By MEGGIE. I. FOSTER
Assistant Editor
 
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Most ag producers would find it unusual that a founding member of Greenpeace, one of the world’s largest environmental activist groups would now be preaching the myths and misinformation leading the green movement.

Well that’s just what took place during the Indiana Livestock Forum on Dec. 18, as Dr. Patrick Moore, founding member of Greenpeace and Greenspirit founder took the stage at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis as a keynote speaker.

“In the 1960s I was a reborn ecologist and rallied against hydrogen bombing, which was a major turning point in my life and became the birthplace of Greenpeace,” Moore explained.

Moore went on to describe the various causes he fought for as a Greenpeace member including nuclear testing, whale hunting and the killing and skinning of baby seals.

“I remember during the Save the Whales movement I was arrested for trying to save a seal. The media caught a photo of the event and the mission of Greenpeace was seen across the world. Mass public awareness was our goal and our goal was met.”

However, these days Moore has far distanced himself from his Greenpeace hippe-era in the ’70s and ’80s even though he served for nine years as president of Greenpeace Canada, as well as seven years as a director of Greenpeace International, during a time in which Greenpeace became the world’s largest environmental activist organization.

“In the 1980’s, Greenpeace went to the far left of environmental extremism, eventually abandoning science all together,” Moore lamented. “Their extremism is easy to point out, they are basically anti-human at this point, since we are the species that is only completely optional. They are anti-science, anti-technology, anti-trade, anti-globalization, anti-business, anti-capitalism, just plain anti-civilization.

I have taken a different path since leaving Greenpeace in 1986, now I fashion myself as a sensible environmentalist.”

Taking that sensibility to the agriculture stage, Moore said there are a lot of false impressions out there about environmental issues including genetically-modified organisms (GMOs).

“This is the most anti-human campaign of all,” he said. “They have no tolerance on this subject, despite its advantages, they’re against it no matter what.”

Moore went on to explain the story of golden rice to a captured audience of livestock producers.

Golden rice, is a variety of rice produced through genetic engineering to biosynthesize beta-carotene, a precursor of pro-vitamin A in the edible parts of the rice. Golden rice was developed as a fortified food to be used in areas where there is a shortage of dietary vitamin A. In fact, according to Moore, golden rice would save 500,000 children from going blind a year.

Although golden rice was developed as a humanitarian tool, it has been met with significant opposition from environmental and anti-globalization activists including Greenpeace, said Moore.

“Greenpeace is against it, there’s no logic here, it’s just an idealogy,” he added. “How can they say that, when we’re talking about saving 500,000 kids from blindness because of a vitamin A deficiency that can be prevented with golden rice.”

Another cause pursued by environmental activists Moore detests is the ongoing climate change debate.

While the environmentalists insist we’re suffering from global warming, Moore said we’re dealing with more of an ice age than anything else, with an average temperature of 12 degrees Celcius (53.6 Fahrenheit).

“We gotta get some perspective here, a large percentage of our world is covered in ice and without heat humans wouldn’t be able to survive,” he said. “In fact, since 1998, we have not had a warmer year, this year is reported to be the coldest year in recent history.
Average global temperature is now dropping, not warming up. Al Gore and his climatic posse ignore this, say it’s just a temporary drop.”

Eight environmental truths
Despite his concerns for numerous other environmental myths and movements including deforestation, genetic enhancement and promoting geothermal energy, Moore still believes in environmentalism for its betterment.

He explained eight key factors for taking environmentallism back from extremism into the 21st century:

•Invest in renewable energy including hydrogen, wood and wind energy.

•Volunteer population management – educate women in underdeveloped countries regarding birth control options.
•Develop logical, consistent global analysis of the world’s fossil fuel resources.

•Learn to be better gardeners of the Earth.

•Control urban sprawl – promote zoning for various types of land use.

•Reverse deforestration in tropical areas.

•Reduce fossil fuel usage including nuclear energy.

•Reduce poverty, disease and malnutrition in the world and “golden rice could help with a good part of that.”

“The environmental movement is stuck in the 1970s, and manages to be an obstacle in the area of fossil fuels, agriculture, forestry, genetic enhancement and geothermal,” said Moore.

“There is a lot of hooey out there and we have to work together to promote the real truths of the future of our environment.”
For more information on Moore’s views, visit www.greenspirit.com