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Fiegen has the courage to fight for our future
Op-Ed · June 02, 2016
What distinguishes the progressive former state senator, Tom Fiegen, from his competition is his passionate crusade to inform and warn us all of the danger to our water and food supply from modern agriculture.
To increase crop yields and to battle more resistant weeds, farmers have had to continually apply more fertilizer and chemicals on their genetically modified crops (GMOs).
This has led to increasing levels of nitrates in our water, not only in Des Moines, but in our well water. Some nitrates occur naturally but when levels reach 10 milligrams per liter, water becomes unsafe for infants and young children. The danger for adults is still under study but is a source of concern.
A greater danger is the presence of a toxin from the use of glysophate (Roundup) to control weeds. Three hundred million pounds were applied in the U.S. in 2012, not only to corn and beans, but to most of the fruits and vegetables grown. There is residual glysophate toxin in the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. The results are in and this toxin causes non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (World Health Organization 2015). Meanwhile, we are still discovering problems related to the Agent Orange used in Vietnam nearly 50 years ago.
It’s pretty clear we are slowly poisoning ourselves and the planet we live on; Tom has the courage to stand up for our future. He has proposed a tax on fertilizer and chemicals to diminish the danger, to clean up our drinking water and to pay for health care. Compare this to the plans of Gov. Branstad and the Republican House which would take more money from already strapped K-12 or tax everyone for a problem stemming from agricultural practices. Ninety three percent or more of all fertilizer and glysophate is used on farms. Shouldn’t those who benefit from the use of these toxins pay for the hazards they cause?
Vote for a safe future for our children, vote for Democrat Tom Fiegen in the June 7th primary.
Larry Hodgden
Tipton
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