GMO Opponents Are the Climate Skeptics of the Left
27th September 2012
An interesting way of putting it — well, it is Slate, a Voice of the Crust — but at least they recognize the problem.
So what explains the lingering suspicions that some people (even those who aren’t Monsanto-hating, organic-food-only eaters) still harbor? Some of these folks are worried about new genes being introduced into plant and animal species. But humans have been selectively breeding plants and animals pretty much since we moved out of caves, manipulating their genes all the while. The process was just slower before biotechnology came along.
Obviously, the way it was done prior to 1900 was Good, and the modern efficient scientific way is Bad. (Honestly, how these people can call themselves ‘progressives’ with a straight face is beyond me….)
Many environmentalists are concerned that genetically modified animals such as “Franken-salmon” could get loose in the wild and out-compete their nonengineered cousins, or lead to breeding problems for the wild members of the species. But even the scientist on whose research the “Trojan gene” hypothesis is based says the risk to wild salmon is “low” and that his work has been misrepresented by GMO opponents.
My, what a surprise! Aren’t you surprised? I’m sure surprised.
The bottom line for people worried about GMO ingredients in their food is that there is no credible scientific evidence that GMOs pose a health risk.
It never stopped them before, and it won’t stop them now….
September 27th, 2012 at 17:48
Funny how GMO is a big shrug because it causes no harm, but gay marriage is violently opposed even though it causes no harm.
September 27th, 2012 at 20:50
But it does cause harm. Failure to acknowledge that fact is the primary deficiency of the let’s-normalize-degeneracy crowd.