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Approval of Dow Chemical’s Very Controversial GMO-Corn to be Delayed
We just got a piece of good news that I wanted to share with you.
Due to our tremendous protests and outcry, Dow Chemical’s genetically-modified crop that is resistant to 2,4-D has been put on hold until at least 2014. Given that President Obama and the USDA have been giving rubber-stamp approval to every single GMO-crop that crosses their desks, this is a small victory.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with this GMO-corn, it is a type of genetically-modified corn that has been developed to be resistant against an herbicide called 2,4-D. The idea is that you can spray 2,4-D (a toxic chemical) on the plant but it won’t damage the crop. It will kill the weeds around it, however.
What makes 2,4-D so fearsome is that it was the primary ingredient in Agent Orange. And as you may remember, Agent Orange was the code name for one of the chemicals used in Vietnam as part of a broad herbicidal warfare program.
Vietnam estimates 400,000 people were killed or maimed, and 500,000 children were born with birth defects as a result of this lethal strategy.
But it wasn’t just the Vietnamese who suffered greatly. U.S. soldiers came back from the war and realized that exposure to Agent Orange had greatly impacted them as well.
According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, veterans exposed to Agent Orange suffered from many horrible diseases including leukemia, Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, prostate cancer, and others.
Given the tremendous suffering the chemical exposure caused to our veterans, you would think that this Agent Orange corn wouldn’t stand a chance but the chemical/ag-biotech industry in Washington D.C. is incredibly influential.
That being said, the massive outcry from environmental, organic food, farming, and Vietnam veteran groups caused a delay in the approval process until at least 2014.
Will Agent Orange corn get approved next year?
Dow Chemical certainly thinks so. It has set up five technology centers around the country to start training farmers on Enlist (the trade name for 2,4-D corn) and has over 100 field plots at retail and company locations nationwide.
Nevertheless, this delay gives us more time to continue our fervent opposition against Agent Orange corn and to educate the rest of the country about this frightening crop.
To learn more about 2,4-D, please read the following posts:
Charlie Rose and CBS News video spotlights Agent Orange Corn
Vietnam Veterans and prominent chefs urge President Obama not to approve Agent Orange corn
The USDA is set to approve 2,4-D corn. Why????
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Two action items.
1) Tell the USDA to reject Agent Orange corn. Click HERE to do so.
2) Make sure that you are subscribed to my newsletter list, so I can keep you informed about important GMO-news.