Why are we taking the incalculable risk of allowing genetically engineered food crops into the environment without fully understanding the effects and implications?
This question was asked at the Dropping Knowledge event on 9th
September by Noah Brotman, 25, Toronto, Canada.
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2006-10-08 22:56:21 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Environment
This is because the people making these decisions only care about the money it will make and they either don't know or don't care about the risks involved.
I doubt if anyone knows all the risks involved but scientists in the field should have a good idea. To test the risks they should perform experiments in contained ecosystems to see the effects on native plant, animals and insects.
2006-10-08 23:07:24 · answer #1 · answered by Mike 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Life is all about taking risks. After all, that is how we have gotten this far. However, you are wrong when you say we are taking incalculable risk. Man has been genetically engineered food crops for, what, two hundred years or so. So far the implications have been small but the pay off so tremendous that world hunger is not due to lack of food anymore. What would your quality of life be today, if it were not for genetically engineered corn, tomatoes, squash, cucumber, shall I go on?
When farmers first stared engineering the food crops, scientist were not involved with what could it do to the environment. All anyone was interested in was making the corn yellow or white with big ears or to make a tomato be bigger than a grape. Today that is just not the case. Where before farmers were more than half the population and did all this altering of the crops today they make up only about a third and are no longer in the genetic engineering field. That is done in science laboratories under strict testing conditions. Now every time a new development comes along it is not released into the environment until as much as possible is known about its possible impact.
So, the bottom line, you do not need to worry about what these products will do to you or the environment because all that was settled before it was put on the market. All you should do is enjoy good food God has given us and see what you can do to help get some of these goodies into parts of the world that are not so fortunate.
Best Regards
Jon
2006-10-09 17:14:07 · answer #2 · answered by ĴΩŋ 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
*WE* are not the ones taking the ~risk~, we (the people) never ASKED for such things!!!
It is the corperations who are pushing the research and are taking the *RISK*.
Ask them...
If ya ask me, I'd say they are doing if for profits ($$$), and control.
They can genetically enginer a fammine if they wanted to.
They want people to have the BUY the seeds for each crop since the seeds they've enginered do not make any seeds that can replicate on their own.
Again... control, so they'll have the world at their knees.
Control not just for profit ($$$), but control over what they wish on their every whim.
;-)
Lets be careful, and support organic!!!
(too bad there's been studies that show the mixing of genetically enginered crops mixin' with organic/conventional crops too... scary... and who's to knows what our bodies do with the strange DNA of human enduced mutant food... I mean a vegtable that has animal DNA in it, then what the heck is it meat or a vegie LOL and do people who know about it REALLY WANT to eat it)
2006-10-12 07:56:13 · answer #3 · answered by Am 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Growing genetically engineered crops is the only way in which the world will be able to sustain it's growing population. Why don't people question other aspects of science that interfere with nature and life such as cancer treatment drugs or desease control by removing genes that cause illnesses in the first place? Today's science is driven by ways of making the world better and more efficient; and anyone who thinks it is wrong for science to genetically modify a crop to resist pests, draughts or produce better yield, needs to really have their brains genetically modified.
2006-10-09 02:00:27 · answer #4 · answered by joechuksy 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Firstly it is not 'we' who are taking the risks , there are people who oppose gm crops, it could be the case that the people opposing these experiments are not being listened to and that money, greed etc is more important to some people than the consequence of their actions.
2006-10-08 23:09:28 · answer #5 · answered by Andrea P 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
We live in an economic system in which profit making overrides all other considerations.
2006-10-08 23:07:08 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
humans are often greedy and horrible - that's the simple answer
2006-10-08 23:00:21 · answer #7 · answered by Trin 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋