It is hard to progress forward unless you know where we have been. Therefore, I thought it vital that we review the history of environmental, agricultural and food safety legislation, including the development of important government agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency. Although this list is not all-inclusive of past legislation, it should help you understand how certain government agencies developed and the role of government regulation.
1862 United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA
Our natural environmental was not created in a lab, but now with biotechnology our natural environment is being tampered with in a way unimaginable. It is called genetically modified foods or organisms, also called GMOs. Mind you that this is not a ploy to help create a better environment and healthier food, but to gain control over food sources and create large financial gains.
When you hear the word “cotton,” what do you think? Do you think white, fluffy, soft and absorbent? Do you think about t-shirts, socks and summer dresses? What many people do not think about is the process and chemicals used to get those cotton products we know and love. Now when I think about cotton, I cannot help but think about chemicals, toxins and health risk factors.
Here are some numbers to consider.
When I listen to the news on the television or read it on-line, I notice a common theme, political disputes. It seems our politicians cannot seem to get along. With all the arguing and personal attacks, it is a wonder our political leaders get anything done at all. Then I hear how Americans have lost faith in our politicians in part because of financial distress and this political upheaval. The consequences of this lack of trust in political leaders include the loss of leadership, little to no progress with programs and poor outlooks on future leaders.
When I walk throughout my neighborhood in the middle of the hottest and usually driest months of July and August, I find that I am dodging the water shooting from sprinklers and jumping over puddles of water on sidewalks. Because clean water is so accessible to us, we consequently tend to be wasteful with its uses like leaving sprinklers on too long, creating a saturated yard and those sidewalk puddles. In our ignorance, we are taking advantage of a natural substance – water- without any regards to its limitations.
The dandelion is probably one of the most common weeds. The bright yellow flower is considered an eyesore whether they are in our yards, thriving on the side of the road or growing between cracks in a sidewalk. By definition a weed is a plant that is considered unwanted and a nuisance, which is a very subjective definition. Meaning, virtually anything could be considered a weed. So what do you know about dandelions besides the fact that they are considered a weed?
Now most of us know that sticking our noses in a bleach bottle is harmful to us and that drinking any household product is equally as dangers, if not deadly. But what about wafting and smelling the scents left behind, from the smells of our fabric softener to the air fresheners strategically placed throughout our homes? Although we are made to believe that all of these smells equal fresh and clean, these smells are the result of chemicals. They are deceiving our noses and us.
A 1991 “Environmental Health Perspectives” article said it best,
If the clean renewable energy sources prove too problematic, should we continue to pursue them as clean renewable energy sources? And if these sources are so problematic are they really clean renewable energy sources? The answers to these questions and the decisions we make both nationally and internationally will effect generations to come.
It seems that politicians, the people we claim represent us, are far to eager to give speeches, gallantly proclaiming their beliefs and making promises. Although these politicians and their speeches at first sound like music to your ears, it soon turns into annoying relentless chatter. Politicians’ beliefs and promises quickly turn into lies and broken promises.
Although many of us live in an area we are not indigenous to, it does not mean we should not be aware of the history of the area we live in. A clear understanding of what was there and how it became what it is now, is the best way for us to be able to make smart development decisions for the future. Was the area a forest, prairie, desert or swamp? Who were its past inhabitants: Indians, bears or wolves?