yes, there are all kinds of cross kingdom recombinant DNA experiments going on AND
released. GMO .. genetically modified organisms are in most foods now in the US, but
unlike Europe, there is no requirement for labeling that they are or contain GMO
foods. The best documentary I have seen is Harvest of Fear
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/harvest/ from PBS. I use it in my class.
there are many uses for recombinant DNA where to benefits vastly outweigh the costs.
Modifying foods cross species or kingdoms is simply being done to put more money in
the pockets of a few industrial food producers with frankly enormous risk to the
environment and possibility of driving species to extinction.
One example is producing GM yams (a staple food in Africa) that is resistant to a
common pathogen resulting in stunting. All this sounds nice except that the key
nutrition for developing brains in humans has always been high protein foods, not
starchy carbohydrates. This appears to be the "missing link" in human evolution as
well. After outright malnutrition the worst cause of nutritional retardation is
protein deficient diets. So the GM yams makes it possible for everyone to have lots
of yams... all genetically identical and along comes another pathogen like the one
hit potatoes in Ireland and the whole crop bellies up and then everyone starves. The
reason the people are in trouble with their current yams is not enough genetically
diverse crops in the first place. they are basically practicing monoculture rather
than having many different kinds of plants so those that they can afford to lose most
of one crop without facing starvation. The worst problem in Africa (as it has always
been everywhere else) is war and dislocation.
potatoes were the primary starch and storage crop in my grandmothers village in
Yugoslavia. But my grandfather traveled all over Europe and brought different
varieties of potatoes back to the village and altho some potato varieties might have
succumbed to pathogens, not all did. GMO crops are monoculture. If GMO crops have
any reproductive edge they WILL drive the more highly diverse crops to extinction and
then the monoculture will succumb to the first lethal pathogen that comes along.
Ingrid

Elroy Willis wrote:
While researching freeze-resistant tomatoes, I ran across several
articles about the introduction of cold-water fish genes
into tomato plants. Whatever gene(s) that keep certain fish from
freezing can be taken out of the fish and introduced into different
plants like the tomato, to keep them from freezing, to a certain
degree.


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List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
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Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
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