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Biotech Wish List
Instead of screwing the world's poor with nightmares like the
"Terminator Gene," wouldn't it be great if the biotech firms could come up with things like: 1) Splice together the bottom of a carrot and the top of a cabbage. 2) Join together salt marsh plants with rice. These two would go a long way to relieve world hunger. Then for disease: 3) Develop a virus that attacks cancer cells. 4) Develop other viruses that attack infectous bacteria. No, I'm not some kind of Pollyanna, I'm usually very cynical.And some of these ideas may be naive, I am not a biologist. But I wanted to offer people something nice to think about for Christmas. Have a merry one, and feel free to add to the list. |
Biotech Wish List
The termator gene has it's place. Contorling volenter crops is one and
protecting intlectelual propety is a legtiment use. Cosider cotton in India. To protect the BT genetics and all other genetics in India they use hybred cotton. No place else in the world uses hybred cotton. In the case of BT cotton in India the hybridization is done by hand. Each bloom must be emasulated by hand and covered with a bag and then a few days later the bag much be reomved and the flower fertized by hand. Each bloom produces 4 or 5 seeds. It takes at least 20 or 30 seconds for each bloom and if the BT cotton doubles the yeild of Indain cotton it takes about 8,000 seeds to make a 480 pound bale of cotton or 1600 blooms or about 2.5 hours of hand labor to produce the seed. The breeders are going to protect their investment or not make it. Is it better for the farmer to pay for 2.5 hours of labor to hybidize the seed so he can't replant it or for the breeder to use a less expensive technology to protect his investment. I was farming before the plant protecton laws went in to effect in the US and the progress in cotton move at a snails pace. One man would work with one variaty all his life. With the plant protection act there was suddenly a lot of new cotton to choose from. You don't get improved varities for free. Someone has to pay for the work to develop them. All the goverments but China have paractialy quit funding ag research so do you want to just quit developing new varities? More things will come with time but the big things come first. The boll worm and it relitives are the number one pest in the world and the BT protien a natural protien that kills them. Round Up resistance was easy to do and has allowed millons of acres to reverse the loss of organic matter in the soil for the first time in crops like cotton and soybean. When used for notil cropping it is the biggest step in stopping soil erosion in my life. What has already been done is the biggest postive step in imporoveing framings impact on the envionment in history and you bitch about it? Gordon Gordon "jitney" wrote in message om... Instead of screwing the world's poor with nightmares like the "Terminator Gene," wouldn't it be great if the biotech firms could come up with things like: 1) Splice together the bottom of a carrot and the top of a cabbage. 2) Join together salt marsh plants with rice. These two would go a long way to relieve world hunger. Then for disease: 3) Develop a virus that attacks cancer cells. 4) Develop other viruses that attack infectous bacteria. No, I'm not some kind of Pollyanna, I'm usually very cynical.And some of these ideas may be naive, I am not a biologist. But I wanted to offer people something nice to think about for Christmas. Have a merry one, and feel free to add to the list. |
Biotech Wish List
jitney writes
4) Develop other viruses that attack infectous bacteria. Selection of bacteriophages for human treatment is used in russia. It was documented on an Horizon programme some years ago. They get the strains from the hospital sewage, but need to continually select new strains as the bacteria move to resistant populations. It seemed to be surprisingly effective. -- Oz This post is worth absolutely nothing and is probably fallacious. Note: soon (maybe already) only posts via despammed.com will be accepted. |
Biotech Wish List
On Wed, 25 Dec 2002 05:25:16 GMT, "Gordon Couger"
wrote: Round Up resistance was easy to do and has allowed millons of acres to reverse the loss of organic matter in the soil for the first time in crops like cotton and soybean. When used for notil cropping it is the biggest step in stopping soil erosion in my life. How do you explain there is no step in data? http://www.agriculture.com/sfonline/...bean_chart.gif |
Biotech Wish List
"Gordon Couger"
What has already been done is the biggest postive step in imporoveing framings impact on the envionment in history and you bitch about it? Gordon Gordon Merry Christmas to you too. You have made some good points. My concern about the terminator gene has to do with its accidental (or intentional?) transfer into the wider gene pool, causing a permanent dependance on the seed companies. It is a power that I would rather wish that private companies or individuals not have. And yes, we do need more government research. Now, if they could only eliminate that bad spelling DNA from the human genome...-Jitney |
Biotech Wish List
"jitney" wrote in message om... "Gordon Couger" What has already been done is the biggest postive step in imporoveing framings impact on the envionment in history and you bitch about it? Gordon Gordon Merry Christmas to you too. You have made some good points. My concern about the terminator gene has to do with its accidental (or intentional?) transfer into the wider gene pool, causing a permanent dependance on the seed companies. It is a power that I would rather wish that private companies or individuals not have. And yes, we do need more government research. Now, if they could only eliminate that bad spelling DNA from the human genome...-Jitney It's transfer to the wider gene pool is self limiting. It does not germinate so it can't contaminate more than a fraction of the crop and that that is does containate doesn't reproduce. Patents don't have an infine life. As soon as the patent expires that gene is free for anyone to use and can be incorperated into the varities that the farmers keep for themselves. They would never get the gentics any other way. I have farmed most of my life and many years I raised seed wheat many years for my self and others. Buying better seed is the best bargin I ever made. Farmers will only buy patented seed if it makes them money. No one holds a gun to our head and makes us buy seed except in a few areas that limit the varities to assure unifomity. In India half the cotton seed sold is hybred that is worthless for replanting. India also has a problem with seed dealers that sell seed that doesn't germinate. Western bussiness practice is a lot better than what they have today. Gordon |
Biotech Wish List
Nine million acres over seven years is pretty damn big step. Just a 60%
incerase. Farmers are pretty conservitive folks. They don't change fast. They work out the problems and test things for several years before going whole hog for it. No till won't really take off in cotton until the next generation of RR cotton comes out in 2004 or 2005 that can be sprayed any time during the season. Gordon "Torsten Brinch" wrote in message ... On Wed, 25 Dec 2002 05:25:16 GMT, "Gordon Couger" wrote: Round Up resistance was easy to do and has allowed millons of acres to reverse the loss of organic matter in the soil for the first time in crops like cotton and soybean. When used for notil cropping it is the biggest step in stopping soil erosion in my life. How do you explain there is no step in data? http://www.agriculture.com/sfonline/...bean_chart.gif |
Biotech Wish List
On Wed, 25 Dec 2002 22:59:17 GMT, "Gordon Couger"
wrote: Nine million acres over seven years is pretty damn big step. At least I now have you looking at the data, albeit with a sad degree of incomprehension :-). Try again. http://www.agriculture.com/sfonline/...bean_chart.gif --- Where is the step you attribute to RR soya seen in data? ---- On Wed, 25 Dec 2002 05:25:16 GMT, "Gordon Couger" wrote: Round Up resistance was easy to do and has allowed millons of acres to reverse the loss of organic matter in the soil for the first time in crops like cotton and soybean. When used for notil cropping it is the biggest step in stopping soil erosion in my life. How do you explain there is no step in data? http://www.agriculture.com/sfonline/...bean_chart.gif |
Biotech Wish List
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Biotech Wish List
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Biotech Wish List
On Thu, 26 Dec 2002 16:57:30 GMT, Larry Caldwell
wrote: In article , says... Instead of screwing the world's poor with nightmares like the "Terminator Gene," The terminator gene is not being deployed. This decision was made two years ago. You are a bit out of date. wouldn't it be great if the biotech firms could come up with things like: 1) Splice together the bottom of a carrot and the top of a cabbage. Isn't this known as the beet? Beet greens are known as chard, and it is quite a tasty and nutritious vegetable. Beet bottoms are, of course, known as beets, and are also a tasty and nutritious vegetable. 2) Join together salt marsh plants with rice. These two would go a long way to relieve world hunger. This has been done, and work is continuing. Many of the vegetables in the Middle East, particularly, are grown from salt resistant strains. and droght resistent as well. Then for disease: 3) Develop a virus that attacks cancer cells. This is probably not necessary or desirable, but viruses are showing great promise for gene therapy for diseases like cystic fibrosis. Actually, this is being done (the first experiments were done in 1988). There are several published clinical trials that utilize various viruses including adenovirus and herpesvirus for this purpose. There are quite a few people walking around today who have had their lives extened by such viruses. There have also been some deaths, but remember that only terminally ill pateints who did not respond to othet therapies are enrolled in the trials. 4) Develop other viruses that attack infectous bacteria. Bacteria would quickly develop resistant strains to any virus that wasn't 100% lethal. This is also happening right now. The viruses employed are genetically engineered bacteriophage. There has been some moderate success in experimental systems. This is actually an old idea that has seen a resergence. We really do need new treatments as there have not been any new antibiotics in over 20 years. The bugs are winning. No, I'm not some kind of Pollyanna, I'm usually very cynical.And some of these ideas may be naive, I am not a biologist. But I wanted to offer people something nice to think about for Christmas. Have a merry one, and feel free to add to the list. |
Biotech Wish List
"Bob Adkins" wrote in message ... On Thu, 26 Dec 2002 16:57:30 GMT, Larry Caldwell wrote: Isn't this known as the beet? Beet greens are known as chard, and it is quite a tasty and nutritious vegetable. Beet bottoms are, of course, known as beets, and are also a tasty and nutritious vegetable. Wouldn't it be cool if beets had *real blood? :-) Then for disease: 3) Develop a virus that attacks cancer cells. This is probably not necessary or desirable, but viruses are showing great promise for gene therapy for diseases like cystic fibrosis. Good memory Larry! Wonder what ever happened to the child that was given gene therapy for CF several months back? I suppose if it had been 100% successful, it would have made big headlines by now. I don't think it has been evaluated yet. I watch real close I have a nephew with CF. Gordon |
Biotech Wish List
"Rick" wrote in message ... On Thu, 26 Dec 2002 16:57:30 GMT, Larry Caldwell wrote: In article , says... Instead of screwing the world's poor with nightmares like the "Terminator Gene," The terminator gene is not being deployed. This decision was made two years ago. You are a bit out of date. wouldn't it be great if the biotech firms could come up with things like: 1) Splice together the bottom of a carrot and the top of a cabbage. Isn't this known as the beet? Beet greens are known as chard, and it is quite a tasty and nutritious vegetable. Beet bottoms are, of course, known as beets, and are also a tasty and nutritious vegetable. 2) Join together salt marsh plants with rice. These two would go a long way to relieve world hunger. This has been done, and work is continuing. Many of the vegetables in the Middle East, particularly, are grown from salt resistant strains. and droght resistent as well. Then for disease: 3) Develop a virus that attacks cancer cells. This is probably not necessary or desirable, but viruses are showing great promise for gene therapy for diseases like cystic fibrosis. Actually, this is being done (the first experiments were done in 1988). There are several published clinical trials that utilize various viruses including adenovirus and herpesvirus for this purpose. There are quite a few people walking around today who have had their lives extened by such viruses. There have also been some deaths, but remember that only terminally ill pateints who did not respond to othet therapies are enrolled in the trials. There have been some real successes but the repeatbilty is not very good. One trial about a dozen advanced melenoma victems were given an expermenatal vaccine and half lived over 18 months when they should have died in 6 months. One company Large Scale Bio LRGE is betting the farm on indivugualized treatments. Their stock has steady decline from $40 to $0.88 as their money runs out with no real winner in hand. There will be some real winners in this field but picking them is a real crap shoot with a lot more loosers than winners. 4) Develop other viruses that attack infectous bacteria. Bacteria would quickly develop resistant strains to any virus that wasn't 100% lethal. This is also happening right now. The viruses employed are genetically engineered bacteriophage. There has been some moderate success in experimental systems. This is actually an old idea that has seen a resergence. We really do need new treatments as there have not been any new antibiotics in over 20 years. The bugs are winning. Again some promising things on the horison but the the lead time on medical reserch is really bad and the testing is difficult to do as well. If we could develop drugs like we breed plants we could make a lot faster progress. But the last guy that did that had to hide in South America from the War Crimes Trials. Gordon |
Biotech Wish List
"Bob Adkins" Wouldn't it be cool if beets had *real blood? :-) They probably already have Bob. Many of the Medical Molecular Crops are being engineered for blood products. The advantages from a lack of contamination point of view are huge. We have some of the current research on the http://www.molecularfarming.com/othermedical.html page, as well as bits on other pages in the site. Yours Brian. |
Biotech Wish List
"Gordon Couger" Again some promising things on the horison but the the lead time on medical reserch is really bad and the testing is difficult to do as well. If we could develop drugs like we breed plants we could make a lot faster progress. It is sort of happening in the developing of transgenic plants to produce protein drugs Read all about it at the http://www.MolecularFarming.com site Large Scale Bio. is a big player in this field, having been the first company to build a purpose-built bioprocessing facility. Prodigene, if they get their act together in environmental safety, have promising technology and product pipeline. |
Biotech Wish List
"Plantigens" wrote in message ... "Gordon Couger" Again some promising things on the horison but the the lead time on medical reserch is really bad and the testing is difficult to do as well. If we could develop drugs like we breed plants we could make a lot faster progress. It is sort of happening in the developing of transgenic plants to produce protein drugs Read all about it at the http://www.MolecularFarming.com site Large Scale Bio. is a big player in this field, having been the first company to build a purpose-built bioprocessing facility. Prodigene, if they get their act together in environmental safety, have promising technology and product pipeline. They keep growing corn and beans in corn and bean country if they would go to irrigated cotton country where no one grows those crops becase cotton makes more money they could solve those problems in one step. The problem with drugs is the testing in humans. We can't do good statistical studies and we can't disect the subjects after the study. I have seen more good research done on two pens of hogs than has ever been done on humans. You gate cut them into two groups and treat one group and use the other as control and evaluate them at slaughter. In fact most of the nutrition data for humans is extrapolated from just that kind of work on hogs. Gordon |
Biotech Wish List
"Gordon Couger" wrote in message news:2JcP9.537162$QZ.77075@sccrnsc02...
"Plantigens" wrote in message ... "Gordon Couger" They keep growing corn and beans in corn and bean country if they would go to irrigated cotton country where no one grows those crops becase cotton makes more money they could solve those problems in one step. Gordon, That is the main purpose of the MolecularFarming.com site. We want cotton growers in the middle of the cotton region to join our database and we will try to introduce them to " Genetically engineered former food crop " Biopharma companies. We already have 3800 acres which we know can be used for Environmentally Safe Corn growing alone, in places as diverse as South Africa, Indonesia and Guinea. We can grow these crops if we take them away from related food. We could even grow them beside food if we followed some of the suggestions on the http://www.molecularfarming.com/safety.html page |
Biotech Wish List
"brian marshall" wrote in message m... "Gordon Couger" wrote in message news:2JcP9.537162$QZ.77075@sccrnsc02... "Plantigens" wrote in message ... "Gordon Couger" They keep growing corn and beans in corn and bean country if they would go to irrigated cotton country where no one grows those crops becase cotton makes more money they could solve those problems in one step. Gordon, That is the main purpose of the MolecularFarming.com site. We want cotton growers in the middle of the cotton region to join our database and we will try to introduce them to " Genetically engineered former food crop " Biopharma companies. We already have 3800 acres which we know can be used for Environmentally Safe Corn growing alone, in places as diverse as South Africa, Indonesia and Guinea. We can grow these crops if we take them away from related food. We could even grow them beside food if we followed some of the suggestions on the http://www.molecularfarming.com/safety.html page How would the big hole in the middle of Waggoner Ranch work for you. http://www.waggonerranch.com/images/fig2.gif My mother's family controls that. Unfortuatly it is too hot for beans and corn and the water from the lake is not fit for irrigation. Getting there first we got the good grass. Waggoner took the poorer land that had less water. While drilling for water he kept hitting sal****er and oil at about 200 feet and eventual ended producing. http://www.waggonerranch.com/prod03b.htm We still have good water and grass snf no oil. Gordon |
Biotech Wish List
"Larry Caldwell" wrote in message ... In article , writes: You might find it interesting to do a bit of reading on the "Green Revolution". Someone called Borlang or Borluag or something like that received the Nobel Peace Prize for work he did on wheat while with Dupont (or should that be Du Pont??). Unfortunately, his wonder wheat caused very real problems down the track in the Third World countries he was intending to help. His wheat needed fertilisers that weren't readily available in the Third World, it wasn't as resistant to local pests as the old varieties were and the straw that had been used for both animal feeds and thatching was now too short etc etc etc. In short for a while it was OK but very quickly it became a real pig's ear. The farmers were caught in a spiral of needing to buy seed, fertiliser and then sell to make a profit etc. It was a good idea at the time but 25+ years down the track and it's a different story but since we don't seem to learn from history then no doubt we'll repeat it again. Our farmers are mostly screaming blue murder about GM crops. The government isn't listening and I'm curious as to what "retainers" might be being spread around by companies with GM interests. I don't know where you heard this, but none of it is true. The only reason the world hasn't been having repeated famines for the last 30 years was the development of superior strains of wheat, rice and corn by plant biologists. Work continues on strains like golden rice and balanced amino acid corn that drastically reduce dietary disease by providing a better balanced nutrition. The green revolution tripled crop yields around the world and saved untold billions of human lives. Norman Borlaug richly deserved his Nobel prize. Borlaug never worked for Du Pont. His work was initially funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. Check out http://reason.com/0004/fe.rb.billions.shtml if you want to know the real story. -- http://home.teleport.com/~larryc His wonder wheat did very nicely here in the USA as well. I was one of the biggest changes in wheat farming we ever had. We no longer had to contend with getting rid of all that straw and could use tillage methods that used less fuel and were less likely to cause erosion. Gordon |
Biotech Wish List
"Larry Caldwell" wrote in message
... In article , writes: You might find it interesting to do a bit of reading on the "Green Revolution". Someone called Borlang or Borluag or something like that received the Nobel Peace Prize for work he did on wheat while with Dupont (or should that be Du Pont??). Unfortunately, his wonder wheat caused very real problems down the track in the Third World countries he was intending to help. His wheat needed fertilisers that weren't readily available in the Third World, it wasn't as resistant to local pests as the old varieties were and the straw that had been used for both animal feeds and thatching was now too short etc etc etc. In short for a while it was OK but very quickly it became a real pig's ear. The farmers were caught in a spiral of needing to buy seed, fertiliser and then sell to make a profit etc. It was a good idea at the time but 25+ years down the track and it's a different story but since we don't seem to learn from history then no doubt we'll repeat it again. I don't know where you heard this, but none of it is true. If you had done any sort of research (even on the net) you would not make such a knee jerk and unsupportable statement. My source for most of my post was a memory of a paper done by one of this country's Govt Aid agency. But just to refute your knee jerker, I have done a bit of a net hunt and there is certainly enough there if you had chosen to do any research. He did work for Du Pont, the Green Revolution is causing, has caused and will continue to cause problems in Third World Countries over the next few years. However, as you say, he was funded by Rockefeller so you got something right. He was also funded by Ford. The only reason the world hasn't been having repeated famines for the last 30 years was the development of superior strains of wheat, rice and corn by plant biologists. Goodness me! Did you think that famines stopped when the tracks of "Concert for Bangladesh" were laid down? A few I can think of whitout even trying are (currently) North Korea, and emerging, Zimbabwe, and back a few years, Somalia, Ethiopia, Chad, Kenya, Eritrea and Sudan. I'm sure I could think of others if I really got off my blot. Work continues on strains like golden rice and balanced amino acid corn that drastically reduce dietary disease by providing a better balanced nutrition. The green revolution tripled crop yields around the world and saved untold billions of human lives. Norman Borlaug richly deserved his Nobel prize. Yes he probably did deserve his Nobel Prize for very good research but the green revolution had only short term success. If you had done some research you would know that my referral to "25+ years" was not an accident. The green revolution problems are now piling up thick and fast. It was and is unsustainable. Not necessarily Borlaug's fault, but given the article you have quoted he certainly seems to be prepared to sprout a fair amount of rubbish that cannot be supported by the either the facts or even common sense. Borlaug never worked for Du Pont. You are wrong. He did work for Du Pont. Look at: http://www.normanborlaug.org/267339_borlaug_21liv..html His work was initially funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. He joined the Rockefeller foundation in 1944 and , yes, he was funded by Rockefeller and Ford for his Nobel Prize winning research. Check out http://reason.com/0004/fe.rb.billions.shtml if you want to know the real story. One thing I am noticing more and more is that so few people can manage to read an article critically. How can you possibly describe that article as being "the real story"? Hasn't it occurred to you that of course Borlaug is going to say that he can walk on water and that everything he did was simply miraculous? Didn't you notice that this so called "real story" has only him as the source? Where are his critics? Does he answer any criticism?. Of course not, so it is hardly likely to be any sort of "real story" to anyone who has any critical facilities. If you read it critically and if you have any interest in Third World countries you would notice a number of problems with what he actually says. For example, read the section where he is interviewed and you will notice that he refers to Roundup and it's wonderful usefulness to Africa. Then he talks about bringing roads into Ethiopia so that they can have access to fertiliser and that then they'll be able to have schools and get cosy with the neighbours. How out of touch can he be? He doesn't seem to understand that he's describing the creation of a poverty trap which such expensive inputs and nor does he seem to know about local conditions in places like Ethiopia. Even he must know by now that the major problem with the Green Revolution, and his varieties in particular, is sustainability, rapidly increasing land degradation, loss of biodiversity and social dislocation. If you think that one person saying "I'm wonderful", in an interview, is "the real story", then there really is no point in suggesting you look at any of the following, but I'll do so anyway. http://www.sos-arsenic.net/english/mitigation/1.html http://www.foodfirst.org/media/opeds...-greenrev.html http://www.public.iastate.edu/~cfford/342Myth5.htm http://www.corpwatchindia.org/issues...?articleid=603 http://primalseeds.nologic.org/revolution.htm http://www.biotech-info.net/sour.html http://www.orst.edu/instruct/bi301/cropdiv.htm I could go on but I won't. |
Biotech Wish List
On Thu, 9 Jan 2003 05:16:01 +1100, "Fran Higham"
wrote: "Larry Caldwell" wrote in message t... In article , writes: You might find it interesting to do a bit of reading on the "Green Revolution". Someone called Borlang or Borluag or something like that received the Nobel Peace Prize for work he did on wheat while with Dupont (or should that be Du Pont??). Unfortunately, his wonder wheat caused very real problems down the track in the Third World countries he was intending to help. His wheat needed fertilisers that weren't readily available in the Third World, it wasn't as resistant to local pests as the old varieties were and the straw that had been used for both animal feeds and thatching was now too short etc etc etc. In short for a while it was OK but very quickly it became a real pig's ear. The farmers were caught in a spiral of needing to buy seed, fertiliser and then sell to make a profit etc. It was a good idea at the time but 25+ years down the track and it's a different story but since we don't seem to learn from history then no doubt we'll repeat it again. I don't know where you heard this, but none of it is true. If you had done any sort of research (even on the net) you would not make such a knee jerk and unsupportable statement. My source for most of my post was a memory of a paper done by one of this country's Govt Aid agency. But just to refute your knee jerker, I have done a bit of a net hunt and there is certainly enough there if you had chosen to do any research. He did work for Du Pont, the Green Revolution is causing, has caused and will continue to cause problems in Third World Countries over the next few years. However, as you say, he was funded by Rockefeller so you got something right. He was also funded by Ford. The only reason the world hasn't been having repeated famines for the last 30 years was the development of superior strains of wheat, rice and corn by plant biologists. Goodness me! Did you think that famines stopped when the tracks of "Concert for Bangladesh" were laid down? A few I can think of whitout even trying are (currently) North Korea, and emerging, Zimbabwe, and back a few years, Somalia, Ethiopia, Chad, Kenya, Eritrea and Sudan. I'm sure I could think of others if I really got off my blot. Work continues on strains like golden rice and balanced amino acid corn that drastically reduce dietary disease by providing a better balanced nutrition. The green revolution tripled crop yields around the world and saved untold billions of human lives. Norman Borlaug richly deserved his Nobel prize. Yes he probably did deserve his Nobel Prize for very good research but the green revolution had only short term success. If you had done some research you would know that my referral to "25+ years" was not an accident. The green revolution problems are now piling up thick and fast. It was and is unsustainable. Not necessarily Borlaug's fault, but given the article you have quoted he certainly seems to be prepared to sprout a fair amount of rubbish that cannot be supported by the either the facts or even common sense. Borlaug never worked for Du Pont. You are wrong. He did work for Du Pont. Look at: http://www.normanborlaug.org/267339_borlaug_21liv..html His work was initially funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. He joined the Rockefeller foundation in 1944 and , yes, he was funded by Rockefeller and Ford for his Nobel Prize winning research. Check out http://reason.com/0004/fe.rb.billions.shtml if you want to know the real story. One thing I am noticing more and more is that so few people can manage to read an article critically. How can you possibly describe that article as being "the real story"? Hasn't it occurred to you that of course Borlaug is going to say that he can walk on water and that everything he did was simply miraculous? Didn't you notice that this so called "real story" has only him as the source? Where are his critics? Does he answer any criticism?. Of course not, so it is hardly likely to be any sort of "real story" to anyone who has any critical facilities. If you read it critically and if you have any interest in Third World countries you would notice a number of problems with what he actually says. For example, read the section where he is interviewed and you will notice that he refers to Roundup and it's wonderful usefulness to Africa. Then he talks about bringing roads into Ethiopia so that they can have access to fertiliser and that then they'll be able to have schools and get cosy with the neighbours. How out of touch can he be? He doesn't seem to understand that he's describing the creation of a poverty trap which such expensive inputs and nor does he seem to know about local conditions in places like Ethiopia. Even he must know by now that the major problem with the Green Revolution, and his varieties in particular, is sustainability, rapidly increasing land degradation, loss of biodiversity and social dislocation. If you think that one person saying "I'm wonderful", in an interview, is "the real story", then there really is no point in suggesting you look at any of the following, but I'll do so anyway. http://www.sos-arsenic.net/english/mitigation/1.html http://www.foodfirst.org/media/opeds...-greenrev.html http://www.public.iastate.edu/~cfford/342Myth5.htm http://www.corpwatchindia.org/issues...?articleid=603 http://primalseeds.nologic.org/revolution.htm http://www.biotech-info.net/sour.html http://www.orst.edu/instruct/bi301/cropdiv.htm I could go on but I won't. You shouldn't. Did YOU read this stuff? |
Biotech Wish List
Fran Higham wrote in message ... Did you think that famines stopped when the tracks of "Concert for Bangladesh" were laid down? A few I can think of whitout even trying are (currently) North Korea, and emerging, Zimbabwe, and back a few years, Somalia, Ethiopia, Chad, Kenya, Eritrea and Sudan. I'm sure I could think of others if I really got off my blot. now try and think of others where there hasn't been a war or nutcase kicking farmers of their land in the previous decade. Kenya is the only one of the above list which is not war torn or ruled by a complete ideologue. Somalia, Ethiopia, Chad, Eritrea and Sudan have all had pretty major wars in the last few years, does Somalia actually have a government at the moment? Sudan has had endemic warfare since pretty much the 1960s. -- Jim Webster "The pasture of stupidity is unwholesome to mankind" 'Abd-ar-Rahman b. Muhammad b. Khaldun al-Hadrami' |
Biotech Wish List
"Larry Caldwell" wrote in message ... In article , writes: You might find it interesting to do a bit of reading on the "Green Revolution". Someone called Borlang or Borluag or something like that received the Nobel Peace Prize for work he did on wheat while with Dupont (or should that be Du Pont??). Unfortunately, his wonder wheat caused very real problems down the track in the Third World countries he was intending to help. His wheat needed fertilisers that weren't readily available in the Third World, it wasn't as resistant to local pests as the old varieties were and the straw that had been used for both animal feeds and thatching was now too short etc etc etc. In short for a while it was OK but very quickly it became a real pig's ear. The farmers were caught in a spiral of needing to buy seed, fertiliser and then sell to make a profit etc. It was a good idea at the time but 25+ years down the track and it's a different story but since we don't seem to learn from history then no doubt we'll repeat it again. Our farmers are mostly screaming blue murder about GM crops. The government isn't listening and I'm curious as to what "retainers" might be being spread around by companies with GM interests. I don't know where you heard this, but none of it is true. The only reason the world hasn't been having repeated famines for the last 30 years was the development of superior strains of wheat, rice and corn by plant biologists. Work continues on strains like golden rice and balanced amino acid corn that drastically reduce dietary disease by providing a better balanced nutrition. The green revolution tripled crop yields around the world and saved untold billions of human lives. Norman Borlaug richly deserved his Nobel prize. Borlaug never worked for Du Pont. His work was initially funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. Check out http://reason.com/0004/fe.rb.billions.shtml if you want to know the real story. -- http://home.teleport.com/~larryc I think average corn yields in the USA had already tripled or quadrupled by the time of the "Green Revolution". The green revolution was really the "Wheat like we grow it in The USA mand western Europe revolution" It not only created unrealistc dependency on synthetic fertilizer and toxic rescue chemistry, it ignorged, with disastrous results, local economic sytems, local ecology, and local diets with . It was blunt heavy handed and quite destrucyive agricultural imperialism, Sort of like the fabulous green revolution of brining the potato to Ireland. |
Biotech Wish List
Richard McDermott writes
I think average corn yields in the USA had already tripled or quadrupled by the time of the "Green Revolution". The green revolution was really the "Wheat like we grow it in The USA mand western Europe revolution" Ah, so good enough for us, but not good enough for them. It not only created unrealistc dependency on synthetic fertilizer Like we aren't dependent on it and toxic rescue chemistry, Like they don;t have bugs and weeds it ignorged, with disastrous results, local economic sytems, like the locals produced more food on each tiny plot and thus fed more people and got more income local ecology, Que? and local diets Rice, not unknown .... with . It was blunt heavy handed and quite destrucyive agricultural imperialism, Hah! Like you think the US can compel some asian peasant to do what you want? I have news for you, you can't. He does what he wants to do and in any case most of the varieties have been locally bred for decades. Sort of like the fabulous green revolution of brining the potato to Ireland. Worked brilliantly for decades. Now if they had had blight fungicides, the US would never have been populated .... -- Oz This post is worth absolutely nothing and is probably fallacious. Note: soon (maybe already) only posts via despammed.com will be accepted. |
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