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GM Foods

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What do people think of GM? I looked on the BBC website and was shocked not by the fact that almost everyone opposed GM foods, but by their reasoning for doing so.

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... and what was that reasoning ?

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What exactly are 'GM foods'? When I clicked on the thread I was expecting to read about recommended diets for Chess GrandMasters

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Genetically Modified. At least that's what I thought, but you never know. Maybe it's food produced by General Motors ....... ๐Ÿ˜•

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Ah, I guess I should have worked that out.


Don't really have any strong views myself (I know too little about it), as long as it's tightly regulated.

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Originally posted by Acolyte
What do people think of GM? I looked on the BBC website and was shocked not by the fact that almost everyone opposed GM foods, but by their reasoning for doing so.
I`m not too bothered, i still eat orange carrots. And in the long run if it can feed the starving by allowing it to grow where non GM foods wont it speaks for itself. Same as organic food..... but thats another thread ๐Ÿ˜€

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Well, this is heartening. Now we know that human clones are less likely to fall victim to cannibalism ๐Ÿ˜‰.

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Originally posted by Acolyte
What do people think of GM? I looked on the BBC website and was shocked not by the fact that almost everyone opposed GM foods, but by their reasoning for doing so.
I assume you're talking about genetically engineered foods, which are a relatively new development. Genetically modified foods have been around since farmers started selectively crossing different strains of crops.

So far the main argument I've heard against genetically engineered food is the 'fear of the unknown' -- we don't know what side effects may be casued by the engineering (i.e. crops that have been engineered to withstand cold temperatures might unexpectedly cause your hair to turn purple when you eat them).

edit - There's also the environmental concern that crops that have been made to be pesti- and herbicide resistant may become superweeds.

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... and whether this food is good or bad for your health.


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This is a joke folks, so don't anyone get upset ... too much anyway.

I much prefer Genetically Modified foods to Ungenetically Modified people. Those tend to be known as "Your Highness" and Duke What's His Name. And as diseases go, "It's a bloody shame." <that last is a subtle one... lets see who gets it>

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The GM debate is weird. A lot of people object to GM foods because they think they might be dangerous to eat, but given all foods are rammed full of DNA, there's very little reason why a handful of extra genes should make any difference. Others focus their objections on the activities of companies like Monsanto - yet a technology does not become inherently worthless just because it has been put to dubious means. Neither is there much evidence that cross-pollination with surrounding plants is likely to be a big problem, but it does look as though the fertilisers used with GM crops may be more damaging to the environment than conventional types and that's reason enough to delay their introduction for now. I do think it would be a shame, however, if we black-marked GM technology for ever and ignored the potential benefits, which may in time turn out to be huge.

Rich.

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If they can make brocolli taste like hamburgers... aah, we can only hope.

I saw an article once that showed some 'scientists' that genetically engineered a square watermelon - weird.

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Originally posted by Crowley
If they can make brocolli taste like hamburgers... aah, we can only hope.

I saw an article once that showed some 'scientists' that genetically engineered a square watermelon - weird.
I just saw a bit of a film on this subject on the weekend, so I thought I'd revive this thread. The film is called "Deconstructing Supper", and info about it can be found here: http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/decon.html

Some of the interesting points raised by the film:
- Monsanto controls ~94% of the acreage devoted to farming GM crops.
- when milk from cows injected with BGH (bovine growth hormone) was first introduced into the US market (in Florida), a couple of reporters started doing a story on the potential health hazards, and the unusually quick way in which the milk got FDA approval. Fox news was originally very interested in the story, but ended up killing it after receiving a letter from Monsanto threatening them with "dire consequences".
- Monsanto's Roundup-Ready canola has intruded onto a number of farms that used to produce naturally robust canola through years of careful seed selection by the farmers (see http://www.percyschmeiser.com/ for one farmer's story).

Any comments from the RHP gallery, particularly anyone with knowledge about the health effects of GM foods?

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If we are not careful, there will be a domination of the world food market by a few agribusinesses, or worse...just one.
Also, not enough is known about the side effects on fauna and flora that coexist wherever it is grown.

Merry Christmas,
Charlie

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" We are confronted with what is undoubtedly the single most potent technology the world has ever known - more powerful even than atomic energy. Yet it is being released throughout our environment and deployed with superficial or no risk assessments - as if no one needs to worry an iota about its unparalleled powers to harm life as we know it - and for all future generations."

2000 Nathan B. Batalion, Published by Americans for Safe Food.

Mr. Batalion is refering to GM foods

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