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Genetically modified foods
I wrote a series of articles on genetically modified foods in 1994. Back then, the technologyof GMO or genetically modified organisms was relatively in its infancy and there was little scientific literature about the effects, especially the long term effects of eating such foods.
Today (2008), genetically modified foods, or GM foods for short, have become a part of our daily lives. Certain foods, like soy beans, are mostly genetically modified. Consumers take them routinely, mostly without any clue about what they are taking -- and without any clue about the possible harmful effects. A lot more scientific evidence has since surfaced. But there is still not a great deal known about GM Foods.As I mentioned to some friends in an email discussion, however, actually we don't need scientific research / evidence to discern what to do with regards to GM foods. All we need is PHILOSOPHY.
When we rely on scientific research and evidence, we are essentially waiting for scientists to tell us what to do. And if they don't tell us, or if they tell us lies and half-truths, then we are helpless and misguided? Surely we can think for ourselves! I had mentioned to the group that I would put up my articles on genetically modified foods soon. So I asked my friend Ella, who is helping me to type my old articles from The Good Life, to do this first...
What do you get if you across a tomato with a fish? This is not a children’s riddles. It is serious. Scientists call the results “biofood”. They speak highly of these foods, pointing out that they look better, taste better and, best of all, last longer. Biofood can be stored with out much refrigeration, pesticides or chemical preservatives. For the people who produce and sell such foods, this means lower costs, less wastage and, on the bottom line, higher profits.
They call genetically modified foods “Frankenfoods”, after the fictional monstor, Frankenstein.
The creation of Frakenfoods is truly bizarre. It is not straight-forward cross-breeding of related species, like what gardeners do when they cross one orchid with another to produce a hybrid. Even a cross between a human and an ape is not as strange. After all, humans and apes share a lot in common. They are closely related, in biological terms, "close cousins". Frankenfoods are animals and plants combined. That’s like trying to fertilize an animal with plant pollen, or to pollinate a plant with animal sperm. In nature, this is absolutely impossible. But science, with all its cleverness -- and stupidity -- has made it possible. Welcome to the brave new world of genetic engineering and genetically modified foods. The most common form is gene splicing, in which scientist splice open the cell to insert a foreign gene. They might open the cell of a plant and insert the gene of a fish, cow or other animal. Or the gene of a bacteria or virus. Because only a minor change has been made, the end result does not seem radically different. You don’t get tomatoes with horns. But what you get is still a totally strange “vegetable”. Or should we call it an “ani-getable”? This sounds like science fiction. But it’s for real. Earlier this year (1994), the US Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of genetically manipulated tomatoes. Other vegetables and even grains are set to follow. And sooner or later, these genetically modified foods will reach us. (2008 update: Well, they already did.) What are the effects of eating Frankenfoods? For a start, people will not know what they are eating. Vegetarians are especially unhappy that when they eat vegetables, they may unknowingly end up eating fish, cows, pigs, sheep and other animals. Genetically modified foods will also pose serious problems for those with food allergies. A person allergic to beef, for example, may get the same reaction from eating a tomato. What about the effects on “normal, healthy individuals”? No one knows. If these foods are assessed only according to narrow nutritional criteria -- how much vitamins, minerals, etc -- they may even appear superior.
We don’t know what are the long-term effects of eating genetically modified foods. We don’t if they will produce any effects on our children and future generations. Because Frankenfoods are so strange, however, it is reasonable to expect that they will produce strange results, including possibly strange new diseases. If you eat strange foods, strange things will happen to you. This is the Order of the Universe. Yet the people who created and approved Frankenfoods seem to think otherwise. They assume that genetically modified foods are harmless just because, with their limited view, they cannot see any harm. In fact, the potential for disaster extends beyond that of personal health. Frankenfoods can have a devastating impact on all forms of life on Earth. What will happen when animals eat Frankenfoods? Or when bacteria and other micro-organism eat them? Will these bacteria mutate and cause strange new diseases? Meanwhile, scientists are using genetic engineering to develop new forms of bacteria and viruses. Super-toxic viruses are being developed as pesticides. Genetically manipulated viruses have also been used as vaccines. Science has opened up limitless possibilities for creating strange, new life forms. When these are released into the natural environment, the outcome will be “biogenetic pollution”. No one knows how serious this will be. But we can expect the worst. Because scientist have violated nature in a big way.
Two paths Since the beginning of life on earth, evolution has followed two very distinct paths- -- plants and animals. The scientists who play with genes show absolutely no respect for this important distinction. They manipulate the simplest to the most complex species, from viruses to plants and mammals; they marry genes in every possible combination. The genes of humans, the most complex species of life on Earth, are being played the fool with as well. Scientist in Holland has put human genes into cows, so that cows can produce “human milk”. Such games are often described as “playing God”. That is giving the players too much credit. It is insulting God. The correct term is “playing devil”. Click here for more articles on genetically modified foods and other strange foods / strange diets
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