I think I read somewhere that the new 'breeds' of GMO corn are now being
created to be sterile? That they grow when the farmer plants them and thats
it, no more new plants from the left-over or dropped seeds.
Any truth to this?

Thx
BLueCoBra
wrote in message
...
actually. my students prepared and debated the whole GMO question this
summer after
seeing a PBS frontline "Harvest of Fear". here is syllabus with links to
PBS site
for this frontline, and further down is discussion of the green revolution
and
problems with growing food by the principles of the green revolution.
http://users.megapathdsl.net/~solo/w.../syllabus.html
GMO or genetically modified foods have been banned until recently in most
of the
world except the US (Monsanto's home court). Now GMO food are allowed in
some EU
countries as long as they are labeled as GMO foods.
Monsanto et all took the gene out of Bt that kills caterpillars and put
that gene
into corn seed. Every cell in the corn now produces the lethal protein so
anything
chewing on any part of the corn will die. Those cells includes pollen
from corn.
Monarchs primarily eat milkweed and most milkweed grows between and around
corn
fields. a researcher showed in the lab that milkweed sprinkled with the
pollen of Bt
corn would runt and/or kill monarch caterpillars. regular Bt is
indiscriminate in
killing all caterpillars. Corn pollen is carried by wind, altho not very
far.
a few things are terribly wrong with inserting Bt into corn besides losing
a
significant number of Monarchs.
1. First, the protein is a likely allergen and for that reason has been
licensed for
use in animals only. "StarLink corn contains a protein called Cry9C that
scientists
say could cause allergies to some people. For this reason, it is only
licensed for
use as animal food.... Nearly 300 kinds of taco shells, tortillas, chips
and tostadas
were recalled from U.S. grocery stores and restaurants, including Kraft
taco shells
(sold under the Taco Bell brand name), Safeway store brand products, and
foods from
Wendy's and Applebee's restaurants. In the U.S., no one knows for sure how
much
StarLink is in the food supply, though in Iowa alone, experts say that up
to half of
the state's 2 billion bushels of corn may be contaminated. "
It is a basic problem people with allergies have. They need to know what
is in their
food, especially "whole" foods if they are to keep themselves healthy.
2. Bt is an organic control for pests. Organic farmers and those who
practice
integrated pest management apply Bt when needed and then the bacteria
washes off the
food and for other reasons this kind of usage makes it unlikely resistance
will
evolve. By integrating the protein into the plant insects will quickly
develop
resistance, thereby depriving current and future generations of organic
and IPM
farmers of a useful and earth friendly pest control. In essence, they
have taken one
of the best insecticides and are cashing in on it now leaving everyone
else without
that "magic bullet" forever. It is like somebody taking an effective
antibiotic
against a deadly disease and feeding their cattle with it even tho the
cattle dont
have an infection, but by virtue of the circulating levels antibiotic
resistant
bacteria will develop and then when people really need that antibiotic it
is useless.

3. Corn pollen is mobile. Bt pollen contaminates surrounding fields so
those
farmers corn is not Bt free. The contaminated farmers cannot collect
damages.
4. Genes "jump". There are things called transposons which move genes
from plants
to plants.
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ult...ansposons.html
Normally they stay within a species, but having moved the gene from
bacteria to corn
it has been forced to jump the species barrier. This makes it more likely
the Bt
protein is going to jump from corn to other plants.
As a scientist, as a minor in molecular genetics I think there are
terrific uses for
recombinant DNA technology. Screwing around with our food isnt one of
them. Ingrid


"E. Norma Stitz" ""42DD\"@your service.net wrote:
It's all bullshit. Monarch butterflies are nowhere near corn when it
pollinates.


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