FACTS, OPINIONS & MISINFORMATION

RESEARCHING THE TOPIC OF GMOS, I COULDN’T HELP BUT THINK OF THE POLITICS IN OUR COUNTRY OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. EACH SIDE IS STEADFASTLY FIRM IN THE BELIEF THAT THEIR VIEW IS RIGHT, WHICH MAKES THE OTHER SIDE WRONG, EVEN THOUGH THOSE FIRMLY HELD BELIEFS MAY OR MAY NOT BE BASED IN FACT.

WHEN IT COMES TO GMOS, THERE ARE PLENTY OF STUDIES AND SCIENCE ON THE TABLE, BUT THE AVERAGE CONSUMER HAS LITTLE INTEREST IN PURSUING THIS INFORMATION.

ALTHOUGH IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO DO JUSTICE TO A TOPIC THAT ENTIRE BOOKS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT, MY GOAL IN TAKING ON THIS ASSIGNMENT WAS TO PRESENT ENOUGH FACTS ABOUT GMOS THAT READERS COULD MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT CONSUMING THEM—OR NOT.

What Is A GMO?

Visit any grocery store and you’ll notice labels proclaiming “non-GMO ingredients” or “No GMOs.” But what are GMOs in the first place?

GMO stands for “genetically modified organism,” and, in a nutshell, it’s any organism or microorganism whose genetic material has been changed or altered because of genetic engineering.

Genetic engineering is done to introduce a desirable trait, such as better flavor, bigger size, more varieties, resistance to damage, less water requirements and more.

Although we constantly hear about the term “GMO,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is responsible for regulating food safety for both humans and animals, considers “genetic engineering” (GE) as the more precise description. So, in this article, we’ll be referring to GE foods.

Food from GE plants was first introduced into the U.S. food supply in the 1990s, but interestingly enough, the first GE product approved by the FDA was actually a drug, not a food.

The fact is, genetic modification continues on many fronts—including in medicine. The science of genetically modifying microorganisms has resulted in medications used to treat type 1 diabetes, cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, genetic growth disorders, multiple sclerosis, lactose intolerance, heart attack and stroke.

“Genetically engineered insulin was approved in the early 1980s, and the first food was not approved until the early 1990s,” says Brandon R. McFadden, Ph.D., an assistant professor in food and resource economics in the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

“Living in Florida, it is likely many readers have heard about using genetically engineered mosquitos to combat diseases like Zika,” he adds. “This should highlight that genetic engineering is a technology used in breeding of food and is not a food itself.”

Some opponents are afraid that once we’ve gone down the GE road, there’s no going back. But the truth is, we’ve already gone there. A huge percentage of major crops grown in the United States are GE, including corn (88 percent) and soybeans (93 percent). Among other significant crops with GE varieties are potatoes, squash, apples and papayas.

Golden Example

In the 1990s, Swiss scientist Ingo Potrykus, along with Peter Beyer, co-invented Golden Rice, which is genetically engineered to produce beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body.

A humanitarian, Potrykus wanted to find a way to help up to half a million malnourished children in developing countries who go blind each year due to vitamin A deficiency. Many of those children die within a year of losing their eyesight.

The goal was that seeds for Golden Rice be made available at no cost to subsistence farmers around the world. Although intensive scientific research made the seeds a reality, opposition has prevented their distribution to the very people who most need them.

“Such opposition is often the result of well-nourished people imposing an ideology on the undernourished,” notes McFadden. “I am not sure how to change this; I wish I did. Recently, 107 Nobel Laureates signed a letter urging Greenpeace to abandon their campaign against Golden Rice. Hopefully, this will help.”

Let’s face it: We’ve been manipulating DNA in various ways for thousands of years. Think about seedless watermelons, chickens who lay more eggs per year and turkeys with unnaturally large breasts, to mention only a few.

“I like the saying, ‘Humans have had a hand in nature since Adam spit the first seed,’” says McFadden.

“For example, the ancestor to the corn we eat was about the size of your thumbnail. This domestication comes from manipulating genes. Although, most of us think of domestication as manipulating phenotypes—a phenotype is the observable, physical characteristics—rather than manipulating genes, which makes sense, as we cannot visually see changes at the gene level.”

Farmers And Breeders

For centuries, livestock breeders have utilized conventional breeding and artificial selection to obtain certain physical characteristics and traits—and to eliminate others. One has only to look at the vast variety in dogs, cattle, horses, etc.

In the world of crops, farmers trying to establish a plant with certain desirable traits will repeatedly cross-pollinate. Just as in breeding livestock, the potential problem is that, although this method introduces genes for the positive traits, it can also include genes that carry less-thandesirable characteristics.

In other words, farmers and breeders have been trying their hand at modifying genes—and thereby changing many species of animals and plants—but without a fraction of the careful control used in genetic engineering in the laboratory, which can isolate a single gene for a desired trait.

“Asking if genetic engineering is safe is like asking if the internet is good—it creates a false dichotomy,” observes McFadden. “Genetic engineering is simply a type of technology, and each application of the technology should be evaluated independently to ensure safety for consumers, the environment and farmers. And this is exactly what is done.

“Every genetically engineered crop must pass regulation by the FDA, EPA and USDA. There is no food consumed more studied and regulated than genetically engineered food. The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance calculated that, on average, it takes 13 years and $136 million to get a new genetically engineered seed through the regulatory process,” he says.

Opposing Views

If genetic engineering has resulted in drugs that help mankind and crops that resist pests, why is there such stringent opposition to this technology?

Among the issues voiced by opponents are concerns that:

• Genetic engineering reduces genetic diversity

• DNA from GE crops can transfer into the people eating them

• GMO consumption can increase general and gluten allergies

• Animals fed GMO feeds developed tumors, inflammation

• Testing methods aren’t adequate to ensure safety

• GMOs only benefit big biotech companies and factory farms

Opponents point out specific incidents as basis for their concerns. For example, in 1989, L-Tryptophan, which can be produced by GE bacteria, was linked to

37 deaths associated with eosinophilia myalgia syndrome. Studies into the cases ultimately determined the problem was due to “the omission of an important purification stage from the process, not to the use of GM organisms in its production.”

StarLink corn had been genetically engineered to produce its own pesticide protein and was EPA-approved for use only in “animal feed and other industrial, nonfood uses.” In 1998, however, StarLink corn was found in the human food supply. (The company that owned the U.S. registration for StarLink corn voluntarily withdrew it two years later.)

“The StarLink incident resulted in food recalls,” says McFadden. “After that, the documentary Food, Inc. demonized Monsanto and the ability to patent seed. However, seeds have been patented long before genetic engineering.”

Some detractors have said that the case for GMOs is like smoking was in the 1950s—just because there’s no clear link to cancer, birth defects, tumors, etc. doesn’t mean they’re safe. Depending on what you read on the internet, you can come away certain that GE is the scourge of the earth— or a welcome form of salvation. Moral of the story: Be open minded, and don’t get all your information from one source. Do some research on genetics in general.

McFadden cautions against giving too much weight to any one individual study or scientist. Instead, he advises on collecting as much information as possible from as many credible sources as possible in order to arrive at an informed conclusion.

“More than 2,000 studies have been conducted to assess human and environmental safety and nearly 300 organizations and scientific institutions support the safety of genetically engineered crops,” notes McFadden.

Be A Savvy Consumer

When you head to the grocery store, be an informed shopper. In many cases, you may not be buying a fruit or vegetable from a GE plant itself but a food item that contains ingredients made from GE plants. These can include corn starch, corn syrup and oils found in mayonnaise, salad dressings, breads, snack foods, etc.

And yes, in case you wondered, the FDA requires food from GE plants to meet the same food safety requirements as those from traditionally bred plants.

“Just being ‘Non-GMO’ doesn’t necessarily make a food healthy, so don’t be influenced by that label alone. Even when I see a label that says ‘Non-GMO,’

I look further at the ingredients,” says Debbie Green, a registered dietitian at The Villages Rehab.

“What I tell patients all the time about eating healthy is to shop the perimeter of the grocery store, not the middle aisles,” says Green.

“Eat whole foods you prepare yourself. Get as close to the source of food as possible. Go as fresh as you can, and purchase foods with the least amount of ingredients. The fewer the ingredients, the better o you are, and they should be ingredients you recognize, not additives you can’t pronounce,” says Green.

“If you’re concerned about GMOs in produce, go the organic route. There are several stores in our area that accommodate that and provide a wide selection,” says Green.

She also emphasizes avoiding processed foods, up to 90 percent of which are estimated to contained GE corn or soy.

“In our busy schedules, it is di cult to prepare healthy and fast meals without planning ahead and having the proper tools. Invest in a slow cooker and a pressure cooker, and it is possible to put a delicious and healthy meal on your family table in 30 minutes or less,” advises Green.

BY CYNTHIA MCFARLAND

As a place to call home

Florida ranks close to the top.

Water Concerns

We know what you’re thinking: What’s the big deal? After all, Florida’s a peninsula. We’re surrounded by water, and the state has plenty of surface water, right? Not so fast. Given our rapidly expanding population, experts say we’d better be paying attention.

In 1910, the state’s population was barely 1 million. According to the United States Census Bureau, Florida’s population as of July 2016 was estimated at 20,612,439. And studies predict a population of 27 million by about 2030.

Florida is a large state covering 58,560 square miles, but 27 million is a lot of people, and as the population grows, so do environmental concerns, many of which involve water.

“I think the greatest water-related environmental issue facing Florida is simply ensuring an adequate supply of water for all water users,” observes Kelly A. Grogan, Ph.D., associate professor in the Food and Resource Economics Department at the University of Florida.

“With (the) predicted population growth, demand for water will only be increasing in the future. Our natural drought cycle also makes us prone to shortages, and climate change predictions suggest that we may face more frequent and/or more severe droughts,” adds Grogan. “The combination of population growth and climatic factors means that we need to increase water conservation e orts now and make sure new urban development is designed with water conservation in mind.”

Although you often hear people mention “the” aquifer, the fact is there isn’t just one aquifer beneath the Sunshine State. The largest is the Floridan aquifer, which is located beneath not only Florida but also parts of Georgia, Alabama and even up into South Carolina.

Think of the aquifer as an underground river. Just like rivers on the surface, the aquifer is replenished by rainfall, which is why fluctuations in rainfall—and droughts, like the one Florida had this spring—can have a detrimental impact on water supply.

“People look around and see all our surface water and think there’s plenty of water here, but that doesn’t tell you the condition of the aquifer. You have to consider the amount of rainfall over a long period, not just a year,” notes David Holmes, county extension director in the UF-IFAS Marion County o ce.

“Many people don’t really think about how sensitive our Floridian environment is and aren’t familiar with our very sandy soils,” adds Holmes. “Anything that goes below the root zone of grasses and plants eventually reaches the aquifer. Even if you’re not on a well, you need to be concerned about water quality and quantity because what we do on the surface a ects the aquifer, and this is where our drinking water comes from.”

In the early 1970s, Florida established five water management districts, and in 1989, the state adopted legislation to improve water resource management and required each district to evaluate water needs and sources.

“A major concern is nutrient load, which can be caused by fertilizer, waste (human and animal) and storm water run-o ,” Holmes explains. “Basically, it’s caused by everyone living here, so it’s our responsibility.”

“About 90 percent of Floridians rely on groundwater for drinking water, either through wells or through city water systems that rely on groundwater,” says Grogan. “Increasing groundwater contamination will increase the costs incurred by (public) water systems to clean drinking water for household use. Excess nutrients in our groundwater also negatively impact surface water fed by our groundwater, like our many beautiful springs.”

“Farmers don’t tend to overuse fertilizer, but overuse is common in landscaping; people want their grass to be greener than their neighbors’,” notes Holmes. “A lot of people blow lawn clippings onto the street; those clippings contain nitrogen, and once they get washed into the storm drain, the nitrogen breaks down and goes into the water system. Instead, you should blow clippings back onto your grass to keep the nitrogen on the turf.”

And those “deposits” your dog makes in the yard? Pick ‘em up.

“It may seem like a small thing, but it’s a nitrogen source and goes through the soil,” says Holmes.

One major study, Water 2070, concluded that, “The single most e ective strategy to reduce water demand in Florida is to significantly reduce the amount of water used for landscape irrigation.”

Grogan agrees.

“Recent studies have shown that about 64 percent of the freshwater used by the average Central Florida household is used to irrigate lawns,” she notes. “Lush, green lawns are not naturally occurring features of our landscape and require a lot of water to maintain. Installation of Florida-friendly landscaping, utilizing native plants and, in particular, drought-tolerant plants, could substantially lower household water use.”

What You Can Do:

› Respect water restrictions when in place.

› Turn o water when brushing teeth, etc.

› Shorten your shower time.

› When replacing appliances, choose watere cient models.

› Run washers and dishwashers only with a full load.

› Don’t over-water or overfertilize landscaping.

› Switch to Florida-friendly vegetation that require less water, and/or be more accepting of having a less-than-perfect lawn.

› Pick up pet waste, and dispose of it in the trash.

› If you have livestock, remove waste from pastures and have it hauled o or compost on-site where it can’t create runo .

› Reduce your use of fertilizer and pesticides.

› If on a septic system, have it inspected and maintained regularly.

› Follow water conservation recommendations from University of Florida experts (http://bit.ly/2vjBgI3).

Rising Sea Levels

Science supports the evidence of rising sea levels, which will definitely impact a state that is surrounded by water. No one can say precisely how quickly this will occur over the coming years, but e ects have already been identified in low-lying coastal communities.

“We will actually see a rise in the ocean level, and we are already seeing the e ects of this in places like Miami-Dade County where they are already experiencing hightide flooding,” says Grogan.

The Florida Chapter of the American Institute of Architects is recommending that building designs, codes and infrastructure accommodate 3 feet of sea level rise for projects in all low-lying areas, even those farther inland and up tidal rivers.

“In addition to flooding, saltwater intrusion is another problem that will be exacerbated by sea level rise, and we are already experiencing contaminated wells in Fort Lauderdale and Miami,” observes Grogan.

Saltwater is found throughout the aquifer but is typically far below the freshwater. “Saltwater intrusion” is the movement of saline water into freshwater aquifers. This natural occurrence has an exponentially negative impact when too much fresh water is pumped from an aquifer, when a well is drilled too deep and, as Grogan points out, with rising sea levels.

What You Can Do:

› Seek professional building advice before buying or building in a low-lying area, even inland.

› Follow permitting requirements and building codes with new construction or renovation.

Waste & Recycling

All those people calling Florida home... well, we generate a lot of waste. According to 2014 statistics (the most recent available) from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, each resident generates an average 9.12 pounds of solid waste per day, which translates to 1.66 tons per year per person. That’s a lot of trash.

And where does it end up?

Again going with 2014 statistics, 47 percent of Florida’s solid waste ended up in landfills; 39 percent was recycled and 14 percent combusted.

In 2010, Florida legislature enacted a bill that established a statewide recycling rate of 75 percent to be achieved by 2020. Recycling statistics are in for 2015, and there’s some good news. Although it varies widely by county, the state’s overall recycling rate climbed to 54 percent in 2015. Twenty counties exceeded 50 percent, Marion and Citrus Counties among them.

What You Can Do:

› Recycle at home to avoid waste ending up in landfills.

› Start a recycling program at your school or workplace.

› Visit earth911.com and dep.state.fl.us for recycling tips.

Invasion Of Non-Natives

Things tend to grow well in Florida’s temperate climate—even species that aren’t supposed to be here, which is why our state is facing an invasion of non-native species, in both flora and fauna. In fact, over 500 non-native fish and wildlife species and 1,180 non-native plant species have been documented.

“Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) are the most serious aquatic pest plants in Central Florida,” notes Carli Segelson of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

“Hydrilla can grow at a rate of up to 1 inch per growing tip per day, with many more than 10,000 growing tips per acre of surface water,” Segelson explains. “Likewise, water hyacinth and water lettuce, which both float on the water’s surface, can double in size within 30 days. [These] species can block navigation, crowd out diverse vegetation, and, because of the respiration phase of their life cycles, even deplete available dissolved oxygen in the water column at night or on cloudy days.”

Boat trailers are one of the most common ways that exotic aquatic weeds are moved from one water body to another. Dumping aquarium plants into Florida waters is another way imported plants can become nuisances.

In upland areas, Cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), Chinese tallow

(Triadica sebifera), air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) and Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolia) are invasive, fast-growing species that exclude almost all other plant species, altering the habitat and reducing diversity.

In transitional and wetland areas, West Indian marsh grass (Hymenachne amplexicaulis), Para grass (Urochloa mutica) and torpedograss (Panicum repens) quickly take over and establish nearly complete dominance.

Invasive Critters

You’re probably already aware of one of the state’s most alarming invasive species: the Burmese python. Native to South Asia, their presence in the Sunshine State is attributed to escaped/released pets and the destruction of a breeding facility during Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Although the population is established in South Florida, individual Burmese pythons have been spotted near Naples and experts suspect the population is moving northwest.

These pythons prey on native species and have reduced local populations; they can also pose a threat to pets and livestock. The average Burmese python found in Florida is 8 to 10 feet, although they can grow up to 20 feet long.

FWC encourages residents to participate year-round in reducing the population of this invasive species; no hunting license or permit is required. And in case you’re thinking of grilling up your catch, eating meat from Florida pythons isn’t advised. High mercury levels have been found in Burmese pythons taken from Everglades National Park.

Tegus, a large lizard native to South America, have also become a problem in Florida, and local breeding populations exist as far north as Hillsborough County. Tegus reproduce quickly and eat a variety of food, including small animals and the eggs of many wildlife species. They can grow up to 4 feet long and, if they find a burrow, can survive temperatures down to 35°F.

On a brighter note, the Florida panther, which is native and endangered, has seen an increase in population, proving that conservation e orts are helping. Only about 20 to 30 panthers remained in Florida in the 1970s and ‘80s; the latest counts document approximately 120-230 adult panthers in the population.

What You Can Do:

› Before you leave a boat ramp, carefully inspect your trailer and boat and remove any aquatic weeds.

› Don’t transplant aquatic vegetation.

› Never empty the contents of your home aquarium into the wild.

› Report new infestations of aquatic plant pest species to FWC Invasive Plant Management section at (850) 617-9430

› Don’t leave pet food outside.

› Never release an exotic animal into the wild. (It’s illegal, not just unwise!)

› Report sightings of non-native species to the exotic species hotline at (888) Ive-Got1 or online at IveGot1.org. Learn more at http://bit.ly/1JkmcgD

› Take part in the FWC’s Python Pickup Program. Learn more at http://bit.ly/2sGVc98

› If you have a non-native pet you no longer wish to keep, surrender it through the exotic pet amnesty program. Learn more at http://bit.ly/1y9yvbn

› Support conservation e orts by purchasing a conservation-themed vehicle tag at your local tax o ce.