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So I went to the GMO alfalfa public meeting...
It wasn't AT ALL what I expected to happen. I'd been to one public meeting before (I didn't speak though) and my co-workers have been to several. I work for an environmental consulting firms that specializes in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) are written to comply with. Normally a public meeting for a hotly debated EIS like the one for GMO alfalfa has dozens if not hundreds of attendees. I would say 30-40 people were at this meeting.
Of the 10 people who spoke (including me) I was the only person against GMO alfalfa. It was so depressing. I got there really early to ensure I would have the chance to speak, in other public meetings there have been more speakers than there's time for and not everyone gets their chance. So I got to go first. All.Nine.People who came after me were farmers, writers for biotechnology trade journals/magazines, or hay traders singing the praises of GMO alfalfa. "It has less weeds so it commands a higher price." "I can convey the quality of the hay over the phone." "I grow organic alfalfa 200 feet from GMO alfalfa and have no concerns with cross-contamination" 
I think pretty much all the speakers were paid to be there by Monsanto, why else would several farmers fly from Wisconsin and Idaho to a public meeting in Maryland?
After the meeting, several people came up to me and shook my hand and told me "how brave I was" to speak. They then proceeded to try and change my mind about GMOs. One guy told me he was a "child of the 60s and practiced environmental stewardship" on his land and didn't understand why I had a problem with GMOs. I calmly explained that there's no long-term studies on ingestion plants genetically engineered with genes to tolerate Roundup (a weed killer) and that I didn't want to eat the Roundup sprayed on these plants. I also explained that once GMO alfalfa, like all the other GMO crops before it (corn, soy, canola, cotton, and sugar beets) contaminates organic crops, in a few years Monsanto will say to the National Organic Program "heyyyy, organic crops are already contaminated, why don't you drop the restriction for GMOs in organic food?" and POOF my ability to buy my way out of eating GMOs will be gone. He responded with "well I wish you would understand that GMO crops are safe."
I am so depressed. I just want to curl up and eat ice cream. OH WAIT! It's probably made with GMO beet sugar.
Re: So I went to the GMO alfalfa public meeting...
This makes me so sad.
But at least YOU were there. Otherwise we would have had no voice. I would feel defeated too, but you should be proud of yourself.
That's what I keep telling myself. I'm really glad I went, if I hadn't then NO ONE would have represented the people who don't want GMO food. I'm pretty p!ssed off that no environmental organizations were there. I was notified of this EIS by the Organic Consumers Association newsletter. The Sierra Club was part of the lawsuit that got GMO alfalfa halted and required than an EIS be done. I e-mail both groups telling them about the public meeting and that they should attend, and neither showed up. Pretty damn sh!tty in my opinion.
Thank you very much for going and speaking on behalf of the rest of us, though. You should certainly be proud of yourself for standing up for what you believe and take solice in that.
I imagine the farmers probably were all paid by monsanto. I'm sorry the other groups didn't help the way you expected them to--I'd still contact them and find out what happen--or at least share with them your experience--maybe once they hear how Monsanto is hiring farmers to go to these meetings, they'll better understand how serious the public hearings are.
UGH!! How frustrating! Now I am especially glad you went! I agree, it seems like Monsanto is really pushing for people to speak up for it.
You make an excellent point that eventually because it will be hard to control it, Monsanto can just say hey drop that part of organic. And that is not fair to consumers!
I cannot believe the Sierra Club didn't show up!
Visit my blog about my family's experiments in eco-living
I would contact them now and explain to them how the meeting went and that you were the ONLY one there against the GMO alfalfa and how disappointed you were.
Visit my blog about my family's experiments in eco-living
*hugs*
I'm so sorry that you didn't have any backup or support. : ( But thank you for going anyway.