• Seed corn questions • Auntie Sarah’s banyan • Where was Kaua‘i? • Thanks for show Seed corn questions I was interested to read the letter published here from Gregory Edmeades of Pioneer Hi-Bred, describing Pioneer as a good neighbor
• Seed corn questions
• Auntie Sarah’s banyan
• Where was Kaua‘i?
• Thanks for show
Seed corn questions
I was interested to read the letter published here from Gregory Edmeades of Pioneer Hi-Bred, describing Pioneer as a good neighbor to the people of Hawai‘i. From what I have seen, DuPont, the multinational corporation that now owns Pioneer, has not been a good neighbor to us.
Despite an outpouring of public concern about the safety of the genetic experiments Pioneer/DuPont and other corporations are conducting on our islands, they have denied us, the people of Hawai‘i, the basic right to know what genetically engineered crops they are growing and testing here and where these crops are being grown.
In the past year, the EPA discovered that some of DuPont’s genetically engineered crops contaminated other crops on
DuPont land here on Kaua‘i. While this contamination was not intentional, it shows that DuPont cannot or is not containing these new organisms. This kind of contamination poses great risks to our fragile island environment and to organic and other non-GMO farmers and growers, yet still DuPont refuses us the right to know about the genetically engineered crops they are growing here. These are not the practices of a good corporate neighbor.
DuPont is not the only company conducting genetic engineering experiments on our islands and withholding information about these tests from the people of Hawai‘i. However, they have the opportunity to set a precedent for other corporations engaged in genetic engineering in our state.
In his letter, Dr. Edmeades declared that his company is not growing crops “solely” for industrial or pharmaceutical purposes. I call on DuPont to take this a step further and publicly disclose what field trials they are conducting on our step towards recognizing the public concern about their growing practices and towards granting the people of Hawai‘i the basic
information we need to decide if we want these companies to grow genetically engineered crops on our islands.
Noli Hoye
Hanalei
Auntie Sarah’s banyan
Auntie Sarah’s determination to protect and preserve the 108 year old banyan tree on her property is exemplary. Her concern for the tree reminds me of a what Willa Cather had to say about trees. She said,
“I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do.”
Ann Jensen
Princeville
Where was Kaua‘i?
The show on TV about the ice epidemic, shown on September 25, was very emotional and well done. But why was there no one from Kaua‘i on the show.
Where was the Mayor, Chief of Police, social workers, foster parents and where were the recovering drug addicts. Are there any recovering addicts on Kaua‘i? After seeing this program, I don’t think anyone can be in denial that there is an “ice” problem in our beautiful state.
Wendy Pellegringo
Lihu‘e
Thanks for show
Mahalo nui loa to the print, radio and TV media for their generous and urgently needed contribution in providing full coverage to this vitally important community issue. Edgy Lee’s chilling portrayal brings it all home in “ICE: Hawaii’s Crystal Meth Epidemic”.
Now it is up to each one of us througout the state to step up to the plate and do our part to rid these islands of this scourage.
Paula Helfrich
Hilo
