This is in response to Wagner (July 1, TGI ) letter. Proponents of GMO all chant the mantra of “it’s safe” and the anti-GMO group is misguided.” Wagner lists different agencies that tell us GMOs are safe. The U.S. has
This is in response to Wagner (July 1, TGI ) letter.
Proponents of GMO all chant the mantra of “it’s safe” and the anti-GMO group is misguided.” Wagner lists different agencies that tell us GMOs are safe. The U.S. has a history of siding with corporations at the expense of consumers and the environment.
The AMA and doctors used to endorse cigarette smoking. The National Academy of Sciences used to say eating beef (often) was good for you (not). The NAS also told us that nuclear energy was safe and cheap (not)!
Wagner states that there are “no effects on human health” from people eating GMO. Asbestos, DDT, PCB were all “safe” until proven otherwise 40 years later. There have been no long term studies on the health affects of humans or livestock. We are the guinea pigs and Monsanto and the FDA/USDA/EPA have used U.S. consumers as a massive experiment with no consent or controls. The main reason Monsanto and other GMO companies don’t want labelings is because they don’t want an identified group that has been consuming GMOs.
However, there is anecdotal data available. Americans eat the most GMO products (about 80 percent of processed foods have GMO) and have the highest rate of cancer in the world. The American Cancer Society reports that 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will get cancer.
The Center for Disease Control now reports that cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in the U.S. for children under the age of 15. Food allergies have doubled between ‘97-‘02. The CDC reported a 265 percent increase in the hospitalization of food allergies in 2008. A food allergy is when a responds from foreign entity enters our body. GMOs have never been around before.
Wagner claims that the EU has found GMO safe and cites all these years of studies, etc. This is a fabrication. As of May 2013, nine European Union countries have banned GMO cultivation in their countries and 11 others have regions/states that are GMO free and all require labeling.
Wagner says that GMO has passed “risk assessment” in many countries. This is not true because most countries have a case by case approach. An example: Monsanto created a GMO eggplant and they submitted their study which concluded it was safe to eat … The Indian Gov didn’t trust Monsanto and asked for an independent scientific study. Lou Gallagher (NZ) found their eggplant safety assessments were probably fraudulent. Poor science or corrupt science?
Wagner says Europeans need to abandon the Precautionary Principle to strike a balance and let standard risk assessment prevail. That sounds logical and safe. However, let’s look at how this actually plays out in the U.S.
A company can introduce any toxic and hazardous product/technology into the market place, because the FDA and USDA let the companies do their own risk assessment! So much for independent science based assessment.
The PP is very important tool because it says to these companies, prove that it’s safe before it can be introduced in the market place (so the onus is on the company introducing the product/technology). This brings much more safety than a corporate-generated risk assessment.
• Tlaloc Tokuda resides in Kailua Kona.
