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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (April 18, 2012)
News Wednesday, Ápril~18, 2012 newsed@clackamas.edu The Ctackam as Print?) The darker side of green: a critical look at organic farming By James Duncan Design Editor We are a people who like to be deceived. We really really do like being lied to, in fact T feel as though so many people’s lives would crumble if for just one moment they had to see how in vain everything they try to achieve is. While there are a great many reasons to fear truth, this is really something much smaller. N ot life-shatter ing, but still a lie that so 'many people love and hold dear to their heart. Some people today like to say “Organic is better.” Just to be5 cool and trendy. This is simply, a lie. Most people have been told that It tastes better, is more sustainable and is better for the environ m ent than the mega farms that we depend on. for-food. This is simply not true, with one exception,’ .yop grew it yourself or personally know the person who did, and organic is just another word tacked on things to get people to buy them. Just like multi-vitamins, they are products to take advantage of people who think som ethingis science because they “Read it in a book that one tíme.”- Let me break down some o f the biggest lies about organic farming. First th at it is better for the environment. It is only so true. I guess when you áre choosing the lesser o f two evils I would pick the one wearing hemp shoes too, but organic formers still use dangerous chemicals. Albeit natural, poison i s , still poison. Lets take Rotenone, .for example, this is a com mon organic pesticide.. T hat like m ost used in organic farm ing is never mentioned for fear o f ruining their image. This is a. natural chemical that has a low impact on pollinators and is considered a safe way of dealing with insect problems. Oh, wait — it s also linked to Parkinson’s and is a piscicide (kills fish). This organic pesticide is in fact á broad spectrum poison whose runoff devastates fish popula tions and is linked to neuro logical disorders in mammals. While it was outlawed in 2005 . for use in organic farming, it is still, commonly used. O n the other hand;-there are some Board of Education appoints new member The " /C la c k a m a s * C om m u n ity C ollege- Board o f E ducation is - com plete. T h e -empty . seat left by C harles “C h u ck ” C lem ans ■because o f * hit®", u n tim ely passing last year has been filled by C h ris’6r0e-nJer. T he Board approved his a p p o in t m e n t / ' rep resen tin g “ Z one Four, last W ednesday during th eir m o n th ly m eeting. G ro e n e r has., a tte n d e d C C C and i s ‘Well qualified for the position, according to Jane Reid, board ch air person, In a C C C press' release. She also stated th a t he is a strong and com pas sionate com m unity leader. G roener c u rre n tly serves on the O regon P lan n in g C om m ission’ and is a u n io n representative' forihU niteJL F ood an d C o m m ercial Workers; U nion. Legislative experience an d a 1 stro n g grasp of. p u b lic policy are som e' o f his skills the ap p o in tm en t subcom m ittee considered w hen th ey made theiri decision. C lem ans passed away in a car accident in D ecem ber, leaving his p o sitio n on the 'b o a rd , , Vacant. - G ro e n e r’s ap p o in tm en t ends Ju n e 30, 2013 at w hich tim e he may ru n for election to fulfill the rem ainder o f G lem an’s term w hich ends in 2 0 1 5 .;,' Jo C renshaw , w ho c u r rently serves on th e C C C ' F o u n d a tio n B o ard of D irecto rs, was th e o th er a p p lic a n t fo r th e p o s i tio n . She is a local busi ness w om an w ho also has stro n g ties to the’ .com m u n ity according to the C C C press release. —Jos^ ua D illen “evil” genetically modified crops that contain a very small amount o f Rotenone naturally through modification o f the plant to produce the chemi cal. JJsing genetically m odi fied plants there is vastly . less runoff and the crops require less pesticide; but I gttess fewer chemicals and poisons in the watershed isn’t really the point o f organic farming. The more one looks at the-.rather small list of chemicals used in organic farming, the more you have to think “Is copper good for eating?” “Does it make sense to support destructive farming practices that dress themselves as beneficial?” - - Sustainably, organic farm ing cannot support or sustain any population o f considerable size. Organic fatming produces up to 50 ■ percent Tess over all yield than industrial tech- niques. According to the World Bank, Earth now plays 'host to „7,006,919,675 according to the U.S. Census bureau. Think for one minute just how many that is>" ’ . “Every day, the equivalent o f a major earthquake killing over 30,000 young children occurs to a disturbingly muted response. They die quietly in some of the poorest villages- on Earth, far removed from , the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death.” -UNICEF Progress o f Nations 2000 O rganic farming doesn’t solve or even begin to, help any o f the poorest • people on Earth. W hat can help them and prevent countless deaths is the life-giving power o f geneti cally modified crops.' Thanks to organizations like Greenpeace, some o f the poorest people in the world aren’t allowed to have the rjnOtrient-rich grains they need to eke. out a modest existence. Now they want to fight G M O rice... funny, didn’t golden rice, one o f the older ’‘G M O ” crop, save hundreds o f thousands o f Jives in parts o f the world where vitamin A deficiency is common? W hat will they have to replaced this important source or nutrition? Nothing, you say? T h at’s right. W hen you. eat organic food and think “This is a better way to eat” remember the millions o f people who would die if organic farming became the majority practice. ’ Finally, there’s taste. I know, I know. “Organic foods taste better and are better for you.” Really? You think so? Because scienqec'doesn’t. In fact, the majority of double-blind stud ies have shown that even expe rienced; foodie's can’t tell the difference. I don’t think you can either. T hat is one interest ing thing about humans — we are really gullible;, Tf someone you trust tells you every.day that something is better and you finally try it, you are just* going to believe it-is better. N ot because it is, but because you have trained yourself ahead o f time to think it will be. Organic isn’t better. It’s just poorly regulated. . So next time you want to reach for an organic apple, because copper and poison are delicious, remember that it is a first-world luxury that is destructive to the rest of the world. Say it tastes bet ter — fine. Don’t, act like you are better in any way because you can pay $2 for an apple at Trader Joe’s. “Man can and must prevent the tragedy o f famine in the future instead of merely trying with pious regret to salvage the human wreckage of the famine, as 'he has so often done in the past.” -Norm an Borlaug, Nobel Peace Frize winner and pioneer in genetically modified crops. GSA alliance at CCC plans two ...... events for Ill.!.!.! ....S Ally ... ■.■ Week . I.■ I 1.... The C la c k a m a s C om m unity C ollege Gay/ Straight Alliance C lu b is planning two events for Ally Week, April 23-27. The Ally Week; Kick-Off will be held on Thursday, April 19, fro m ,1 2 -lp .m . in Roger Rook 204. Pizza and pop will be provided, and Bingo cards featuring fac ulty and staff GSA allies will be given'to participants. All students are welcome. D uring Ally Week, April 23-26, faculty and staff GSA allies will wear Ally b u t tons so that participating 111 students canTocate them to expression, deserve to feel safe and supported while have Bingo cards signed. The A lly . W eek on campus. An ally is- not Celebration will be held on an advbcate; rather, an ally Thursday, April 26, from helps students feel that they 1 2 1p.m. in R ook 204. can advocate for themselves. Dessert will be provided; Faculty and staff allies do participants will enter their not need to be part of the signed Bingo cards in a raffle L G B T Q community. For m ore inform ation, for fabulous prizes: three prizes for students and one please contact Carol Burnell prize for a faculty or staff at carolb@clackamas.edu or ext. 3256, Bruce Simmons member. • W hat is a GSA faculty/ at bruces@clackamas.edu or staff ally? An ally is someone ext. 3332, or Jen Borowczak who believes all students, at jenniferb@clackamas.edu regardless o f sexual orien or ext. 3172 tation or gender identity/ The Clackamas Print «J-2B fi, d-22s>
