Big Island *takes first step* in banning GMO's

[geochem]

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Originally posted by Aaron

There are different layers to the facts. Are they safe? Sure, I bet the ones messing with relative genes in plants to escape extinction have little to zero harm. But they're not safe for the local economy. If a country won't import our goods and it isn't worth as much then it loses at least half purpose of producing it.

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Aaron, you couldn't be more right on the above: especially the part about there being different layers to facts. WHY are other countries not importing GMO papayas and other GMO crops? Because of misrepresentation, distortion, and fear mongering against those crops by a tiny minority of ideologues. GMO crops have been subject to more testing and research than any crop on the market - there is an ocean of data that shows that GMO crops that make it to market pose no more health risk than conventionally bred crops - and less risk than "organic" crops that have accumulated quite a body count in recent years - I am thinking hepatitis, listeria, salmonella and so on. But, because a small minority of true believers feel entitled to mislead anyone who will accept their nonsense, perfectly fine products - and technologies - are vilified and villainized. Even more to the point, those same ideologues want to deprive Hawaii of access to those technologies that will keep Hawaii agriculture viable when faced with new pests and new diseases.

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Originally posted by Aaron

You think kids in Africa are starving because there is a lack of food? It's because they lack the money to get food.

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The primary reason Africans are starving is because they don't have access to the capital or the technology to produce and distribute food crops as efficiently as we do in the developed world. In no small measure that is the result of dysfunctional governments who feel entitled to operate in arbitrary and self-serving ways - a path our County Council seems to be heading down today.