GMO Related News/ An HTL Blip

I found this article, related to Genetically Modified Organisms, interesting, although no real surprise: Apparently a long known nuisance weed is becoming resistant to glyphosate (aka Round Up, for those of you in Arcata). This is causing some problems for farmers around the state.

Similar things are causing problems with farmers using genetically modified crops that have been cultured to be resisitant to glyphosate, such as cotton. The result is farmers either have to spend a lot of time and money physically weeding their fields, or using stronger more potent herbicides.

I'm sure the anti GMO folks will spin this to show that GMO crops are unhealthy in one way or the other. I'm not so sure about that. Similar things have been known to happen with some of the organic movement's sweetheart pesticides. For instance, I read in Organic Gardening magazine some years ago about some farmer in the Castro Valley who found that (I believe it was cabbage moths) some pests that were controlled with Bacillus Theringisus (sic?) were becoming resistant to it. In that case it was believed he was misapplying it by using smaller than recommended doses but applying more frequently.

The one thing both instances show is that nature is quite adaptive and resilient.

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Just in from the Taxpayer's League as of last night: Past President Larry Henderson reverses call for resignation of League members if their items aren't placed on today's meeting agenda, saying such action might not be in the League's best interest. He requests instead that members don't attend today's meeting. Makes sense to me, although it seems someone representing the League should be there, if only to keep an eye on things.

The Board of Directors has't added the League member's items to the agenda, or so the paper says today. It was mentioned that any of the directors could bring up those subjects during the meeting if one would chose to do so, though. Another good reason for a representative of the League's membership to be there.