Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Remember the Fight Over GMO labeling?
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March 21, 2015 at 3:56 am #817021
TanDLParticipantWell, things just got a little more interesting in that regard. Posted today: Guess what commercially used pesticide has been linked to Cancer by the WHO? You know… the one that many of our food plants have been genetically altered to resist, so that Monsanto can sell more of that pesticide?
March 21, 2015 at 7:45 am #822982
JanSParticipantHave been reading about that very thing. Now maybe more will pay attention? Should we hold our breath?
March 21, 2015 at 1:52 pm #822983
anonymeParticipantThis crap was banned in Europe several years ago. It’s only the U.S. that remains in the chokehold of chemical corporations.
What GMO proponents love to leave out of the argument is the devastation wreaked on the environment – which includes the health of all living things, including humans – by the heavy use of pesticides and herbicides on GMO crops.
March 21, 2015 at 3:12 pm #822984
JoBParticipantwhen you understand that plants have been genetically altered to require more pesticide a little light bulb goes off in your brain..
at least it does if your brain hasn’t been altered to accept more pesticide ;-)
March 21, 2015 at 9:36 pm #822985
JanSParticipantMarch 22, 2015 at 1:49 am #822986
VBDParticipantThis is not a GMO issue at all. A tremendous amount of Roundup is used around plants that are not genetically engineered. It is by far the most popular herbicide sold at home and garden stores. For many people, the overwhelming majority of their exposure to Roundup is in their own (or their neighbors) garden.
If the issue is the toxicity or glyphosate, then take action to remove it from the market. Going after genetically engineered plants, many of which are not even engineered to be resistant to Roundup, is ridiculous.
March 22, 2015 at 4:19 pm #822987
TanDLParticipantDon’t hold your breath, JanS. It appears that we have successfully lured the defender of GMOs out into the daylight again. :) We raise our glasses (of an organic drink) to the defender’s good health and “ridiculous” good will, as we assume this person eats processed food daily that contains Roundup resistant and commercially sprayed corn, wheat or soy… May the defender remain healthy for many years to come.
March 22, 2015 at 5:27 pm #822988
VBDParticipantSpoken like a true conspiracy believer TanDL.
Don’t like the message – attack the messenger.
If you want to discuss the issue, I’m all game. Otherwise, I’ll leave you to wallow in your fears.
March 22, 2015 at 5:28 pm #822989
JoBParticipantVBD..
i will agree that genetic engineering is not necessarily a bad thing.
if you will agree that some genetically engineered foods are engineered to more readily accept pesticides.
I think it would be a really great thing if the process was transparent so that we could make our own choices about whether or not we wanted to consume individual genetically engineered foods.
For example.. i love the idea of a cut apple that won’t go brown…
but want to know more about how that was accomplished before i am going to willingly consume them.
don’t you?
March 22, 2015 at 6:28 pm #822990
VBDParticipantI agree fully with you JoB.
However, it also must be said that many of the arguments against genetic engineering also apply to other forms of breeding. Plants can be traditionally cross bread to be herbicide resistant as well. Hybridized seeds can be patented and their re-use be controlled by the manufacturer And unforeseen problems can occur in poorly controlled hybridized organisms.
But if people want to know how an organism is derived from it’s wild counterpart, fine. But such disclosure shouldn’t be limited to genetic engineering. Something I think is much riskier than genetic engineering is mutation breeding. But for some reason, few people seem to be concerned about it:
March 22, 2015 at 6:56 pm #822991
JTBParticipantThe issue with crops that are genetically modified to be resistant to Roundup/glyphosate is they permit greater use of the herbicide. As they say, “duh.”
I’m not really concerned about how much Roundup I would have to drink for it to kill me. The increase in rates of non-Hodgkins lymphoma is seen people using glyphosate commercially. We presume that means prolonged exposure but we don’t know how long or how much. So one takeaway would be to be very careful about exposure when using it.
But I think the biggest concern is the potential for contaminating waterways through runoff. It appears some of the agents combined with glyphosate to make it into Roundup actually increase its toxicity for fish and other and aquatic animals and can affect aquatic plants.
While conscientious people may be careful to wash off contaminated utensils and protective clothing over soil where it is tightly bound and eventually broken down, I suspect not everyone is on top of it. And I’m just thinking about residential users. I have no idea of how this is handled commercially.
Oregon State University reports findings of glyphosate taken up by carrots and lettuce grown in soil where the pesticide was used. But it appears the stuff is rapidly excreted in an unmetabolized form. That said, I’d like to see some strong research on the potential of glyphosate to act as an endocrine disruptor at tiny, trace amounts.
March 23, 2015 at 1:52 am #822992
TanDLParticipantNo thanks, VBD. We already had these discussions prior to the vote on labeling and I know where you stand. I’m too tired from work to take on your “fear” or “attack the messenger” bait. I apologize if you genuinely felt tread upon in some way by my attempt to engage you in good-natured humor, so have a good night. Peace out.
March 23, 2015 at 3:27 am #822993
JTBParticipantVBD, if you want to have something to really be concerned about which is a step beyond mutation breeding, how about germline DNA engineering—altering the DNA in eggs, sperm or embryos using a method called CRISPR Cas9? It is being done in animals now. Last week a group of scientists involved in this work, including several who developed the technique, called for a ban on using it in humans. They cite concerns about using it for other purposes than fixing genetically determined diseases and malformations and instead trying to make “improvements” in basically healthy individuals. There are also a mistakes from time to time in which the wrong bit of DNA is opened or snipped to permit inserting a healthy segment. I suppose they’ll want to get it down to detect such errors prior to letting an embryo become fertilized.
This technique is expected to be part of the next big thing in biotech where targeted DNA treatment becomes practical. Astra Zeneca has assembled an international team to collaborate on key elements involved in the methodology. I expect the lab work will proceed on eggs and sperm but hopefully not embryos.
Taking a page from Monsanto, perhaps we can look forward to engineering humans who are resistant to all sorts of environmental toxins. In that way we can be less concerned about regulatory over reach on the part of the EPA and other agencies that interfere with free enterprise. It would also likely lead to a time in which people would be proud to proclaim they are certified GMO.
March 23, 2015 at 3:32 am #822994
waterworldParticipantAnonyme: Are you sure Roundup, that is, glyphosate, is banned in Europe? My understanding is that Denmark has imposed restrictions on using it, but I haven’t seen reports confirming that Roundup has been banned everywhere in Europe. I’m just curious.
March 23, 2015 at 9:04 am #822995
JoBParticipantIn an interesting sidenote… there was a post on Facebook today stating that San Diego is suing Monsanto for the runoff polluting it’s bay.
In this case the issue is PCBs..
“”PCBs manufactured by Monsanto have been found in Bay sediments and water and have been identified in tissues of fish, lobsters, and other marine life in the Bay. PCB contamination in and around the Bay affects all San Diegans and visitors who enjoy the Bay, who reasonably would be disturbed by the presence of a hazardous, banned substance in the sediment, water, and wildlife.”
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2015/mar/16/ticker-monsanto-pay-damaging-san-diego/#
but it looks like there is a probably issue with glyphosate pollution in our bays as well
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X14000228
March 23, 2015 at 9:06 am #822996
JoBParticipantwaterworld.. it’s banned in Holland and is no longer sold in France
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