36 Different Pesticides Found in Hawaiian Child’s Hair Sample

Kauaʻi mother Malia Chun is no stranger to fighting against biotech corporations that spray chemicals in her neighborhood. She flew all the way to Switzerland to attend Syngenta’s board meeting to draw attention to the fact that corporations like theirs are poisoning her children. Recent tests revealed that one of her daughters was riddled with 36 different pesticides – the shocking discovery was found from taking a simple hair sample to a lab.

It would seem unfathomable that Hawaii, where the weather is picture perfect, would have to import over 90 percent of its food supply. But with companies like Dow, DuPont/Pioneer, Syngenta, BASF, and Monsanto testing their GMO products on over 1,000 plots of large acreage, it’s the sad truth. This is why Hawaii is often called GMO Ground Zero.

The test plots are sometimes sprayed with carcinogenic and health-harming chemicals up to 16 times a day for most of the year. These test sites are located near neighborhoods, schools, and even hospitals. More than 24 schools are within a mere mile of a major GM test site, and some of the pesticides found in children are supposed to be banned or severely restricted in use.

Chun recently voiced her concern at a press conference to urge Governor David Ige to enforce more stringent pesticide-use regulations. So far, the work of activists like Chun and others has gone largely unheeded. This is why she has reached out to a more global community – including Native American Indians, the indigenous peoples of Australia and Maori, and tribes in Africa that have faced similar battles.

Read: Widow Sues Monsanto for Husband’s Wrongful Death

Chun lives on the island of Kauai, but the copious spraying is also done on Oʻahu, Maui and Molokaʻi – in fact, all the islands of Hawaii are affected.

A mere 3,000 signatures have been collected to help stop the spraying of so many chemical pesticides in Hawaii. The islands need our help to make it VERY CLEAR to Hawaii’s government leaders that this will be tolerated no longer. Please sign the petition, and help Chun and other families defend themselves against biotech’s careless spraying.

Sources:

Indian Country

Action Network

Hapahi.org