The decision to eat or not eat the GMO corn is only a small reason behind why I vehemently support the labeling of genetically modified foods and hold deep contempt for the biotech industry as a whole.
Monsanto and the rest of the land rapers have desecrated the islands of Oahu and Molokai so far. I recently spoke with friends on the island of Kauai who have expressed grave concern.
People there are getting sick and many believe that their sickness is being caused by impacts of growing GMOs.
Yet, when asking Monsanto and the like to disclose what chemicals and in what quantities they are spraying, their answers are vague, if at all.
That alone, aside from their inherent evilness and desire to control all plantable food seeds, is enough to keep me from buying their products or supporting their industry, and to die trying to insure mandatory labeling of their heavily poisoned, if you will pardon the expression, food.
Sixty-three countries around the world, including all of Europe, Russia, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, require mandatory labeling of GMO products and some countries have banned these products completely.
Many questions exist and many doubts persist. There are valid health concerns ranging from allergen sensitivities to hormonal disruption to cancer, related to the GMOs and to the pesticide spraying that accompanies them.
There are concerns about the globalization and corporate ownership of the world’s food supply. There are ethical and moral questions pertaining to the concept of corporations owning patents on living organisms, both plant and animal, and to the increased diminishment of bio-diversity. All valid reasons consumers may not want to buy these products and thus the essential need to require labeling.
For me –it’s personal!
God created seeds to be used to grow food. Rich or poor, everyone has the right to save seeds for the next planting cycle and not be coerced into buying seeds for every crop. The rich, under this scenario survive. The poor die.
On Kauai, the agrochemical operations dominate the landscape of Kauai’s pristine west side and are now moving into the southern and eastern land areas as well. The fields of mostly GM corn, not intended for human consumption, grow on approximately 12,000 acres of prime farmland stretching from the base of the mountains down to within just a few feet of the pristine ocean waters.
These crops are being sprayed with toxic pesticides up to six days a week.
Over 200 residents of an incredibly beautiful valley have filed a lawsuit claiming negative impacts from pesticide dust blowing into their homes and onto their bodies. Biologists estimate that over 50,000 sea urchins died last year in near shore waters on that side of the island.
People in all parts of Kauai are growing increasingly concerned about the impacts that result from these companies spraying their fields with toxic and experimental chemicals that then flow into streams and near shore waters and cling to the dust which blows daily into neighborhoods and schools.
Yet, these agrochemical companies, who are required by law to keep records of their pesticide use, tell me to go somewhere else for the data.
About half the land used for GMO production on Kauai is public land upon which zero property taxes are paid. Yet, they refuse to disclose to the public what they are growing or what they are spraying on these public lands.
Then these large transnational corporations transfer their end products to related subsidiaries, benefit from Enterprise Zone and other General Excise Tax exemptions and consequently pay zero General Excise Tax on the products they produce.
State law and terms of the public lands lease/license require compliance with Hawaii environmental laws, yet no documentation demonstrating compliance exists, no exemption declaration, no environmental assessment and no environmental impact statement.
Growing GM organisms, using experimental pesticides and spraying a wide array of restricted and non-restricted pesticides on a mass scale have impacts on our islands, our health, and our environment.
There are direct impacts, secondary impacts and cumulative impacts but we don’t know what those impacts are because they have never been properly evaluated, and the companies in question will not even give us the information needed to make a proper evaluation.
To make matters far worse, our Governor, our Senator in charge of the Hawaii Senate Ag Committee, our Representative that Chairs the House Ag Committee, many of the Committee’s members, and the Honolulu City Council all liberally accept financial handouts from Monsanto, et al.
That old saying rings home quite truly in Hawaii – “In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash”!
Labeling, mandatory disclosure and a permitting process that requires a comprehensive review of the significant environmental and health impacts to our islands and our communities caused by this industry is an absolute must – because as you can see, this is not just about eating the corn.
Aloha!
About Hesh:
I have been doing a radio show in Honolulu since 1981 called “Health Talk”. To listen to the show please tune into 1080 or 108 am or go to www.kwai1080am.com on your computer at 8am Hawaii time. FYI, 8 am Hawaii time is 10 am on the West coast and 2 pm on the East coast. To call in, the number is (808) 524-1080.
Now, American Voice Radio will be picking up my streamed show and playing it all week until the next one takes place. To listen, go to americanvoiceradio.com and click on my link at AVR 2. Starting in December I will be doing another radio show on AVR at 9:00 am Hawaii time on Thursday mornings. Just go to the website, click on AVR 1, and listen live or tune in later and listen via the archive to Health Talk with Hesh.
See you on the radio!
In 2007, I was “forced” to get a masters degree in Nutrition to stop all the doctors from calling in asking what my credentials were. Besides that, they never liked it when I asked them what their credentials were that would enable them to treat an illness without drugs or surgery.
If you go to www.healthtalkhawaii.com and click on Podcasts and Articles, there are years of shows there as well as hundreds of health related articles that are completely free to listen to and read.
I am an activist. I am vehemently opposed to GMOs, vaccines, processed foods, MSG, aspartame, fluoridation, and everything else that the “pimps” (big pHarma, Monsanto, and the large food companies), and the “hookers” (the doctors, the government agencies, the Public Health officials, and the mainstream media) thrust upon us, the “tricks”.
At 76, I am in 3 softball leagues, racewalk, do stand-up paddling, hike, swim, do weights and cardio, and teach women’s self-defense classes based upon 20 years of Wing Chun training. I have been a vegetarian since 1975 and a vegan since 1990, have no illnesses and take no meds.
After being vaccinated with the DTP vaccine as a child, I developed asthma, which plagued me until 2008 when I learned about and started taking the organic sulfur crystals. My asthma was reversed in 3 days and has not come back.
So far, 26 cases of autism that we know about have been reversed, as has cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, asthma, osteoarthritis, joint pain, gingivitis, and erectile dysfunction. The sulfur has increased sexual activity, eliminated toxins, heavy metals, radiation, and parasites. It speeds up athletic recovery time, increases blood circulation, reduces inflammation, increases resistance to the “flu”, reduces wrinkles, allergies, PMS, monthly period pain, migraines, nausea, lowering high blood pressure, raising low blood pressure and way more, because the oxygen that the sulfur releases floods and heals the cells in the body.
The sulfur, as proven by the University of Southampton in England, enables the body to produce vitamin B12 and the essential amino acids.
You can find out more about this on my website under Products.
My book, “A Sane Diet For An Insane World”, which has been published, can be viewed and purchased at www.asanediet.com. The book clearly explains why what you eat, for the most part, is designed to keep you in a state of declining health.
I have recently discovered two amazing super foods – Zeal and Shakeology – Zeal contains 30 amazing probiotics, anti-oxidents and more, all designed to build and strengthen the immune system and Shakeology contains 42. What’s great about Shakeology is that it is filling, replaces one meal and keeps you full for hours and helps with weight control and loss. For more info about Shakeology please email me or go to www.beachbodycoach.com/heshgoldstein. The good news about Shakeology is if you are not satisfied after 30 days the company will refund you.
And now I have come across an amazing bee pollen that is so soft it melts in your mouth and has so many benefits. It is rich in vitamin B12 and all B vitamins, proteins, minerals, beneficial fatty acids, carotenoids, bioflavenoids, antioxidants, antihistamines, enzymes, antibiotics, and natural phenylalanine, which acts as an appetite suppressant, and more.
My daily regimen consists of one teaspoon of the crystals twice a day, one scoop of the Zeal in cold water, one packet of Shakeology either in 8 to 12 ounces of water or added to my smoothie and a heaping tablespoon of bee pollen. For more about Shakeology please go to www.beachbodycoach.com/heshgoldstein.
Hesh Goldstein, MSNutri
“Health Talk” Moderator, K-108 Radio
POB 240783, Honolulu, Hi 96824
(808) 258-1177
www.healthtalkhawaii.com
www.asanediet.com
[email protected]