It's frightful what's happening in rural America. Under corporate control, the land has been turned into a vast industrial zone.
The very character of rural life-family farms, fields and stands of trees that are homes to wildlife, plus the beauty and peace of the countryside-has all but gone away.
So many have expressed their despair at the recent windbreak tree removal in our area. It seems every inch is for planting commodities, and trees simply are in the way.
Agriculture has a few who are stewards of the land and are farmers. The rest are agribusinessmen who are in alliance with the huge seed and chemical companies. They have bought into the GMO or genetically modified organisms system.
"In 2013, Roundup Ready crop varieties comprised 93 percent of soybean acres and 85 percent of corn acres," the Center for Food Safety reports.
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Roundup Ready crops are engineered to withstand Roundup, an herbicide whose active ingredient is agricultural glyphosate.
And as a result, "agricultural glyphosate use has risen exponentially, from 25-30 million pounds in 1995 to 180-185 million pounds in 2007," the center's report continues.
That's more than a half pound of pesticides for every American.
Some weeds have survived the onslaught, so now, 2-4-D-the chemical used in Agent Orange-is applied.
Monarch butterflies and bees are suffering under this toxic barrage. Their numbers are dramatically down. They and other pollinators pollinate more than 2/3 of global food crops.
Is this the second Silent Spring?
Mother Earth, the giver of life, needs for us to care. So many of Nature's creatures that bring joy and awe to our lives are in peril. Our future and the future of life needs our full attention.
Go organic. Say no to corporate control.
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Chuck Goyette
Red Lake Falls, Minn.
