Say no to genetic engineering

[Ladywriter 7,783]

article

While scientific progress on molecular biology has a great potential to increase our understanding of nature and provide new medical tools, it should not be used as justification to turn the environment into a giant genetic experiment by commercial interests. The biodiversity and environmental integrity of the world's food supply is too important to our survival to be put at risk.

Genetic engineering enables scientists to create plants, animals and micro-organisms by manipulating genes in a way that does not occur naturally.

These genetically modified organisms (GMO) can spread through nature and interbreed with natural organisms, thereby contaminating non 'GE' environments and future generations in an unforeseeable and uncontrollable way. Their release is 'genetic pollution' and is a major threat because GMOs cannot be recalled once released into the environment.

Because of commercial interests, the public is being denied the right to know about GE ingredients in the food chain, and therefore losing the right to avoid them despite the presence of labelling laws in certain countries.

Biological diversity must be protected and respected as the global heritage of humankind, and one of our world's fundamental keys to survival. Governments are attempting to address the threat of GE with international regulations such as the Biosafety Protocol.

We believe:

GMOs should not be released into the environment as there is not adequate scientific understanding of their impact on the environment and human health.

We advocate immediate interim measures such as labelling of GE ingredients, and the segregation of genetically engineered crops and seeds from conventional ones.

We also oppose all patents on plants, animals and humans, as well as patents on their genes. Life is not an industrial commodity. When we force life forms and our world's food supply to conform to human economic models rather than their natural ones, we do so at our own peril.

Find out more:

- Go to the Food section to find out about: labelling legislation for GE products in your country, how GE crops are used in animal feed and the corporate giants who are trying to control what you eat.

- Go to the Feeding the world - facts versus fiction section: to find out the truth about world hunger and why GE crops will not help.

- Go to the GE agriculture and genetic pollution section to find out about: the dangers of GE agriculture, which crops are currently being developed, genetic pollution and the dangers of patenting life.

- Go to the Biosafety Protocol section to find out about this important legislation that regulates the transboundary movements of GE and who is for and against it.

- Go to the Failings of GE section to find out about how the biotech industry is basing its products on crude and old-fashioned science.

A few of my friends are ESF grads holding bachelors degrees in enviro science. I had a conversation with T the other day about GM crops. A huge problem is that more often to prevent GE crops from invading regular crops these corn or rice plants or whatever are engineered to not seed/propagate. The problem with a measure like this is what it is doing and has the potential to do to natural/organic crops. They can't keep them separate and have a long track record of failing to keep them separate to the point where some of these companies have been sued by farmers for crop contamination.

Also the US FDA does not require companies that use GE food products to list it on the label. They can just say Ingredients: wheat where as in other countries the label would have to read Ingredients: GE wheat. How much Budweiser beer do you drink? It's all made with GE crops.

[Myk JL 1,731]

I think this whole thing sounds like an over reaction. The fact of the matter is even if my food is or was natural I still have to pay for it.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

the future of sustainable agriculture is on the line here (not to mention long term effects on the people and animals that ingest GE foods), I don't think thats an over reaction >.< but yeah GE corn or organic, the can still costs about the same

[Myk JL 1,731]

the future of sustainable agriculture is on the line here (not to mention long term effects on the people and animals that ingest GE foods), I don't think thats an over reaction >.< but yeah GE corn or organic, the can still costs about the same

And drugs & alcohol shorten your life GE or natural so there is another problem scratched off from GE.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

Yes alcohol causes health problems regardless of its base ingredients

We have no idea what the long term effects are on the enviro where this crap is grown or our bodies/animals that ingest the food. Pharmies go thru a shit ton of testing before they get FDA approval (not that I give 1/2 a tiny shit nugget for the FDA) Most people don't take a drug every single day but most people do eat something at least once a day.

Off Topic: They didn't put enough time into evaluating the long term effects of vaccinations (polio, pox, dip-tet etc) From infancy we're lined up and shot up with crap that is supposed to make us healthier (even I'm guilty of having my daughter get the chicken pox vac which was pretty new then) The thing is... heat disease and cancer is raging through the baby boomer generation and they were some of the first vaccination 'victims'. And then their kids, gen X if full of mental cases and addictive personalities and something like 1 in 6 of our kids has some form of autism or ADD/ADHD. You really have to stop and ask yourself wtf. Sure the majority of disease and mental illness has always existed and sure new science protocols make it easier for doctors to identify this shit... but holy shit there's a lot more to be medicated for now then there was 50 or 100 or even 1000 years ago.

[HKofsesshoumaru 673]

OMG. It's yet another thing that the goverment wants to cut corners with and save themselves money to fund their sick political scemes to manipulate the country. I remember when my daughter was born we refused the cord blood banking they offered. My ex thought they were trying to gather DNA for test tube clone babies. It is probably true..

[Myk JL 1,731]

Yes alcohol causes health problems regardless of its base ingredients

We have no idea what the long term effects are on the enviro where this crap is grown or our bodies/animals that ingest the food. Pharmies go thru a shit ton of testing before they get FDA approval (not that I give 1/2 a tiny shit nugget for the FDA) Most people don't take a drug every single day but most people do eat something at least once a day.

Off Topic: They didn't put enough time into evaluating the long term effects of vaccinations (polio, pox, dip-tet etc) From infancy we're lined up and shot up with crap that is supposed to make us healthier (even I'm guilty of having my daughter get the chicken pox vac which was pretty new then) The thing is... heat disease and cancer is raging through the baby boomer generation and they were some of the first vaccination 'victims'. And then their kids, gen X if full of mental cases and addictive personalities and something like 1 in 6 of our kids has some form of autism or ADD/ADHD. You really have to stop and ask yourself wtf. Sure the majority of disease and mental illness has always existed and sure new science protocols make it easier for doctors to identify this shit... but holy shit there's a lot more to be medicated for now then there was 50 or 100 or even 1000 years ago.

The Tobacco nut may die of Cancer.

The Alcoholic may die of too much alcohol.

The Fat Ass may die becuase he eats too many sweets.

The steroid user may die of a mild heart attack.

The pot head... well I'm not sure what they die of unless every other drug counts because pot is a "gate way drug".

Bottom line is if any of the above are shocked that now "healthy foods" may no longer be "healthy" because they are now GE then I'm confused. Isn't the bright side that the health nuts may have to shut up because there "higher than though" life style is no longer healthy.

Look a higher than though health nut is dying from cancer because they had too many GE Oranges. Fuck'em they could have had cigarettes instead of pissing us all off.

Off Topic: Now I know that I'm pissed at times & my parents suffer from mental illness, but even if there is a "magic pill" that will make me mellow I don't want it because mellow people seem like the real idiots.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

ppl who smoke weed would have the same cancers as ppl who smoke ciggies. I know plenty of ppl who smoke weed that don't do other drugs. Ppl who do multiple drugs we call druggies, then of course theres the h junkies and the crack heads and... wow I'm getting off the subject X'D

An educated 'health nut' eats organic food in its most natural form. Shit gets complicated cuz most ppl don't make their own Triscuts they buy em and don't know what they're made off.