Re: [CH] Monsanto
Inagaddadavida,Baby (raelsixty4@earthlink.net)
Sun, 20 Feb 2000 09:24:52 -0700
Twas Writ:
>I dunno.... Burbank, Mendel and Carver all used genetic manipulation.
>And they are heroes of science and revered in schools around the world.
>But, not having the modern tools, they used the tools at hand -
>chemicals and observation and selective breeding.
no...they used devices of crossbreeding, selective breeding, etc...and
what's going on today is not "genetic manipulation", it is genetic
engineering which typically involves injecting foreign (read: NOT natural)
genetic material into otherwise "normal" material (seeds, etc.)...granted,
i'm no scientist and do not claim to be, but what Mendel was doing was
childsplay compared to the mass mutations going on today by the likes of
Monsanto and others...their "creations" threaten to wreak environmental
havoc, and purely for profit motive...
>
>Cattle bred for meat repoduction and cattle bred for milk production are
>different from cattle bred for rodeo stock. All are products of genetic
>modification. Domestic turkeys are certainly much tastier than the wild
>variety - genetic modification. Red savina peppers - genetic
>modification.
cattle are typically pumped full of antibiotics and growth hormones, a
"standard" which has threatened the usefulness and potency of our
antibiotics today...milk cattle are often fed bovine growth hormone which
is not only unecessary (there is no milk shortage in any shape or form) but
detrimental to the cattle themselves...and for both examples, the
motivation is again, purely profit with little regard to environmental
impact...
>So, let's not make a universal "boogey man" of genetic modification. It
>is not necessarily a good OR bad thing. It should be taken on a case by
>case basis (I originally wrote "must be taken" which is the problem here
>- imposition of one's prejudices on others).
true...but one should look at the sources of GMOs...companies like monsanto
who have publicly stated that their motivations are merely God Money...and
said company also has a very black history in terms of "development" : DDT,
agent orange, etc...*and* said company, along with most other "life
science" companies, are doing little, if any, testing of their "creations"
to see if indeed GMOs could be a Pandora's Box...
in otherwords, the companies dealing in GMOs are motivated by greed and
express little concern for consequences of their actions, i.e. illustrate
irresponsible behavior on a grand scale...
>Because, even though most don't like them, heatless jalapenos and
>Venezuelan Sweet Gustosos (mild habaneros) have their place in the
>scheme of things. All we need to do is vote in the way that counts -
>with our wallets. If people don't make a huge return on their investment
>they will abandon further investment in that direction.
hard to vote with wallets when companies do NOT want the consumer to know
if GMOs are in food products...hard to vote with wallets when GM-seeds are
being grown all over the world without regards to environmental concerns,
i.e. the "price" to pay is too damn high...hard to vote with wallets when
if indeed the USA, for example, could actually get GMOs out of our
backyard, Monsanto and their ilk simply push their crap down the throats of
third-world countries, even if their "technology" is found to be
detrimental to the environment...just look at DDT...still manufactured
today and exported to those countries that grow some of the fresh produce
Americans, and others like to enjoy year-round...hope we all enjoy our DDT
flavored fruits and veggies...
eat 'em up yum...
Peace, Hendrix, and my apologies, I'll stick to chiles, but damned if GMOs
ain't a sore spot for this redneck...
Rael
Rael64
Mississippi Redneck Cook Shackin' Up In Idaho, Baby...
Monk of the TCS / Order of Immaculate Twister
Keeper of the Faith
and a Towel...