Right along side the Occupy Wall Street movement there has been another movement of the people that has received even less media attention…
The Human Revolution playing at the Right to Know March
…the Right to Know March: a Mobilization for GMO Labeling. GMO protesters will be marching from the United Nations building in NYC to the White House in DC from October 1 through October 16.
The two demonstrations are really one and the same. They are both calling for an end of the systems of greed and disrespect that have led us down the path of injustice. They are both standing for accountability of the corporate 1% that has leveraged its political and media power to compromise the health and wellbeing of the whole planet, right under the noses of the suffering 99%.
GMOs are genetically modified organisms. These plants and animals have had foreign genes implanted directly into their DNA to change their genetic structure and provide them with select traits in order to increase profit. This technology has been used to make crops more tolerant to toxic chemical sprays, to make animals that produce more meat, to make produce with a longer shelf life, etc.
But as the corporations embrace this new genetic technology they have ignored significant health risks and environmental costs. The lack of good scientific research and testing on GMOs is staggering. Minimal animal testing has been done to assess the safety of ingesting GMOs. The results of these tests show longterm degradation of organ health, an increase in pre-cancerous conditions and increasing health risks for subsequent generations. (see pdf: GM Crops- Just the Science)
The environmental costs are almost even more concerning than the human health risks. Once these GM crops are released into the environment they cannot be recalled. These GM crops throw off the natural balance of the ecosystem, contaminating non-GM crops, affecting the local wildlife, pest and weed populations and often requiring more expensive applications of toxic agricultural chemicals.
The corporations that push for these GMOs say that they have the potential to create higher yields so we can feed the poor people of the world. But it is the poor, especially of the third world countries, that have suffered most from this technology. Policies affected by GMO companies have allowed for patenting of seeds, market control and have even resulted in many unjust lawsuits against small time farmers by these huge corporations.
“The root cause of hunger is not a lack of food, but a lack of access to food. The poor have no money to buy food and increasingly, no land on which to grow it. Hunger is fundamentally a social, political, and economic problem, which GM technology cannot address.”
Many of the other “first world” countries of the world have refused this risky technology or have demanded that GMO foods be labeled in their countries. But the food supplies of the US and many of the third world countries are infiltrated with unlabeled GMOs. “80% of the packaged foods in America contain Genetically Engineered ingredients that have not been proven safe, and are not labeled!” Many of us have been eating these untested foods for years without even knowing it! The simple mission of the Right to Know March is to require that foods containing GMO ingredients be labeled. We have a right to know what we are eating.
Blogger’s Challenge: Educate yourself about GMOs in our food supply by reading this pdf report: GM Crops- Just the Science and exploring the Non-GMO Project website. Then choose non-GMO organic foods as much as possible. This is another great reason to grow your own or buy locally from small farmers.
You’re invited to schedule a Personal Strategy Session with me to receive loving guidance and practical support for your personal transformation and holistic wellbeing. Jo delAmor, Personal Transformation Coach.
