Print

Print

Well, things have been kinda quiet for a while, so I thought I’d try to stir the pot.

 

I’ve been looking for some information about the dangers of genetic engineered foods the past couple of weeks. While I’ve found some pretty irate folks out there, including some Direct Action groups, I’m unable to find any real documentation on what the issue is. Seems that while there is a lot of reason for concern (http://www.bio-integrity.org/health-risks/health-risks-ge-foods.htm), the level of reaction seems out of proportion to the potential problem.

 

My biggest concern over this is that, from a policy standpoint, the environmental movement has harmed itself repeatedly by being a ‘Chicken Little’ over issues big and small. Right now we are seeing in the USA the most outrageous assault on environmental policy that we could imagine. I really hate to see the debate over sensible environmental policy being derailed by a discussion of ‘non-issues,’ and frankly I consider genetic engineering to be one at this time.

 

Am I wrong or is this, as yet, a tempest in a teapot? I’ve attached a summary of concerns, and while they are pretty wide, if you read them carefully you’ll see that all of them are of the nature of ‘potential’ harm, not actual harm.

Steven

 

I use to be indecisive but now I’m not so sure.

                             Boscoe Pertwee, circa 1750

 

The Potential for Harm

Health Risks

New Plant Toxins
Inserting foreign genes into crops used for food can have unpredictable effects. A 1999 study in England found evidence that genetically engineered potatoes damaged the vital organs and immune systems of laboratory rats. Studies on the Flavr Savr tomato in the U.S. found increased toxicity levels responsible for stomach lesions in rats.

Decreasing Antibiotic Effectiveness
Scientists insert genes for antibiotic resistance into new cells as a marker to see if the new target gene has been successfully transferred. This can lead to increased antibiotic resistance in disease-causing bacteria. A recent World Health Organization report warned that illnesses as common as strep throat and diarrhea could become untreatable within 10-15 years due to antibiotic resistance.

New Food Allergies
In 1996, disaster was narrowly averted when researchers found that a soybean engineered to contain brazil nut genes produced an allergic reaction in individuals allergic to nuts. Many of the genes now being inserted into our food crops come from species not ordinarily included in the human diet. This means we have no way to predict whether people will have allergic reactions to these new “foods.”

 

Environmental Risks

Unintended Harm to Plants or Animals
Crops engineered to kill certain pests are often toxic to beneficial insects as well. A 1999 study at Cornell University found that pollen from Bt corn, corn engineered to create its own pesticide, was toxic to monarch butterflies. These delicate, endangered insects are now exposed to toxic pollen as they pass through the US corn-belt on their yearly migration to Mexico. Other studies have shown toxic effects on insects that are beneficial to agriculture, such as lacewings and ladybugs.

Pollen Drift
There are several documented instances of pollen from genetically engineered crops contaminating non-genetically engineered fields. Drift poses a significant threat to organic farmers and others who want to avoid genetic engineering.

Soil Contamination
New research on Bt corn found activated Bt emanating from the roots that bound to soil particles and remained toxic to soil insects for up to eight months. How this will impact the long-term ecology of the soil community is unknown.

Superweeds
Pollen flow from genetically engineered plants can transfer novel genes to wild relatives. Herbicide resistance, for example, can be transferred from crop species to weedy relatives, creating “superweeds” that are unresponsive to herbicides.