Prince Charles Denounces GMOs
According to Prince Charles, GMOs are the “biggest environmental disaster of all time.”
He has good reason to say this. 70% of GMO crops are designed to be Roundup Ready, so that farmers can spray the powerful herbicide Roundup on their crops to kill weeds without killing the corn, soy, canola, etc., that they’re growing.
Roundup, however, is an extremely toxic herbicide. It kills plants by inhibiting an enzyme that would allow the plant to synthesize the amino acids tyrosine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine. In addition, it promotes disease causing organisms in the soil, which then work to attack the already weakened plant.
Roundup also has serious effects on animals and humans. For example, it was found that birth defects were up to 70 times higher for farmers who were regularly exposed to Roundup. When this herbicide is used, it pollutes the environment and drinking water, harming plants, animals, and humans alike in the process.
Neither of these things are good for the environment. In fact, compared to non-GMO counterparts, pesticide use on GMO crops is 323 million pounds greater in the United States alone.
