Comment Toxicity, irreversibility and indeterminacy (Score 1) 655
The GMOs issue is not only about toxicity. One of the main reasons for opposing GMOs is it's irreversibility, given the potential risks that it may carry and all the uncertainty and ignorance we have about the subject. This renders genetic engineering a totally indeterminate technology when we are talking about the release of its products on the environment.
Yes, dihydrogen monoxide is tens of thousands times more toxic than the MON 863 maize. But you are not eating it everyday without being able to choose. Also, even if you campaign against it not now but in 10 years, you will still be in time to erradicate its use and therefore its impacts.
With GMOs the case is different - once you release one in the environment you have absolutely no idea of what interactions it may have with it, how it may mutate, replicate and give different results than those that were achieved on a laboratory or on any field trial. Remember the case of BSE, the mad cow disease? This was something that was completely unknown to science - no virus is there, no strange chemicals or chemical balances are there. Just a protein that appears with a different geometry, therefore resulting in totally different phenotypical effects.
Proteins are produced from genes. By messing with genes we are increasing the potential for this type of effects to happen. The biotech industry will naturally keep lobbying our governments and institutions and undermine what should be their role. This is what happens with both EFSA or the FDA, which continuously stand on the side of big industries and disregard the consumers and farmers concerns. As citizens we must stand against this strong lobbies.
Yes, dihydrogen monoxide is tens of thousands times more toxic than the MON 863 maize. But you are not eating it everyday without being able to choose. Also, even if you campaign against it not now but in 10 years, you will still be in time to erradicate its use and therefore its impacts.
With GMOs the case is different - once you release one in the environment you have absolutely no idea of what interactions it may have with it, how it may mutate, replicate and give different results than those that were achieved on a laboratory or on any field trial. Remember the case of BSE, the mad cow disease? This was something that was completely unknown to science - no virus is there, no strange chemicals or chemical balances are there. Just a protein that appears with a different geometry, therefore resulting in totally different phenotypical effects.
Proteins are produced from genes. By messing with genes we are increasing the potential for this type of effects to happen. The biotech industry will naturally keep lobbying our governments and institutions and undermine what should be their role. This is what happens with both EFSA or the FDA, which continuously stand on the side of big industries and disregard the consumers and farmers concerns. As citizens we must stand against this strong lobbies.
