Article on GM crops

[lhb2444]

Figured some here would find this interesting, a interesting review of GM crops and their development.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=transgenics-a-new-breed-of-crops

[Idon'tstudydinosaurs]

I read a good one earlier also. Explains where typical myths of GMO come from.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/10/18/163034053/top-five-myths-of-genetically-modified-seeds-busted

[Stillman]

Im pro transgenic and Biofortified crops. I'm not pro Monsanto.

[qualia]

here's an interesting article which puts a few things in perspective. or not.

[whitewind]

I think it's ynsafe to throw away thousands of years of tried and tested crops in favour of single monoculture transgenic plants, which haven't even been independently tested. The tech is too new and under the control if ruthless corporations to make me comfortable with it. There are hundreds if other plants which can provide the same nutrients that can be grown in a sustainable manner. Unless a modification is a significant improvement - and I mean converting weeds from inedibility to edibility or other significant improvements that will not impact on the plants ability to grow in the natural environment - then the experiments should probably stay in the lab.

[whitewind]

FasTrack breeding programmes and Biohackers working from their garages. So much meddling going on with no thought to the potential consequences. This planet will look so different in 50 years time. I'm determined to show my daughter as much of nature as possible before we fuck it up completely. Not that it will likely do any good, but maybe she will be one of the last to see the beauty of the natural world before it is lost forever

[qualia]

but maybe she will be one of the last to see the beauty of the natural world before it is lost forever

or some multinational fences off whats left and starts charging admission fees.

[Stillman]

The moral dilemma of GM and Biofortified crops is a fist world problem. Tell the people of Uganda its a terrible idea. lol

http://www.biovisioneastafrica.com/publications/Biovision-16.pdf

[qualia]

tell the farmers of india monsanto has only their interests at heart.

[Stillman]

when there are a billion of you you don't have that luxury.

[Stillman]

without trying to sound too negative, the world will be a different place in 50 years because there will be 9 plus billion people on it.

[whitewind]

Uganda would have no problem feeding itself using "conventional" methods or even permaculture if they didn't have continual conflict.

There's fuck all wrong with their land.

But yes, given half a chance at a civilisation perhaps they would be more likely to have access to better medical health and contraception too.

Uganda's problems will not be fixed with GM seeds.

[Stillman]

Not much is going to fix Uganda's problems quickly but Golden bananas can fix micro deficiencies also virally immune bananas are an option as the regions crops have been decimated by blight I think?.

Bananas are some of the most non offensive GM crops real flag ship crops, not like your slutty pollen spreading staple grain crops. Gotta love the bananas, I am actually going to a lecture by Professor James Dale regarding this next week.

[whitewind]

Orange bananas? Fair enough re bananas and cross-pollination in many places, I don't know if they could cross/pollinate with wild strains (if and where they exist) most cultivated bananas don't produce seed do they? Is that because they are clones or have non-viable pollen? I don't know much about them to be honest.

Having recently developed an allergy to wheat I am very concerned about losing traditional varieties and strains of foods which seem less likely to cause these problems. Unless they developed a gluten-free form of wheat?!

I think my main concern is much more to do with the food supply being in the hands of mega corps and the monoculture farming techniques than GM per se, bit I do worry about the reduced diversity if traditional crops in favour of just a few strains based on an untested technology. It's that whole 'if we can do it we must, especially if it makes a profit' mentality of running our society on, with no thought regarding the potential consequences. It makes me shudder. It's the main reason why our environment is so badly trashed, and increasingly so. We ignore that completely when we look at one small area eg orange bananas and say it can't all be bad so let's just do it and ignore the bigger picture of why it's going wrong

[LokStok]

another perspective from India:

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/agri-biz/campaign-launched-against-gm-bananas/article4673716.ece

http://www.global-sisterhood-network.org/content/view/2808/59/

[Stillman]

Neither of those links are particularly negative on golden Bananas, because theres nothing bad about the product, it will never replace other bananas cultivars completely . They are right in the sense there are other options to treat iron deficiencies. Of course there is.

Edited May 4, 2013 by Stillman

[Mycot]

I've reaaly had more than a gutfull with morons saying there is nothing wrong with GE.

Some knowledge of genetics would be essential before any statement of this kind ought to be made.

A lay public is not informed enough to make an observastion of this kind.

I'll continue later when I can get my smileys to work.

Edited May 7, 2013 by Mycot

[whitewind]

Neither of those links are particularly negative on golden Bananas, because theres nothing bad about the product, it will never replace other bananas cultivars completely .

First you get golden bananas, then orange ones, then red ones, blue ones and suddenly there aren't any yellow bananas left. They are all GM except in the back gardens of the most eccentric, and one day may become illegal so they don't "contaminate" the GM ones.

They are right in the sense there are other options to treat iron deficiencies. Of course there is.

I imagine the reason they aren't used is because they don't create the corporations enough 'Profit".

[gtarman]

without trying to sound too negative, the world will be a different place in 50 years because there will be 9 plus billion people on it.

Not if we can manage to spread feminist ideology and equal rights movements to the culturally male-dominated and conservative countries about to experience demographic shifts/population booms - if you ask me many modern, first-world feminists (who tend to fight *for the most part*, for relatively minor injustices these days in our society compared to the horrific shit that happens elsewhere)...they might do better going into countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, Jordan etc. where they could do a whole lot more good (for women's rights and for the planet).

When women have rights and are allowed to work and are educated it is proven that they have far fewer children than when they're treated simply as housewives/obedient servants/baby-factories (as they are in the majority of these situations).

Couple that with increasing the availability of birth control and family-planning throughout the third world, and focus on the countries projected to have the biggest growth, and I think our population could be managed and reduced quite effectively.

I've actually been seriously considering making this kind of thing a major project/goal of my life...IMO there are few better things we could do for our planet AND for our society than to work to voluntarily reduce our population.

Edited May 7, 2013 by gtarman

[Stillman]

The key to the worlds problems is educating and empowering women, they have massive educations plans in a couple developing nations which is a good sign. Did you know 70% of the worlds farmers are women that figure really surprised me.

Whitewind those comments make you sound very close minded, I'm sure your not. Obviously the bananas are gold due to beta carotene levels. But if you still need to burn witches light it up.No one can change the fact GM is here to stay, we should be educating ourselves so we know what it is and how to tame the mega companies not running around like sailors terrified of falling off the edge of the earth.

Edited May 7, 2013 by Stillman

[Stillman]

also there are a handful of "humanitarian GM crops" such as golden rice, which cannot be sold for profit. ie "Golden Rice" google it.

[Stillman]

Mycot I am interested in your input here are you referring to the Seralini experiment? Which was heavily discredited. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691512005637

I believe that in time Round up ready crops the sort of thing that Monsanto create will eventually be proved as dangerous. Possibly even cancer causing. My examples are Biofortified crops and used almost exclusively as humanitarian crops.

And I am currently studying this I have had the opportunity to discuss this with Saga Mundree adn James Dale directly regarding this, obviously they may have some Bias but who doesn't.

[whitewind]

Whitewind those comments make you sound very close minded, I'm sure your not. Obviously the bananas are gold due to beta carotene levels. But if you still need to burn witches light it up.

I don't believe in burning witches, as my mother was one. I'm not that closed minded, I am just extremely concerned about the wholesale destruction of our natural environment - monoculture and GM crops are big on the list of destructors. There is nothing wrong with it in small doses, and as you rightly point out, the biggest contributor to land destruction is the sheer number of human mouths to feed.

No one can change the fact GM is here to stay, we should be educating ourselves so we know what it is and how to tame the mega companies not running around like sailors terrified of falling off the edge of the earth.

Sure, educate away. I'm happy to read the good bits so long as you acknowledge that there are negatives too. I don't know how sailors run, but I think it might be fun getting close to the edge of the Earth and having a quick peek...

[whitewind]

I can't agree with the promotion of feminist ideology as I think it is inherently sexist, however, clearly there are severe problems in the other direction in certain cultures that need to be addressed which will not only improve and save lives will actually help people take control of their lives and make hopefully reasonable choices. Improvements in healthcare will make a difference too.

Mycot I think your uber-aggressive stance isn't helping your position much, there's nothing wrong with men supporting women to achieve EQUAL rights so long as men have EQUAL rights as well, I assume you are referring to the fact that some feminists really hate men. I think there is another thread already dealing with this issue, this one is more about the impact of GM.

I'm still not convinced that the potential of GM crops outweighs the potential hazards of continuing to head down the path we seem to be on, the belief that science will save us rather than dealing with the core issues that create the problem in the first place. It's like covering yourself with sticking plaster instead of putting the knife down and stop cutting yourself unnecessarily.

[Mycot]

If we didn't have to hear uber-aggressive feminist positions in a thread such as this I wouldn't even have to address such stupidity.

So I'm calling a spade a spade. for starters to get at truth. Anything else would be denial.

And this talk of equality and equal rights. Equality in many senses is a very abstract concept to say nothing of "rights".

You don't treat the very smartest kids in the same ways as those needing remedial attention regardless of how much hue and cry is made about "equal rights".

There are a couple of threads here at the corroboree discussing feminist issues and such things can be taken by the posters there.

Anyway this isn't the thread to discuss these things, so guys take it to the "hate women" thread thats here if you got cojones or start your own thread. Thanks I'm done on that topic here.

Edited May 8, 2013 by Mycot