Re: [Re: Suicide Seeds on the Fast Track]

[Lorax <lorax@dojo.tao.ca>]

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On Sun, 2 Apr 2000, Lizzi wrote:

> arguments 1)many of the sites and what not stress
> that there is no benifit for farmers or
> consumers...then why would a farmer or consumer
> bother to buy the seeds?

	There is a benefit if the seeds will grow
plants in soil made into toxic waste by the application
of RoundUp and other herbicides.  Seeds tailored to
a specific regiem of herbacide, pestacide and fertalizer
application... which farmers can be pressured into
participating in either through the corporate coilitions
that purchase specific grains over others (there is a 
boycott encouraged against Kellogs now for that reason,
they are including GM foods in their products.)  
Or the corporation buys a farm, and the herbacide sprayed
there travels with the wind... less likely than the 
financial pressure, but it has happened.  

> unlikely-if the corn as is doesn't cross polunate
> w/ the shoulder scrub or prarie grass..why would
> a slightly modified version?

	I think the possibility of cross-polinating
with more distantly related species is less likely
than with other species of corn, or whatever.  

The issue is that we don't know what the modified
plants are capable of because there hasn't been any
longer term testing done.  

They are just hacking with the gentic code of life
without care for the concequences.  The older geeks
might remember the sendmail worm that shut down
many a system, the result of an "accident" or "mistake".

For example, if terminator corn is grown in one
field, and it polinates another farmers corn which
is downwind, and that farmers crop then produces
plants that won't produce fertile seed.  

> 3)the benefits that do seem apparent (such as
> less chemicals) should be at least taken notice
> of.  Less chemical usage would probably help the

This is the opposite of what is happening, the 
GM crops enable *more* herbacides and pestacids 
to be applied, not less.  The plants are resistant
to these chemicals, so they can be applied to control
weeds and "pests" without concern for damaging the
crops. 

---
Lorax



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