Big things are happening in Hawaii. The Big Island took a stand against GMO’s by banning anyone, including biotech giants Monsanto and DOW, from growing genetically modified organisms on the island.
This is huge.
Having lived in Hawaii for many years, I can tell you first hand the beauty and magnificence of the islands. Even more important than the beauty, is the respect for nature and the role humanity plays within it that everyone in the islands holds dear. The push to get rid of GMOs came from concerned citizens who recognized that messing with nature was a danger to the islands and to the planet, a risk that is not worth taking.
Kauai, while not banning GMO’s completely, made a similar move by pushing forward legislation to severely increase regulation of these biotech companies that operate on the island. Im so proud of my former home state.
Hawaii isnt the only place where people are taking a stand against GMOs. In Los Angeles, they are considering a ban on the cultivation, sale and distribution of GMOs. PepsiCo, Monsanto & others poured in hundreds of thousands of dollars into Washington State to narrowly defeat a measure that wouldve required labeling of all GMO foods.
This movement is encouraging. People in this country dont want to eat foods manufactured in a lab. You dont have to have a close cultural relationship with nature to recognize something about that doesnt make sense. Through these citizen-led campaigns, education about the issue is spreading. And the more people know, the more people will fight back.
Europe has been making major inroads in the battle against GMOs. And if communities can come together here in the US and stand up against these biotech giants, we can do the same. These corporations have money, and a lot of it. But we have the power of the people, and when we organize thats worth so much more.
