Its been one heck of a year on the ground in the midst of the fight with biotech chemical giants experimenting with genetic engineering (GMOs) and pesticides on Kauai. We estimate that Kauai has over 15,000 acres leased for GMO / Pesticide experimentation and research plots. Maybe more concentrated than anywhere else on Earth? Just over a year ago, a hand full of us dared to question the chemical corporations Syngenta, Dow & Pioneer and their experimentation here. Months of lies, deceit and attempts to gain access to what is suppose to be public information lead us to numbers that suggested 18+ tons of Restricted Use Pesticides + estimations of 80+ tones of General Use Pesticides (Total ~ 100 Tons) being applied by these corporations - each year. But there was more - apparently there are two experimental pesticide permits (one for Syngenta and one for Pioneer) that allow them to experiment using pesticides outside of label requirements. Over a year later and we have still not received access to these permits or the details of what they apply here and experiment with. It lead to a county initiative we brought before our county council - Bill 2491 - an initiative that would give the public (health care professionals, schools, scientists, individuals) the right to know. The right to know what pesticides were being applied, when and where. It requests basic and insufficient temporary buffer zones around schools, homes and hospitals while an environmental impact assessment is completed. Its basic, its minimal, you could argue insufficient and lacking meaningful immediate protection for our community. Yet it was an all out battle to get it passed. A battle against multi-million dollar corporate agendas and propaganda and a battle against misinformation and corporate bullying and fear tactics. After two marches (March in March (Poipu) & Mana March (Lihue)) and countless county hearings, some which required camping out in the cold and rain in front of the county building, to ensure our testimonies would be taken, before corporate organization could get field workers out in mass to testify for their jobs. Hearing after hearing we would hear mothers and fathers plead for the right to know if the pesticides blowing in on the wind to their homes and schools and the dirt on their windows and pillows, might be laden with experimental pesticides and linked to the anticipated increases in birth defects and medical problems we are seeing in our communities. Heart-wrenching. Then you would hear some genuine person just explain how badly they needed their job and that they were opposed to this right. You can hear the desperation from an isolated and forgotten community where biotech-chemical spraying is the only real option left for a good job. It broke my heart again. We barely passed it - then our mayor vetoed it - then it was overridden. It was dramatic. It was exhausting. It felt like the battle of a lifetime. In mid November 2013 we finally once and for all passed Ordinance 960 and added Article 22 to Chapter 22 of the Kauai County laws. It is suppose to be become effective mid August 2013. On January 10th 2014 they (Syngenta, Dow Chemical and Dupont Pioneer) filed a lawsuit in the federal courts against our county. Apparently they dont think have the right to know, that it is not our place to ask and that the federal government (who granted their experimental pesticide permits) and the state (whos large corporate Big-Ag interests have dominated the law for over 120 years) are efficiently addressing these issues and we have no business going there. The battle continues. #alohaaina #malamaaina #bethechange #solutionfocused #defendkauai #ohanaokauai #oneohana #standunited
Posted on: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 03:51:17 +0000
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