Most of the time I want to stay light and only talk about good and positive things, but now and then, I feel I have to say something about what is going on in the world that may not be quite as upbeat. This one concerns our food supply and our fragile eco system.
I am a big proponent of organic farming and I am an avid environmentalist. I put a lot of information in my book on GMO’s, soy, pesticides, the environment, etc. I was reading today about some political things going on in California. If it is happening in California, it will affect our food supply and it is only a matter of time, before they will want to do it in your state too. So, I think it is important to know this. I think our environment is so fragile and having huge amounts of chemicals dumped onto our environment is becoming such an enormous problem that is every increasing.
About 27 years ago, I became aware of the problems associated with genetically modified plants. I was reading books and articles on the environment and I read about how the large bumblebee was becoming extinct because they were starving to death.
The reason being that the new genetically modified plants are developed for beauty and other things and the flowers don’t have any nectar in them. Have you ever noticed that the flowers today at the florist don’t or most don’t have a scent? The flowers they plant all over town don’t have a scent. There is no nectar.
That is why old heirloom flowers or wildflowers are so important for us to plant everywhere we can. I plant them in my garden for the bees and pollinators. About GMO’s, there are two basic types of genetically engineered crops on the market now: herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant. These are grown to handle the direct use of pesticides on them.
There are over a billion pounds of pesticides used in the United States alone each year. Many of these chemical fertilizers were developed for use as bombs or poisons in warfare. What I find alarming now is that “Last week Dow Chemical donated $1.2 million to defeat Prop 37 to label genetically engineered foods, which will appear on the ballot in California this fall.[1]
At the same time, they happen to be petitioning the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the approval of a new genetically engineered “Agent Orange” soybean that tolerates the extremely toxic chemical herbicide 2,4-D, a major component of the Vietnam War era defoliant Agent Orange.[2]
Not only does Dow Chemical not want you to know what’s in your food, but now they want to dump more toxic chemicals on it too! Numerous studies have linked exposure to 2,4-D to serious health problems that include cancer (particularly non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma), lowered sperm counts, liver disease and Parkinson’s disease.[3] In addition, dozens of peer-reviewed studies have found the use of 2,4-D to contribute to hormone-disrupting activity linked to reproductive problems and thyroid dysfunction.[4] (I got these facts and that quote from : http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/641?t=8&akid=613.225485.Ph-M8Z)
These pesticides and chemicals poison our food and our environment. Pesticides particularly affect our nervous system. These plants actually produce an insecticide to kill insects that feed on them. If this is what the genetically engineered plant is doing to a small insect, then what is it doing to the person who is eating this food? The effect of this type of plant on the environment and in the human body, especially long-term, is unknown. Genetically engineered, or genetically modified (GM), plants are escaping into the wild and inter-breeding with wild plants.
Our pollinators, such as bees, are in trouble now. Are genetically engineered plants a contributing factor? Good question. Genetically engineered food is such a recent food product that no long-term, in-depth studies show their long-term effect on humans or the ecosystem. You must decide for yourself if eating food that has pest control built right into it or has large amounts of poisons put on it is good for human consumption. “An estimated 75 percent of foods in U.S. grocery stores contain GM ingredients.
About seven out of every 10 items in the average grocery cart have been genetically modified. And don’t bother reading labels to see if you’re buying a GM product, because as of now, there is no labeling is required,” (quote from Nancy’s international award-winning book: How To Be A Healthy Vegetarian, page 317) like there is in most countries around the world. Well there are two basic types of GMO’s.
I personally think we need labeling. We also need to stop poisoning our precious ecosystem and environment. Let your voice be heard. If you don’t say anything, they think you don’t care and they will do whatever they think they should at the time.
Educate the people in power with your voice. If you do say something or make a phone call, they estimate that you represent a demographic of about 10 thousand people. So don’t underestimate the power of that one phone call! Help stop the poisoning of America and the world!
Please do something today. Do it for your grandchildren, if for no other reason. They deserve a safe, non-toxic land. So, support the organic organizations, support your organic farmers, because if you don’t, they may not be around to support later on.
Many people say to me, but I can’t afford organic and I say to them, you can’t afford not to buy organic. Buy local, buy seasonal, buy organic when you can, it does make a difference.
That farmer, doing the right thing, needs your financial support or he can’t keep doing it. Every time you buy something, you are voting for someone or against someone. The purchase power is powerful. You don’t realize how powerful your purchase really is. Make it count!
I have always felt that when faced with a situation; it is best to take action in the positive direction instead of just remaining in place feeling helpless. So, that is why I wrote this blog. Thanks for reading it! I hope you have found it helpful, educational and inspirational.
Sincerely, Nancy
Resource for quote and information:
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/641?t=8&akid=613.225485.Ph-M8Z
Nancy’s website is: www.organichealthylife.com and her author page on Amazon is: Author.to/nancyaddison
