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Didn´t know that they could spread if they were non-reproductive but ok, good to know.
You don´t happen to have any articles from the UK btw? About the only articles I can find nowadays are about Mexico. Would be nice to have examples a little closer to home. :)
here are a few links with info on GM (mainly UK info)
Friends of the Earth
gm-info.org.uk
Gene Watch
Biotech info
And to quote...
That should give you some infoQuote:
"For its part, Monsanto has admitted that no one knows - or can know - what will happen when genetically modified organisms are put directly into the human food chain and are released into the natural environment, as is the case with genetically modified crops."
Robert Shapiro, CEO, Monsanto
:)
J.
Here's more on Monsanto ;)
Greenpeace
I think food should be left alone, humans have got this far without genetically modifying food and we are doing fine. Why change a good thing? If you start making food 'better' by modifying it, it won't be natural. What nature produces, I believe, is the best and should be left how it is.
Greg
Well actualy everyone is not doing so fine hot_ice. There is alot of starvation and it keeps getting worse and worse. The earth´s overal population is booming..
The company that can come up with something that gives a bigger crop is gonna get rich no matter what else happens.
When your hungry you just want to eat
Countries like those in Europe + the US have got massive 'mountains' of food. Huge stocks sitting in warehouses doing nothing. Maybe these stocks of food need to be more freely given out to those in need rather than just left there. Stocks like these are used at times of crisis, when disaster strikes one country or another, like recently in Afghanistan, I saw a news bulletin with people off loading a truck with bags of grain marked with USA (now THATS a big dose of irony and humanitarianism for you). The thing is though, it is big business which is behind GM foods, they want to make a buck, so 'here you go poor 3rd world country, this is a hardy crop, we will just add to your debt you owe us westerners'. Rather than just educate and help in other ways - like digging wells.
Yes, that's true, there are a lot of people starving in the world, but tell me, if a company starts genetically engineering their food to produce larger crops and better products, they ain't gonna give it away for free to the starving people. They run a business and they'll want money. People in third-world countries can't really pay for large amounts of food.
I wish they would give it away, hopefully they will, but I just can't see it happening.
Greg
EDIT: Sorry the_g_nee, didn't see your post there. I was replying to Pooh- Bear's last post.
True they don´t have alot of money but they will be forced to come up with something to get it. I don´t know one parent that will sit by idly while their children starve if they can do something about it.
Revolution and **** will come from it or..dumping the prices for their natural resources comes to mind :mad:
I saw this on news.bbc.co.uk
It's got a bit of humour (chips) but the scary thing was the patents bit...
Quote:
And five biotechnology companies - Avenis, Dow, DuPont, Mitsui, Monsanto and Syngenta - between them own 69% of the patents granted on rice, wheat, maize, soya and sorghum. These staple crops account for almost three-quarters of the world's food supply.
1.4 billion people depend on saved seed
Companies are also buying up local seed markets in the developing world; they control 70% of the global pesticide market; 30% of the global seed market; and 98% of patented GM crops.
Under some of the licensing agreements, farmers using patented seeds are not allowed to save, exchange or replant them and must purchase new seeds every year or face prosecution.
GMO on the wind
In North America, dozens of farmers are being prosecuted for growing patented seeds. Among those facing legal action is a Canadian farmer, Percy Schmeiser.
Monsanto set up an "illegal planting" tip-off line
The biotechnology giant Monsanto successfully sued him for illegally growing its patented genetically-modified canola (rape seed) crop.
But Mr Schmeiser is appealing against the decision, saying that he never planted it, never wanted it and suspects GM pollen blew on to his land.
a good thread. I think we need to be careful with gm anything not just food. While there is many possible benefits, there are more possible downsides. With proper testing and disclosure it may help people grow food where yields were low or nonexistant.
Do I trust companies public papers on these goods? No - what is needed is third party verification of all laboratory claims.