ALEC Protecting GMO Pollution Through Legislation

Pollution

The act or process of polluting or the state of being polluted, especially the contamination of soil, water, or the atmosphere by the discharge of harmful substances.

The Pollution Prevention Act defines "source reduction" to mean any practice which:

reduces the amount of any hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the environment (including fugitive emissions) prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal; and

reduces the hazards to public health and the environment associated with the release of such substances, pollutants, or contaminants.

The term includes: equipment or technology modifications, process or procedure modifications, reformulation or redesign or products, substitution of raw materials, and improvements in housekeeping, maintenance, training, or inventory control.

National Pollution Prevention Policy

Under Section 6602 (b) of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, Congress established a national policy that:

pollution should be prevented or reduced at the source whenever feasible;

pollution that cannot be prevented should be recycled in an environmentally safe manner whenever feasible;

pollution that cannot be prevented or recycled should be treated in an environmentally safe manner whenever feasible; and

disposal or other release into the environment should be employed only as a last resort and should be conducted in an environmentally safe manner.

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I have been thinking about this entry ever I saw the movie “Food Inc” on PBS about a month ago. 

This movie is IMPORTANT

– If you have not seen it you should and

– you should buy it and

– have a public viewing of it

– with discussion afterward.

The reason I have been thinking about it is because although I understand it, many may not if they haven’t been raised on a farm. 

So here is my attempt to make this issue understandable for others.

First, focus on the concept of  bio-engineered seed or genetically modified organisms or GMO’s.

An example:

Let’s say you are growing the best weed in the county, in your back yard.  Period – the best.

A block down the road, a neighbor has bioengineered/genetically modified  a weed and is growing it in their backyard – NOT better than yours but theirs produces more seed – nothing better about it, just more seeds.

One day, the neighbor from a block down, the one who has the genetically modified weed, comes to your house and tells you – “My GMO weed has cross pollinated with your weed – therefore your weed now belongs to me because it now contains my GMO qualities.

Well that is what is happening to the farmers in the Midwest. 

Watch the movie  “Food Inc.”.

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When I was a youngster at the end of harvesting we would have someone come in who would strip our corn – remove the corn from the cob – so we would then have seed corn to plant the next year (no! not all farmers can afford to buy new seed for corn every year, from a store).

Now some farmers cannot do that that because:

Agribusinesses like Monsanto - who happens to be a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC); 
ALEC – who happens to fight EPA regulations – EPA who happens to regulate pollution -

Monsanto plants their GMO corn on fields in their agri-business farms. 
Then they go to the surrounding family owned - independently owned farms and tell them that the seed from their privately grown corn NOW includes qualities from the GMO corn (because it has cross-pollenated across fields)

and therefore the corn on the independent farmers land NO LONGER BELONGS to them – but is legally Monsanto’s. 

WHY? Because the indpendent farmer grown  corn now (hypothetically) contains the GMO DNA of Monsanto’s corn, because of cross-pollentaion

 – AND the farmer can no longer use the seed from their OWN FIELDS to replant the next year - because if now contains Monsanto technology.

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How would you feel if you ran into the same thing with your neighbors GMO weed infecting your weed and then your neighbor telling you YOUR weed NOW BELONGED TO THEM?

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Well, in a discussion that I had with a now retired farmer  today regarding this issue – he asked me why are the farmers are not suing Monsanto for pollution?

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And that is now my question.

Based on what I know of ALEC and what I know of their crazy attempts to dismantle the EPA – now I can understand why the Koch brothers are not the only ones wanting the EPA gone.

Monsanto is creating a pollutant with their GMO pollen that is “contamination of soil, water, or the atmosphere  by the discharge of harmful substances” “released into the environment”; FROM CORPORATE (aka Agribusiness) OWNED GMO CROPS.

The other ALEC connection on this story would be ALEC's relentless pursuit to dimantle class action suits and "tort reform."

Both would be very applicable in this situation.

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Based on the fact that Monsanto is filing lawsuits against independent family-run small farms because the small family-run, independent farmers are trying to use their own seed corn that has been polluted with Monsanto's GMO pollen  – it is evident and provable that Monsanto’s GMO pollen is “released into the environment” and is a pollutant.

I think it is time for the farmers of the Midwest – instead of hiding in the dark of night – trying to harvest their own seed corn – to file a class action suit against Monsanto for polluting their air, soil and crops.

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The USDA – is not doing enough for the independent farmer.

At the USDA, all genetically modified crops are regulated as potential "plant pests." Under the regulations, companies are allowed to sell new crops, without restrictions, for planting on millions of acres of U.S. farmland once they overcome a low and scientifically inexplicable hurdle—a showing that engineered crops are not plant pests

Monsanto’s GMO infected pollen IN NOT A PEST – IT IS A POLLUTANT!

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To this point – the farmers of the Midwest have been afraid of Monsanto
– and because of this

– they are losing their seed corn

– they are losing their farms and
– they are losing rights to the crops they have nutured for hundreds of years 

– they are losing the heritage of the Midwest

because Monsanto has been pushing them around - because Monsanto thinks they can.

It is time for the farmers of the Midwest to take action and push back based on a pollution class action suit against Monsanto.

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It may take a city kid 30 seconds to fight back against someone trying to steal their weed

To date the farmers have not fought back - maybe using pollution as their focus they can regain their farms and their freedom against corporate control again.

Now it is time for the farmers of the Midwest to band together against Monsanto and take their farms, seed corn and other crops back.

Monsanto GMO agri-business is NOT what the Midwest wants
– but the farmers need to take a stand
– and when they do,
– they will need they support of the 99%.

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GMO Pollen is a POLLUTANT, not merely a pest.

GMO Pollen is being protected by ALEC and ALEC legislators and this has to stop.

ALEC is another name for pro-corporate legislation / regulation.

Agri-business is just another name for corporate farming and it needs to be stopped
–before all crops are cross pollenated with GMO and
–no independent farmers exist because all their seeds,crops and farms have been hi-jacked/stolen by Monsanto.
#Alec