To the editor:
In the industrialized world, studies identify North America to have the costliest health care, and yet lower life expectancy with higher cases of obesity, diabetes, autism, cancer than others.
The rise of health problems follow a similar rise in consumption of genetically engineered (GE) food in our diet and the increase in matching pesticide in our environment.
Canada approves genetically modified organism (GMO) without conducting independent safety tests. Instead, it bases its decision on data provided by the crop promoter, which has an incentive to see it approved. This is a case of conflict of interest.
So, British Columbia has taken a lead, with 62 municipalities passing resolutions declaring themselves as GE free.
Further, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM), in its conference and annual general meeting in September, plans to conduct a vote on a resolution to declare the entire province as GE free.
The resolution reads: that UBCM ask the British Columbia government to legislate the prohibition of importing, exporting and growing plants and seeds containing genetically engineered DNA, and raising GE animals within B.C., and to declare, through legislation, that B.C. is a GE free area in respect to all plant and animal species.
Here are two important sources of information on GMO:
GMO Myths and Truths, a synthesis of 600 scientific studies on GMO at www.earthopensource.org/index.php/reports/58.
Talk given by geneticist Dr. Thierry Vrain, a retired genetic engineer from B.C., who seriously doubts the safety behind GMO: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQkQXyiynYs.
I appeal to your readers to raise this issue, engage in public discussion, and request their councillors and mayors to vote in support of the resolution at the UBCM convention, for declaring the province to be GE free.
Tony Mitra
Delta
