Take This Chance to Speak Up on Genetically Modified Crops and 2,4-D Herbicide

Reader Contribution by Barbara Pleasant
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On January 7, 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) opened up a 45-day period for public comment on its decision to deregulate a new generation of genetically modified (GM) soybeans and corn. Older GM crops were invented to withstand treatment with glyphosate (Roundup) and a few other herbicides, but now weeds are becoming resistant, so more chemicals are needed. Big Ag wants to roll out GM corn and soybean varieties that can resist 2,4-D, an old yet volatile herbicide famous for its ability to drift where it is not supposed to go. Exposure has been linked to lowered sperm counts, lymphoma, disrupted thyroid functioning and other health problems. Bad batches have been found to be laced with dioxin, a potent carcinogen that enters the food chain and stays.

The EPA has decided that the new GM varieties should not be regulated, at all, despite predictions by scientists that doing so may result in a “profound increase” in the amount of 2,4-D applied to farmland. You have until midnight on February 24, 2014, to make your voice heard. After that, it’s a done deal.

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