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We were a mixture of students and coworkers, both born in Hawaii and moved from the mainland, and we spent the day playing volleyball, barbecueing and enjoying our Fourth of July. I spotted a classmate who had sat through the same lecture I had regarding opposition to genetically modified crops in Hawaii.

“We should get a group together and protest Monsanto!” she said without a second thought. My gut sank when I thought of the reaction I would get if I responded honestly.

I talked about kite surfing instead.

Hawaii’s attitude towards science and innovation is lukewarm at best and unabashedly hostile at its worst. When we catch even a slight whiff of misconduct, we are quick to burn businesses at the stake of social-media trends and condemn them in the court of public opinion. While there is nothing intrinsically wrong with being ever vigilant for unethical practices, Hawaii is so quick to believe the worst we quickly shut out opposing viewpoints and facts counter to our beliefs.

Without giving much thought to how much we really know about the technologies and practices involved, it becomes sacrilegious—even racist—to rub against the grain of the majority. The consequences of being a state incapable of having an honest and open debate means we take action based on passion instead of logic, and are quick to blame when consequences begin to play themselves out.

Following a theme seen on the mainland, Hawaiian residents have sunk their teeth into the argument against genetic modification, one of the practices used by biotech companies such as Monsanto and Mycogen Seeds.

Environmental concerns hold significantly more water in Hawaii, where the fragile ecosystem still bears the scars of decades of careless agricultural practices from sugar magnates. Elevated concentrations of arsenic and other environmental pollutants associated with pesticide and insecticide use by sugar cane plantation owners resulted in abandoned, nutrient depleted, and heavy-metal enriched soils that pose a significant exposure risk to human populations. When the industrial production of sugar became obsolete, the land was abandoned, unusable and toxic. Opponents of the GM industry in Hawaii claim that companies like Monsanto are taking advantage of the systematic oppression of native Hawaiians through the extortion of their land and resources.

Utilizing this emotional appeal to cultural injustice, leaders of the anti-GMO movement struck a major win in Maui County in November 2014. A slim majority approved an initiative demanding a moratorium on the operations of biotech companies in the county until an environmental and public health study is conducted to ensure genetic modification practices were safe. Under the initiative, Monsanto and Mycogen Seeds, the largest employers on Molokai, were expected to finance the study. If the ban on Maui actually had been enforced (it was blocked by a federal court), Molokai’s unemployment could have doubled to a staggering 18 percent.

An initiative on the Big Island enforced a similar moratorium, outlined in Bill 113, which would impose stiff fines for any new genetically altered crops. Kauai’s Bill 2491 required full disclosure of pesticide use and demanded a study as well. Although the initiatives were overruled in federal court, advocates saw them as a huge moral blow to the supposedly oppressive and unsustainable agricultural companies.

Anti-GMO protesters celebrated the passing of bills that were never meant to go into effect. The movement felt a small sense of accomplishment and people moved on to the next protest. Nothing was actually accomplished. The practices of biotech companies remain largely misunderstood; and the bridge of communication between the two sides remains closed.

Negotiation and collaboration are necessary. Dissenters to the anti-GMO bills are often independent scientists and nonprofits specializing in pesticide use and genetic modification. Mayor of Kauai Bernard P. Carvhalo Jr. responded to Bill 2491 with a veto, calling the bill “legally flawed.” He was right; the bill never went into effect.

The misinformation spread about genetic modification is alarmingly inaccurate. Fields are not sterilized. The goal of genetic modification is to reduce pesticide use, not increase it. None of the actual genetic modification even occurs in Hawaii. Pesticide use as a last resort is highly regulated and significantly less toxic than the pesticides used a century ago. Agricultural companies are stakeholders in the land, and benefit from sustainable practices as much as our residents do. Is it really that hard to believe we know significantly more about agriculture and sustainable farming practices than we did a hundred years ago?

Is it really that hard to believe we know significantly more about agriculture and sustainable farming practices than we did a hundred years ago?

I’m not arguing that all progress and development in Hawaii has been good. The introduction of foreign species has caused Hawaii to be home to the largest number of extinct and endangered native species on the planet. Swift urbanization and a huge influx of population have proven disastrous environmentally. The development of overpriced luxury condominiums continues to drive more locals away from their homeland or onto the streets. Our governor is literally begging developers to build more affordable housing. He’s promising still more deregulations for development projects in the future, beyond the monolithic tributes to foreign investment stabbing into Honolulu’s skyline in Kakaako. Homelessness is officially a state of emergency with no end in sight.

The lack of support for science and innovation in Hawaii, coupled with a knee-jerk reaction to scorn businesses for unethical conduct, only perpetuates these issues. It drives away smart people, both local and overseas, who have the ability to create jobs and encourage smart, sustainable investments. Passing a moratorium in Maui County on an industry that is not well understood by its opponents and that employs the largest number of people on Molokai does not send a good message to innovators seeking to expand and develop new ideas in the state. It scares away jobs. Jobs that prevent people living on the streets and that allow residents to better cope with the cost of living in Hawaii.

Perhaps the people of Hawaii aren’t convinced growing crops is the best route for the Hawaiian economy to take. Perhaps there is something we can offer that doesn’t include profiting off the land. Former Gov. George Ariyoshi claimed aerospace could prove an economic boom for the state. Yet outrage flares up at the opportunity to host a telescope capable of unlocking the secrets of the cosmos, on the same ground from which Hawaiians looked to the stars for knowledge for hundreds of years.

We need to separate promising modern technology and innovation from the ailments of current development, overpopulation and pollution. We need to separate honest, environmentally responsible business from cronyism and an unsustainable reliance on tourism. We need to decide if we want the status quo of chaotic development and poor planning, or we are willing to risk taking a bold step and jumping into something new with both feet. We need to choose our battles wisely.

We can start by allowing a more honest and open debate not colored by the tint of racism.

The only constant is change, and retaining Hawaiian culture, sanctity and dignity in a world that multiplies its computing power exponentially each year and holds promise for splicing human DNA to cure a myriad of genetic diseases is going to take more than protests. It’s going to take a whole lot of smart and driven people. It’s going to take innovation.