The problem with the entire discussion is that there's to much generalization in GMO's. There's a difference between mixing traits from one variety to another (essentially upgrading breeding techniques*), and then there's the interspecies mixing ( which is a bit more dangerous**). Sometimes you see the creation of new genes (through random mixing), which are then inserted. This last is essentially artificial evolution of Fast forward and should have no severe consequences
Really genetic engineering isn t magical there are things it can t do
*Completely harmless, except that the markers used to screen the crops for succesfull mutations might encourage insecticide resistacet in other plants
** No more dangerous than adding a new species to an estabilished ecosystem however, hence depending on a case by case basis
[Updating as I read]
1. For a site criticizing someone for lacking source, they provide pretty few themselves
2. Restricting research doesn't help the lack of information
BT varieties have inbuilt toxins, and they significantly add to the environmental load of these toxins. Initially, less spraying of chemical insecticides is required, but those in-built toxins have considerable effects on non-target species and on the environment, as demonstrated in many peer-reviewed papers
Bt toxin is produced by a near omnipresent ground bacteria, and naturally used by a lot of plants. The only possible problems are pests dieing out (unlikely), or developping resistance (back to start). So far, all supposed problems have been disproven. (AFAIK, all research was found to contain crucial errors)
7. Lynas says that GM is "safer and more precise than conventional breeding" and that it involves the movement of just a couple of genes. That is all utter rubbish. If Lynas had done any reading at all on GM, he would know that the genetic modification of a plant is an extremely complex business, since it has to overcome the natural defensive systems of plants when confronted by alien materials inserted into their genomes. That is why so many attempts at genetic modification fail, and why scientists find it difficult to achieve stability and uniformity in new GM crops. The novel proteins or RNA in GM plants have all sorts of unpredictable knock-on effects, as any GM scientist will confirm. GM is a highly imprecise science. And GM plants containing novel proteins (and often herbicide and other residues as well) are certainly not safe, which is why they induce chronic toxic effects in the animals that are fed on them.
Depends on the type of genetic engineering. I can only say that the science advances fast, and that precise manipulation is within our capabilities, though maybe not always commercially viable. I do feel the need to mention that a failed attempt doesn't result in some utter destructive plant of doom, but almost always in a normal specimen. (or a dead one). After all, if the slightest mistake would make a plant poisonous, then normal breeding wouldn't work. Also, plants can't differentiate between alien and normal DNA. They have basic antiviral systems, as well as DNa repair, but most of those only serve to eliminate flawed specimens.
I found no proof of the Chronic toxic effects, except that one study that found that a specific rat strain(
with a tendency to develop tumors, especially when overweigth), developed tumors when fed only GM mais. (
Without control group)
8. Lynas pretends that gene flow happens all the time between unrelated species, and that it is perfectly fine. Nonsense. Gene flow on the scale involved in genetic manipulation, and at the speed required of the GM plant developers, is unique, which is why many GM varieties fail completely, and why many others are highly stressed. Thousands of GM "lines" fail to make it out of the laboratory or the greenhouse. All of the regulatory bodies worldwide know this, and this is why GM varieties are considered in law to be uniquely different from other varieties -- and why special steps need to be taken to prevent outcrossing and contamination of other farmed varieties and related wild species.
Interspecies crossing is very rare, and if these GM crops are as unstable as you make them out to be*, then it's unlikely they'll make it out of the fields. There's no reason to assume that spreading would automatically be bad. There's no reason for plants to evolve anti human. Worst that could happen is a slightly better growing wild specimen, or an insect resistant one. This should give no problems. A poisonous varient would soon die out due to both human and environemental pressure. Hybrids and several sother variants can't spread anyway, due to the formation of the genes.**
*True in the case of certain hybrid specimens
** Fun fact, Terminator type plants would be a surefire way to prevent this.
((Meh, bored. ))
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