Need Anti-GMO Help in NC - it has gone national page

[lrcombs]

Good afternoon.

I am writing to request your help regarding my efforts to convince the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences to cease future Biotechnology Day celebrations. At the first annual Biotech Day in July 2012 companies like Monsanto, BASF, and Big Pharma were treated like heroes for feeding and saving the world. I have begun a campaign to end Biotech Day because it is the antithesis of Natural Science. My discussions with the Museum have been lengthy, and when it became too uncomfortable for them, they ended our communication. I have released my letter to the Museum’s executive director today protesting her staff’s termination of the discussion (see below), and that post links to the history of the Museum’s and my discussion, including all emails.

People have been responsive to my call to action, but I feel like more voices opposing GMOs are needed given that the Museum employee is tweeting about our interaction and the pro-GMO and Big Pharma folks are now making their voices heard. You can read the history here, which links to the Take Action: My Letter to NC Museum of Natural Sciences' Director - Moving Strongly Forward

I hope that you are able to help spread the word and increase the pushback against Monsanto and others being featured at the Museum of Natural Sciences.

Thank you for your consideration.

Laura

[adamm]

Uuuuh. They are saving the world. If it is a choice of dying of starvation at 12 or getting weird diseases from GMO food later in life, I'd choose getting weird diseases later in life, thank you very much.

Folks in the US, Western Europe, Oceana and a few other places are lucky enough that we are so rich we can care about what we eat, and we can afford to be picky. Most of the world isn't that lucky. Is eating GMO grain healthy? Absolutely, compared to dying of starvation.

Primal and Paleo is eating about what is best when you have the options. Heck, I'd even love to see mandated labeling in supermarkets for GMO food, etc. But to say the practice is evil is a bit myopic.

--Me

[jfreaksho]

Nope, still evil- destroying thousands of years of swapping seed by "requiring" all farmers to buy new seed every year? Evil.

Letting their manipulated genes pollute the world, then suing those who inadvertently grow more with those genes? Evil.

Creating new crops that survive increasingly high levels of pesticides, so that farmers are encouraged to dump more and more pesticides into the environment? Evil.

People don't starve because of lack of food on this planet, people starve because of political situations and conflicts that prevents them from growing or acquiring food. I'm not convinced Monsanto helps with any of those real issues.

[jsa23]

My personal opinion is that GMO's themselves are not necessarily a bad thing - however, as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility - and the way the companies with that power are using it is not always in the best interest of humanity - in fact it's typically the product of capitalism run amok. These companies aren't out to make the healthiest, most nutritious product, but the one that's the most profitable - i.e. the one that's cheapest to grow and/or they can sell the most of.

On the other hand, certain practices of Monsanto et al are deplorable - see:

Letting their manipulated genes pollute the world, then suing those who inadvertently grow more with those genes? Evil.

It blows my mind that a judge/jury could actually rule in Monsanto's favor on this one. The problem here would seem to be corrupt legislators and/or judges as much as the corporation itself.

People don't starve because of lack of food on this planet, people starve because of political situations and conflicts that prevents them from growing or acquiring food. I'm not convinced Monsanto helps with any of those real issues.

I largely agree with this. What's caused food problems recently, when one surveys the news? Obscene poverty, where people can't afford food - or where food isn't available due to political factors. such as war, or government mismanagement. Or droughts that drive up food prices. These are largely factors whose existence has little to do with the presence/absence of GMO's.