The Great GMO Experiment: There Is No Opt-Out Or Is There?

Posted on Nov 16 2011 - 2:19am by Mike Lieberman

A post on Organic Connections Magazine called People Don’t Want to Be a GMO Experiment got me thinking about a few things.

Why we should be concerned about GMOs

Most people assume that GMOs are safe because they are so widely available, which is not true. GMOs have never been proven to be safe and no they aren’t feeding the world.

It was some time in the late 1980s/early 1990s when they were first widely planted. So it hasn’t been that much time to see any kind of long term effects and if they are truly safe.

Ultimately this means that we are walking experiments to see how safe they really are. GMOs are found in most of the foods that are widely sold in the supermarkets.

This makes us all subjects in the GMO science experiment, not only with our food, but with grass too.

Barack Obama lied to us

When he was campaigning in 2007, he specifically said, “We’ll let folks know whether their foods have been genetically modified because Americans should know what they’re buying.” Check the video to hear it yourself.

This sucks, but we can do something about it!

  • There is the Just Label It campaign, which is a petition to get GMOs labeled. They are hoping to get enough signatures and flood the FDA with them.
  • You can also start to grow some of your own food. Most of us don’t have the time or space to be completely self-reliant, but every little bit matters. It’ll assure you that you aren’t supporting GMOs even the tiniest bit.
  • Join your local CSA or shop at your farmers market. These are great ways that give you direct access to the growers to ask them about their growing practices.

What are other ways to ensure that you aren’t consuming GMOs?

Image courtesy of dzingeek on Flickr

8 Comments so far. Feel free to join this conversation.

  1. MisterSwervon November 17, 2011 at 3:49 am -

    When growing your own food, you should always make sure that the seed is not coming from a provider who supports GMO or distributes GMO seed.  There are a lot of resources out there,  but I only buy from companies that have signed the Safe Seed Pledge.

  2. Mike Lieberman November 17, 2011 at 8:37 am -

    True dat. Wrote a post on that. Lot’s of good options out there
    https://www.urbanorganicgardener.com/2011/03/buying-non-gmo-seeds-botanical-interests/

  3. The Ark Institute December 3, 2011 at 8:18 am -

    ABSOLUTELY! 
    The intended secrecy of the widespread usage of GMOs on the world’s population can only be likened to the Tuskegee Experiments from the mid-20th century. Not aware of that debacle? Read about it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_syphilis_experiment

    In addition, many recent studies have shown that GMOs are directly responsible for causing cancer, sterility, high-infant mortality, and organ failure, when tested on animals in clinical trials. But since none of these tests were performed or commissioned by the FDA or USDA, the US Gov’t doesn’t acknowledge their results and/or dismisses their validity. More so, the intended benefit of the GMOs is to increase food production to feed the ever-increasing world population, but recent studies by major universities and research firms show that most of the increase in food production is in the traditional varieties through more efficient farming, NOT by the use of GMOs. 

    Why does the US Gov’t not want to ban GMOs or even label them openly? The biggest offender for genetic modification is Monsanto, and they just so happen to employ some powerful government employees and politicians. See more about that overlap here: http://www.geke.us/Monsanto.001.jpg

    More of these disturbing articles and studies can be found on my site for The Ark Institute – http://www.arkinstitute.com/news.html

    Our founder uncovered some of the initial patents for the “Terminator Gene” and other GMO patents while researching a doctorate in the mid-90’s, and we have been growing, stockpiling, and providing clean, fresh non-GMO, non-hybrid produce seed ever since. Equally important, we also work to educate and inform the public on the dangers of GMOs and benefits ofmaking even the smallest of efforts to become more self-sufficient.  

  4. Mike Lieberman December 3, 2011 at 11:21 am -

    Thanks for sharing all the info.

  5. Mike Lieberman December 6, 2011 at 7:32 pm -

    That’s what’s up bro!

  6. Ama January 26, 2012 at 4:50 pm -

    Theres needs to be ALOT more people like you around. I think that if there is a second Enlightenment it will be equally about people empowerment/liberty AND a green revolution.
    Its so true that taking back control of our food, locally and organically, is part of taking back our liberty. “Modern” people really are SERFS in that they have no control over the land which the “lords”/corporations rule.

  7. Ama January 26, 2012 at 4:50 pm -

    Theres needs to be ALOT more people like you around. I think that if there is a second Enlightenment it will be equally about people empowerment/liberty AND a green revolution.
    Its so true that taking back control of our food, locally and organically, is part of taking back our liberty. “Modern” people really are SERFS in that they have no control over the land which the “lords”/corporations rule.

  8. Mike Lieberman January 26, 2012 at 6:53 pm -

    Sadly true. The amount of time that we spend “working” today is more than peasants during the feudal period.

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