The Destructive Impact of GMOs on our Health and the Environment

Are you concerned about your health, the environment, and climate change?

If yes, you should avoid conventional (non-organic) and genetically modified (GMO) food as they are sprayed with poisonous pesticides and pumped with synthetic nitrogen fertiliser.

In fact, there is nothing natural about GMOs and they have no health benefits. They are not part of nature and foreign to our bodies, causing kidney and liver problems, cancer, and other diseases.

According to a 2011 study published in Environmental Sciences Europe, a GMO diet has serious health consequences on our kidneys and liver, as well as, cancer, toxicity, antibiotic resistance, allergic reactions, and a suppressed immune system.

GMOs are created in a lab with foreign genes extracted from the DNA of bacteria, viruses, insects, animals, and even humans. These foreign genes are then artificially forced into the genes of an unrelated plant or animal and alter our genes and damage our organs when we ingest them.

Besides destroying our health, they also impact the environment by destroying soil health, its carbon sequestering ability, the beneficial microorganisms in the soil, and our pollinator friends that work so hard for one-third of our food to exist.

Other names used for GMOs are genetically engineered, or bio-engineered, or precision fermentation, or new breeding techniques, or sustainable solutions, or synthetic biology, or whatever the biotech companies choose to call them. At the end of the day, they are all genetically modified foods or GMOs.

Interestingly, in the 90s, proponents of genetic modification promised they were going to help “feed the world,” create more nutritious foods, increase crop yields, and reduce pesticide use, amongst other bold claims.

Fast forward 30 years to today and these claims have fallen far short. They do not provide any increased nutrition, have failed to increase crop yields, and the use of pesticides has increased by about 185 million kilograms (404 million pounds).

Every time you eat pesticide-ridden foods, you ingest a little bit of poison. This harms you internally the more you ingest them each and every day, and they also harm soil health, the beneficial microorganisms in the soil, and our innocent pollinator-friends that we rely on for over one-third of our food to exist.

Every time synthetic nitrogen fertiliser is used, it drains into lakes, rivers, and oceans, and stimulates the rapid growth of algae in the water to excessive amounts. As these excessive amounts of algae decompose, they eat up the oxygen in the water, suffocating all fish and marine life. These areas are called ‘dead zones’ and there are over 415 dead zones worldwide and growing.

Some of the world’s largest dead zones are in the United States, such as Chesapeake Bay, Gulf of Mexico, and the Mississippi River. A total of 200 dead zones are in the United States, alone.

What is more, fertiliser needs continued fossil fuel extraction and environment-destroying fracking to exist, a method that involves drilling into the earth’s surface and directing chemicals underground in order to extract oil or natural gas.

The U.S. is number one in fracking and Australia is not far behind.

In addition, when synthetic fertiliser and pesticides are applied to crops, it leads to high nitrous oxide emissions, a gas that is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas and is the world’s most ozone depleting gas.

Direct nitrous oxide emissions from fertiliser have increased 478% since 1990.

The best thing you can do for the planet and yourself is to go organic!

Eat real food that does not damage you and the environment and request organic food options on the menu at your favourite local eateries. If they know there is a demand for organic, they will provide!