Happy Winter Solstice & Food for thought...
- To: "Medit- Plants"
- Subject: Happy Winter Solstice & Food for thought...
- From: s*
- Date: Tue, 21 Dec 99 23:47:43 -0700
Happy Winter Solstice to all!
The discussion on genetic modifications is fascinating. I have a feeling
that this tread of discussion could continue for a millennium or two! I
understand the need to modify certain traits of plants for increased food
production and resistance to disease and pests but I'm afraid the
economic need for short term profit, ie. Western Culture, produces such
things as terminator genes which increase profits through repeat buying
of seeds since the farmers seeds will be sterile. And the thing that
scares me most is that these terminator genes (plus other possibly
undesirable genes) could find their way into the environment through
related wild species with disastrous results.
Some of these decisions will be made by social pressure, some by economic
gain, some by mistakes. Lets hope that we go into the genetic realm with
caution and awareness of the consequences. Yes, we can create square
tomatoes...but do they have the same and/or higher nutritional attributes
or are they just easier to harvest?
Somehow we need to build into the system a reward for higher nutritional
attributes.
I do believe that people have the right to know if any food they buy was
produced using genetically altered plants. This is a democracy...people
have the right to know. Educating people on the pros and cons of specific
genetic modifications will be the challenge for both sides of the debate.
And that is my food for thought for this first night of winter!
Celebrating the shortest daylight day of the year,
Ernie
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 10
within sight of the Pacific Ocean
overlooking Monterey Bay, California
