokainews.com/2013/09/13/investigation-reveals-walter-ritte-broke-hawaii-campaign-spending-laws-big-deal-or-so-what/
An independent investigation conducted by The Molokai News dug a little deeper into the specific allegations made against Ritte. After reviewing the report filed with the Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission by the Friends of Walter Ritte Committee, it appears that $17,745.45 of the $21,918.43 received — or 81 percent — did come from non-Hawaii residents.
...
...the violation may be moot and unenforceable anyway. Apparently, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decided, prior to 2012, that it was unconstitutional to limit contributions from out of state sources, said Kam. This was based on a case in which a University of Hawaii student contribution was considered valid even though the student had a permanent address on the mainland.
From Entine's own site:
quote:
http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2013/09/03/hawaii-anti-gmo-corruption-scandal-genetic-literacy-project-investigation-underway/#.U19H6KZy16o
The 2011 tax return of Ceres Trust, date-stamped in November 2012 by the IRS, shows that it gave $145,490 to Hawaii Seed...
From Entine's own words, only about $216,517. from the Ceres Trust has been "fed into" the Hawai'i anti GMO fight, and not the millions you and Entine claim.
Code:
<b>CERES Anti-GMO Contributions
2011
</b>
E Kupaku ka ‘Aina —Hawai‘i Land Restoration Institute $340,307
Hawai‘i SEED. $145,490
Kohala Center $40,000
Bishop Museum $31,027
Center for Food Safety, Washington, D.C. $550,000
<b>2010</b>
Center for Food Safety, Washington, D.C $650,000quote:
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/02/atrazine-syngengta-tyrone-hayes-jon-entine
Entine also runs a consultancy, ESG MediaMetrics. The firm's homepage lists Monsanto as a "select client." Among its "core services," it lists "Media strategy, writing, speechwriting, and engagement with critics." Describing its media services, it declares, "We manage and create reputations. We bring to every challenge our vast experience as active journalists, public relations and media specialists, international scholars, and advisers for Fortune 500 corporations."
quote:
http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2014/02/25/i-said-syngenta-wasnt-listening-to-farmers-about-gmo-corn-maybe-i-was-wrong/#.U19UV6Zy16o
Well, that was interesting. In writing for the Genetic Literacy Project, I have tried give the perspective of a farmer and spur discussion about genetically modified foods.
quote:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2014/02/10/140210fa_fact_aviv?currentPage=all
In an online Forbes op-ed, Jon Entine, a journalist who is listed in Syngenta’s records as a supportive “third party,” accused Hayes of being attached to conspiracy theories, and of leading the “international regulatory community on a wild goose chase,” which “borders on criminal.”
Based on the facts listed above it's quite obvious that Jon Entine is a corporate shill. Why else would Entine try "to give the perspective of a farmer" when he's not any kind of a farmer?
"Life is labor, and all that is good in life comes from that labor..."