SLEUTH 4 HEALTH

A Blog For the Rational Public. The Real Truth About GMOs & Other Stuff

Why this blog?

1/2014 update:  My name is Julee K.  I am a 53 year old woman living in Portland Oregon, USA. The paragraphs below represent how I felt when I first started this blog back in September of 2012.  In April 2013, I discovered what science really has to say and long story short, my views about GMOs have done a complete one-eighty as of this update.  I jumped on a bandwagon of hype and hysteria and was flat out wrong.  Because of the reversal of my original views that inspired Sleuth4Health, I have decided to leave all my posts so that anyone can follow my evolution.  At this point I think it’s more of a transformation!  I now consider myself pro-science and a member of the rational public.

See  Science Is Laughing At Us.  ~JuleeK/Sleuth4Health

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Recently I have become very concerned about the US food supply, and specifically the ever increasing use of GMO (genetically modified organisms) in some of our most regularly consumed foods like soy, corn, canola, cotton and dairy.  The Bio-tech industry appears to be attempting to control the world’s food supply in such a way as to maximize  profits without, it appears, much care to insure proof of long term safety for consumers.

I mean, this is our food – and everyone must eat.

40 of the world’s most industrialized countries – Germany, Japan, Australia, for example, have either banned GMO outright, or at least required its labeling.  Canada and the US have embraced the technology – no labeling required – with open arms since 1994.  Whether we know it or not, we’re eating genetically modified food.

As I came to understand the prevalence of GMO food, I started to ask questions.  Why do most people not even know GMO exists in our every-day food to the extent it does?  Shouldn’t access to this information be more readily available to the masses?  It must be safe because this couldn’t be happening otherwise, right? I mean, didn’t the FDA have to approve this practice?  Well, even if some food is GMO, I’ll just avoid those foods at my local grocery store and buy non-GMO food.  No worries.  Should be easy, right?

These issues along with countless more are what I am exploring in this blog.  I am educating myself and hopefully a few others with every new post.

23 responses to “Why this blog?”

  1. sarasinart Avatar
    sarasinart

    You’re writing a great blog here, and it’s so important. Thanks!

    Reply
    1. sleuth4health Avatar
      sleuth4health

      Hey thanks! I appreciate the feedback. I certainly WANT this information to be important to people, and that’s my goal!

      Reply
  2. sarasinart Avatar
    sarasinart

    Hey, your blog always inspires me, so I’ve given you the Very Inspiring Blogger award. http://sarasinart.net/2013/04/15/very-inspiring-blogger-award/

    Reply
    1. sleuth4health Avatar
      sleuth4health

      Thanks so much! I will display the logo and abide by the rules.

      Reply
      1. sarasinart Avatar
        sarasinart

        You’re welcome. It’s very important stuff you are blogging about.

  3. Rainer Avatar
    Rainer

    Hi I am from Germany and I was just pushed to your blog via
    http://www.gruenevernunft.de/node/3405
    I am very impressed and I think it essential to all of us question our opinions all the time. It is the only way to come clother and clother to what could be something like thruth.
    I really enjoyed reading your blog.

    Reply
    1. Julee K Avatar
      Julee K

      Danke für den Kommentar Rainer!

      Reply
      1. Rainer Avatar
        Rainer

        The discussion you had with Kevin Folta is really a ray of hope within this normally very dogmatic discussion.
        I just heard your cd and I love it 🙂 ! You got one more fan here in Germany!

  4. R.A. Avatar
    R.A.

    Julee, I agree that most biotech activists have extreme and reckless views, but there is a sizable scientific community that is legitimately concerned with the ecological effects of biotechnology. I worry that your pendulum is swinging too far in the other direction. Please do not paint us scientists with a single brushstroke.

    Reply
    1. Julee K Avatar
      Julee K

      @RA. Please send me more! Would love to hear from the sizable scientific community that is concerned. The last thing I want to do is paint scientists with a single brush stroke. I do believe that geneticist and biologist types are largely excited about what the technology can do and that is what I am trying to cover… but that doesn’t mean I’m through listening to other views. I just want mainstream science behind the claims, with real data, and not fringe types with questionable data.
      Please, send me more info to sleuth4health@gmail.com

      Reply
  5. Julee K Avatar
    Julee K

    @Rainer: Es würde mir gefallen Deutsch zu schreiben. Ich habe Deutsch studiert…… und bin nach Deutschland einmal gewesen. Vielen Dank für die netten Kommentare über meine Musik… und mein Blog auch!

    Reply
  6. Rainer Avatar
    Rainer

    Hi Julee, sehr gerne! Hier sind noch Links zu Internetseiten, auf denen Informationen zum Thema GMO gesammelt werden.
    Best wishes from the north-west-corner of Germany to the north-west of the US.

    Reply
  7. The Anti-GMO Movement Continues To Disappoint | SLEUTH 4 HEALTH

    […] Why this blog? […]

    Reply
  8. Jerry Alatalo Avatar
    Jerry Alatalo

    Julee, It seems the time has arrived where humanity must make an “executive decision” on whether to continue the existence of GMO or to banish them. I found your comments at a tremendous discussion on another blog involving many views. It would seem that it is necessary for humanity to resolve this issue once and for all. Given the position of pro-GMO that they are beneficial and anti-GMO that they are harmful, it is time to resolve at the highest levels such as the United Nations and national legislative bodies. In my mind it is the most important issue on this Earth. If it takes one month of international meetings then that is what it will take. Humanity must resolve this now. The going back and forth with I am right and you are wrong must end. This is not about us and them. It is about us; humanity. Every question and concern must be addressed with the highest level of spiritual maturity available on this Earth. If after all issues are addressed and GMO is seen as harmful to living things then they should be banished from this Earth. If they are seen to be helpful for all living things then they should be allowed to exist. The thrust of this comment is that there can be no more delay in resolving the debate. The health and well-being of all living things is at stake and requires the highest spiritual response to guarantee that well-being for all future generations.
    Thank you.
    Jerry

    Reply
    1. Julee K Avatar
      Julee K

      Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Jerry. Yes, the issue needs to be resolved because SO much time and energy and so many resources are being drained for the sake of this argument. But somehow I don’t see science backing off and dropping all the promising GMO research. I think much more education is needed so that the issue is looked at realistically and not emotionally. We shouldn’t just drop GMOs because we don’t like them or they creep us out.

      Harm from GMOs, so far, does not hold up in science. The isolated studies that point toward harm are not repeated, not published in respected journals, and therefor not accepted by mainstream science.

      It is with the full support of scientific evidence in my corner that I say, unequivocally, that the benefits of GMOs far outweigh the risks.

      Reply
  9. Jerry Alatalo Avatar
    Jerry Alatalo

    The information that 200,000 to 250,000 Indian farmers have committed suicide in the past 15 years has no relation to GMO cotton? Please help me out here. This statistic has been my prime motivation to speak out against GMOs. The increased costs for seeds, chemicals, lower yields etc. did NOT? drive these souls to financial disaster and suicide? Help me out here as I want to know the full truth, not half of it. Thanks.

    Reply
  10. Julee K Avatar
    Julee K

    Your question is a valid one and I will do my best to get you the truth. For starters here are two articles from reputable news sources: the BBC and Forbes
    The BBC article compares farmer suicide rates to overall suicide rates in India. The second article talks more specifically about Indian cotton farming.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21077458

    http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampentland/2011/05/18/every-30-minutes-an-indian-farmer-commits-suicide-biotech-is-not-to-blame/

    Reply
  11. Julee K Avatar
    Julee K

    Here is another recent article that mentions Indian cotton farmers: http://www.openmarket.org/2013/06/07/the-calm-of-the-genetically-modified-storm/

    Reply
  12. Jerry Alatalo Avatar
    Jerry Alatalo

    Thank you for your suggested articles. Can you direct me to articles from those who have suggested that there IS a connection between the use of bt cotton and farmer suicides? Surely you have looked at both sides of this. Who is the largest voice from the anti-GMO Indian farmer suicide issue? Would this be the woman scientist Ms Shiva? She seems to be the most outspoken and well-known from that region of Earth. Are there other men or women who have made strong statements against bt cotton in India? People who are NOT journalists?
    My impression of the articles was that there seemed to be some obfuscation contained. The articles were somewhat short and did not delve into the controversy much at all. None of the articles referenced any man or woman who originated the controversy with arguments that the use of bt cotton has a direct connection to farmer suicides in India.
    The last article at openmarket.org uses wording that is no different than the schoolyard fighting scenario. Condescension marks an indifference to the importance of each persons opinion and halts true communication in its tracks. It is essential that true communication which looks closely at all sides of this takes place soon. Perhaps right here and now?
    Thank you once again.
    Reading these articles only makes my belief that this issue must be resolved at the highest levels on this Earth stronger.

    Reply
  13. Julee K Avatar
    Julee K

    Vendana Shiva is a strong voice but her opinions are very controversial and the science community doesn’t consider her a real scientist, nor do they respect her and in fact many think she is dangerous and doing everything she can to MAINTAIN peasant farming as a lower class in India. Her science credentials are sketchy when you look a little deeper. You can find all kinds of anti-GMO articles on anti-GMO websites about farmer suicides. Just google “India farmer suicides” but you know that is all very biased. I look for unbiased, mainstream reporting. I look for evidence that is accepted by mainstream science. I agree the third article I sent you was biased, but the first two were solid.

    Reply
  14. Jerry Alatalo Avatar
    Jerry Alatalo

    It would seem that humanity must resolve this. One is reminded of husband and wife who argue incessantly and finally agree to resolve their differences and move on. Thanks for the discussion and best of luck to you.

    Reply
  15. mathairfiona Avatar
    mathairfiona

    I’m working out my position, as well. I have never been staunchly anti-GMO, but I did tend to lean that way. I have found, as with most things, science is misused or entirely missing in some of the loudest arguments.

    Reply
    1. Julee K Avatar
      Julee K

      Yes! It’s important to look at the WHOLE issue before deciding. Thanks for the comment, like and follow!

      Reply

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