On Biotech: People 2, Fearmongers 0!
On Biotech: People 2, Fearmongers 0!
When you think Washington State and politics, you think blue, as in a solidly liberal, Democrat state. Yet, on Tuesday, the people of Washington State spoke relatively authoritatively, rejecting an initiative that would have required foods containing genetically engineered ingredients to be labeled. The vote was 54.8% opposed to labeling and 45.2% in favor of it. This follows a failed bid in sunny, liberal California that attempted in 2012 to do the same thing.
I have written at length about the harms caused anti-technology luddites attempting to restrict GMO foods or trying to get them treated as if they are strange and different. Others and myself and have also written of the virtues of biotech crops.
If environmental lobbyists can’t win in California or Washington, they should move on to another scare story.
Fortunately, the good citizens of these two states saw the arguments for labeling for just what they were, hype, and recognized the fact that biotech food is ubiquitous and has been shown to be safe in crop after crop, product after product.
The starving and malnourished people of the world should rejoice over the common sense displayed by the citizens in CA and WA in the past year. I know I do!
A pretty close vote, but I too am glad to see that there is still 54.8% of Washington citizens who have some common sense.
They may be liberal, but at least in Washington they’re well informed and not just voting along with their party.
“The No on 522 campaign set a record for fundraising, bringing in $22 million in donations according to The Seattle Times. Just $550 came from Washington residents…” (Weise)
That’s pretty shocking.
Yeah, I also read that it ended up costing 30 dollars per no vote.
http://grist.org/food/washington-gmo-labeling-initiative-flames-out/
Absolutely ridiculous
I don’t think people understand all of the benefits gained from biotech crops..
Oh absolutely not, and they believe organics are they key to immortality.
If the crop is safe to consume, why even think about enforcing manufactures to spend the money on the labels?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/06/gmo-labels_n_4228014.html
“What we’ve seen in Europe has shown that measures such as required labeling go on to actually lessen consumer choice,” Moyer said. “They become a de facto warning label for people, saying, ‘Watch out, there’s something different and wrong here, and you would be best to avoid this,’ which is, I think, really what a lot of the pro-labeling people would like.”
Because they have if GMO labels are seen as a warning, then they would flock to organics. How do people not recognize that the organic industry is a business just like anything else, and is not actually out to help anyone?
They definitely need to rework their gameplan. Anti-labeling lobbyists were given a well earned victory, in a blue state no less.
It’s a shame that any effort had to be put into convincing voters that this was a senseless initiative
I would rather look at it as informing rather than convincing. If they vote, or a similar topic came up again, it would cost way less. Mostly because the voters already are educated on the subject.
I have often wondered what/who is behind the resistance to scientifically enhanced food production and this seems to confirm that is is not concern about healthy food, but about money.