Hawaii is an outstanding location for Agronomic Experimentation and Development because it has three growing seasons. Monsanto, Syngenta, Pioneer and others have taken advantage of these growing seasons to dramatically reduce the time it takes for them to develop new hybrids of corn and soybeans. Unfortunately, each of these growing seasons requires a season's worth of chemicals, meaning Hawaii Agricultural Lands are doused with at least 3 times the chemicals that cropland in Minnesota would be subjected to in a year.
These Agronomic Companies are subsidiaries of corporations that also include Chemical Companies. One chemical that deserves special attention is Round-Up, also known as glyphosate. Surely you have heard of "Round-Up ready" seeds. Do you know how they develop these? They plant corn (or soybeans) and then douse the field with enormous quantities of Round-Up (or other chemicals) so that they can harvest the few plants that don't die. In other words, they kill almost everything.
These extra chemicals are washed into the ocean.
The reefs around Hawaii are dying. Subjective analysis suggests these chemicals are harming Kekaha residents. (Kekaha is on the west side of Kauai where most fields are located.)
HAPA, the Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action, has been working to monitor the use of agricultural chemicals to protect the Hawaiian Oceans and Hawaii Citizens. Kauai, one of the Hawaiian Islands, passed a county council bill to limit and monitor the use of these chemicals. The chemical companies with presence on Kauai have sued the county so the law has not been implemented allowing the chemical companies to continue poisoning the land. The Hawaii State government is failing to take appropriate action.
I will not belabor all the research about the dangers of Glyphosate (or the other chemicals used). If you want to know ask Bob Streit (bastreit@gmail.com) and Don Huber. I only ask you to support HAPA.
Please sign the HAPA petition which will be presented to representatives of the Swiss government. Switzerland has banned the use of chemicals that are sprayed everyday on Kauai. Syngenta is a Swiss corporation.
Here is the HAPA press release concerning their trip to Switzerland:
http://blog.hawaiiallianceforprogressiveaction.org/...
Please consider donating to HAPA:
https://ujoin.org/...
Here is HAPA's home page:
http://www.hawaiiallianceforprogressiveaction.org
Wed Apr 22, 2015 at 10:41 AM PT: I just received news that a friend of mine who has been very active in the anti-pesticide movement on Kauai and who works at the hospital in Kekaha was diagnosed with Guillain Barre Syndrome. There are some indications that this may have been caused by the pesticides sprayed on the West Side.
Many will say that correlation does not prove causation, and I will agree with them. On the other hand, I will say that correlation demands investigation.
The Hawaii State Government has been dragging its feet ever since Kauai’s bill 960 was overturned. The poor soul who has been tasked with the responsibility of doing the necessary research does not have adequate resources to do it within a time frame that will be useful.