How Monsanto Annihilated A Paradise and Turned It Into An Island Of Illness

by Joe Martino

A beautiful island in Hawaii called Molokai has been subject to biotech giant Monsanto for some time now, and the results of Monsanto’s actions on the island is beginning to show very dark conclusions. The residents of the island of Molokai seem to be getting sicker and sicker as Monsanto continually carries out their actions near villages on the island. Some are suggesting the island has become a laboratory and the islanders are the lab rats being tested.

Although not enough study has been done to find out why the rates of illness, cancer, asthma and diabetes are suddenly rising greatly on the island, many believe the evidence is anecdotal and seen when you observe the people.

Monsanto leased 1850 acres of land on the island of Molokai to grow their Bt corn crops. The very fact they are merely leasing the land already raises the question as to whether or not they know the land will become of low quality once they are finished with it. The Bt toxin Monsanto uses is engineered into corn to allow farmers easy control over pests without spraying as much pesticides. Only there seems to be growing evidence that this Bt toxin is a threat to human health.

Although The State Health Department has stated they feel the farming practices are safe, nearby residents are not happy about what’s going on and strongly feel Monsanto’s practices are causing harm and illness to those especially close to where Monsanto is spraying. Many in the area are beginning to do the research and are connecting the dots that the recent rise in illnesses is directly related to what Monsanto’s Bt toxin and Glyphosate has been known to cause.

This isn’t the first time residents of cities or villages near Monsanto farming territories have stood up with concern after they had noticed increased health issues once Monsanto had moved in. Farmers in Argentina had also raised their concerns and people in India raised awareness about not only the health effects but the potential damages to the environment. In France farmer Paul Francois won his court case against Monsanto as the courts found Monsanto was guilty of chemical poisoning.

A report published by Thanal, an environmental organization based in Kerala, India, stated that Monsanto’s glyphosate causes both health and environmental issues. Something the WHO and other organizations have denied for years. [1]

As the acute toxicity – reflected in the WHO classification of glyphosate is low, it has long been promoted as safe. However, recent evidence shows substantial adverse health and environmental effects, especially of the formulated products… Recent experiences and studies show a wide range of long-term adverse health effects, again mostly related to formulated products, such as leukemia and other cancers, skin diseases, and birth defects, gastrointestinal problems, and alterations to the central nervous system. Other findings link glyphosate and especially formulations with affecting embryo development, damage cells and DNA, and interrupting the hormone system.

As more independent and integral studies take place, more evidence is piling up to show the dangers associated with GMOs. Even respected names such as David Suzuki has raised his concerns about GMOs claiming that humanity is part of “a massive experiment” when it comes to GMOs.

Sayer Ji of Green Med Info also linked evidence between breast cancer and RoundUp, one of Monsanto’s most popular pesticides.[2]

An alarming new study finds that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup weedkiller, is estrogenic and drives breast cancer cell proliferation in the parts-per-trillion range.

What’s happening in Molokai has happened in many other areas of the world and is not something that can continue if we want to have safe food and a healthy environment. GMO crops are being banned in many areas around the world but North America still lacks the political integrity to make the move.

The annual March Against Monsanto is set to take place on May 24th, 2014. A tradition that has already done so much for raising awareness about GMOs and the dangers associated with them. Many believe the March Against Monsanto helped to stop the Monsanto Protection Act, a bill passed by Obama that would protect Monsanto from being able to be charged for any health or environmental damages they cause.

Let’s raise some awareness and continue to work to stop Monsanto. You can also begin by growing some of your own food! You don’t even need a garden!

Sources:

[1] http://thanal.co.in/uploads/resource/document/Pesticide-briefing–Glyphosate-14236639.pdf
[2] http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/glyphosate-induces-human-breast-cancer-cells-growth-estrogen-receptors