I've been doing a lot of research lately on GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) and I thought I should share just a little of what I have picked up, especially for the vegan or vegetarian populace.
In case you're not familiar with GMOs or the inherently EVIL corporation Monsanto, here's a quick run down.
Basically, inherently evil Monsanto (or just "Monsanto") has spent decades convincing farmers that bad seasons are due to bad seeds, and therefore produce bad yeilds. So, less money for the farmer, more debt, and more dependence on "good seeds" that will produce more crops and more cashflow. Now that our economy is crippled at the knees, more and more farmers are flocking to Monsanto for this so called mystery cure.
Problem being, the "high yeild" seeds that Monsanto supplies are more expensive (obviously) and lab created. These seeds have never been exposed to nature, never evolved, and are more or less completely 100% alien. GMO seeds rarely produce a high enough yeild to cover the additional cost of the more expensive seeds, but farmers come back again and again because once you plant a GMO seed, there's no turning back. Modified seeds pollute soil, surrounding crops, and groundwater. If any ORGANIC crops are growing from the same soil mass or water, guess what? The alien seeds posess the freakish ability to forever modify the original plants genes, making them alien as well.
All this planting and replanting of genetically modified food serves to do is forever eradicate natural plant life on Earth. GMO seeds, since they are incapable of evolving in any natural way that can be planned and accounted for, must be purchased new every season. These plants DO NOT produce plantable seeds, so farmers keep on buying and buying. Obviously, insects pose a problem to a plant with no natural defenses, and I'm sure you'd never guess who owns ALL the pesticides that work on GMO plants?
Yes, Monsanto.
At this point farmers are buying GMO plant seeds by the barrel load, now that they must use them every season due to the fact that their soil will not support any organically grown seed, Monsanto will keep on selling them stronger and stronger pesticides. Natural animal species such as bugs can evolve and outgrow the pesticides, but the plant can never develop defenses for the bugs. As harsher and harsher chemicals are being sprayed all over our food, Monsanto gets richer and richer. It's like the "big oil" of food.
So, one would assume that years of testing and research has been done on these GMOs, the food they produce, and the effects on animals and humans, right? Well, you would be 100% wrong. There has never been one ounce of scientific testing that can tell us exactly what GMOs do to the animal or human body. AND every single test that has been run on the plants themselves in the lab, has proven to be pretty much the opposite of what was expected when these plants were brought outside.
One important scientific consensus to remember is that we as a whole know very little about DNA, how it is relevent, or exactly what it is. But these seeds and plants are created by modifying strands of DNA that we know very little about, and then fed right into our bodies, where we're not quite sure what will happen to them.
There are currently NO safety testing requirements for GMOs. The FDA relies on recieving "scientific information" as to the pros and cons of GMOs from companies such as... MONSANTO.
Wait, that's where they get their research?
Absolutely it is.
How does this happen?
Under the BUSH administration the FDA's official standpoint was to "promote biotechnical diversity" as in "create as many steroid super plants as possible." Mainly, due to the fact that after the former Monsanto attorney running the FDA was in charge at the time, and has since returned to the company as VICE PRESIDENT.
The FDA was recently sued to make public their own findings on GMOs, and guess what? They are completely 100% different from Monsanto's original claims. the FDA’s own scientists showed that GMO foods are quite different and that they can lead to unpredictable and hard-to-detect allergens, toxins, new diseases and nutritional problems. However, only 1 in 4 of average Americans (if they even know what a GMO is) believes they have ever eaten a GMO.
And now the scary part. GMOs are found in an estimated 60-70% of foods in the US alone. And who eats most of these foods straight from the source? Vegans and Vegetarians. Yves and Morningstar have both been tested positive for GMO use. Tofu is especially dangerous because about 70% of crops grown in South America have been accidentally tainted by faulty GMO testing outbreaks, and that's where most of our outsourced tofu comes from. Also, pretty much anything containing corn or soy... Chock full of GMOs.
But don't think you're off the hook, Omnivores. In fact, a greater threat may be on the meat eating population, because about 75% of GMO crops are fed to livestock, which are then fed directly to you. Organic meat or not, it's still living on a steady diet of water and altered DNA.
And if you're vegan like me, and one of the main reasons you won't drink milk is because of the CANCER CAUSING GROWTH HORMONES shot into the asses of cows to make them produce more milk. (And if you didn't know that, gross, figure it out.)
Who did that come from?
"Monsanto for 1000, Alex."
Today's big winner is... Yo- Well, actually it's still Monsanto.
Monsanto stands to make a crapload of money when we have nothing natural left to eat, are riddled with disease and allergies (they are a huge leader in the medication feild) and need to purchase more and more pesticides for our ravaged space-crops.
I know this is long, but if you've made it this far, you're awesome. And I'm glad you care about what you put in your body. If you want to learn more about GMOs, go to:
Say No to GMOs!
And if you're tired of reading and just want to watch a video that will explain it to you like a 3rd grader:
Genetically Engineered Foods
WHEW.
IN SUMMATION: Buy organic. Buy local. Stay healthy.
Don't be a mindless, cancerous android. And remember, we are at the FRONT OF THE LINE to find out exactly what these space crops do to us, but not from lab testing... from our bodies.
<3 frankenbrynn
