To: President Donald Trump
Stop Agent Orange-resistant corn
I am writing to ask you to tell the USDA not to approve Dow’s genetically engineered corn (DAS-40278-9), created to resist the herbicide 2,4-D (Docket No. APHIS–2010–0103), a component of Agent Orange. Though it's very likely to increase the use of this dangerous poison, there hasn't been a proper environmental review of the potential threats to the environment and human health. Please tell them to reconsider.
Why is this important?
Dow Chemical used to manufacture Agent Orange, an herbicide and defoliant, for use in the Vietnam War. The nation of Vietnam estimates that 400,000 people were sickened by this long-lasting chemical, while 500,000 children with birth defects were born to exposed parents. Now, Dow is asking the USDA to approve genetically modified corn that's resistant to Agent Orange.
What's worse, this corn is being offered to replace corn resistant to pesticides like RoundUp. Intense RoundUp use has created superweeds that RoundUp can't kill. So now they need something different to spray on the crops, at least for a while, and they want to try making the food we eat resistant to Agent Orange, which seems like a terrible, goddamn idea.