Re: GMO article in the NYTimes

[Guest guest]

>A pro-GMO article that says virtually nothing about the WHY of GMO

>production (big agro profits...) by diet dictocrat numero uno, Jane

>Brody:

>

> " Facing Biotech Foods Without the Fear Factor "

>

>http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/11/health/11brod.html

>

>

The scary part is the amount of scientific ignorance:

It is no secret that the public's understanding of science, and genetics in

particular, is low. For example, in a telephone survey of 1,200 Americans

released last October by the Food Policy Institute at Rutgers University, 43

percent thought, incorrectly, that ordinary tomatoes did not contain genes,

while genetically modified tomatoes did. One-third thought, again incorrectly,

that eating genetically modified fruit would change their own genes.

......................

It's really a pity, those geneless tomatoes!

One thing I like about this group is that most folks seem

to take the time to educate themselves about the science

behind the issue.

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

At 09:09 AM 1/11/05 -0800, you wrote:

>One thing I like about this group is that most folks seem

>to take the time to educate themselves about the science

>behind the issue.

>

>Heidi Jean

And another thing is that most folks are so willing to share, at the drop

of a hat, all they've learned. Y'all are a great bunch.

MFJ

Dairy Angel with the Blindingly Bright Halo

[Guest guest]

I've got to second both of you! I love this group... great people,

great information, great support!

Catz

On Tue, 11 Jan 2005 12:24:11 -0500, F. Jewett <mfjewett@...> wrote:

> At 09:09 AM 1/11/05 -0800, you wrote:

> >One thing I like about this group is that most folks seem

> >to take the time to educate themselves about the science

> >behind the issue.

> >

> >Heidi Jean

>

>

> And another thing is that most folks are so willing to share, at the drop

> of a hat, all they've learned. Y'all are a great bunch.

>

>

> MFJ

> Dairy Angel with the Blindingly Bright Halo

[Guest guest]

,

last year I had a very interesting and frustrating exchange with a

GMO proponent and researcher (Jules Janick, Distinguished Professor in

Horticulture, Purdue University). He even sent me a reprint of an

editorial he wrote for HortScience, entitled " On Tampering with

Nature " . From what I remember, the arguments in Jane Brody's

article are similar to his (except she thankfully didn't quote

Shakespeare...)

I really, really don't think the general ignorance of

biology/botany/genetics... is relevant here. Whether people know what

GM organisms are, or the even difference between genes and jeans is

irrelevant. People distrust GM crops because they distrust the media,

institutional, governmental and corporate assurances of safety. There

have been too many products in the last few decades that were declared

safe and effective, that later turned out to be anything but safe.

This is a matter of distrust, not understanding the nuances of gene

splicing.

All the best,

Jan

> A pro-GMO article that says virtually nothing about the WHY of GMO

> production (big agro profits...) by diet dictocrat numero uno, Jane

> Brody:

>

> " Facing Biotech Foods Without the Fear Factor "

>

> http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/11/health/11brod.html

>

>