RE: Genetically modified .... humans
September 16, 2017 at 1:13 am
(This post was last modified: September 16, 2017 at 1:24 am by The Grand Nudger.)
I understand that some people worry about genetic contamination. Why they worry, for example, about pesticide resistance. The notion is that if the crops all produce some pesticide x than the pest will become resistant. Absolutely true, to an extent. There's some stuff that can't be survived, period. Alot of systemics like this. Thing is, the reason the gene to produce pesticide x might be inserted....is because we already spray that pesticide on that crop to begin with. The whole point is to more effectively and efficiently arrange for that toxins presence in plant tissue. The plant is going to handle the organic chemistry better than you're able to cover the block with application.
I mention this example, because it sheds some light on how an uncontroversial concern about the spread of modified genetics in the general becomes a non-issue in the specifics. This certainly isn;t the case for all issues of that kind...however, the specific risks implied and agreed upon in the general haven't been well developed. Those known risks lrleady have management strategies (as Vor explained, at length, above). We can't create management strategies for unspecified risks, and risks common to both systems considered are not a specific risk of that system to begin with. The main pressure, here, is that GMO crops are, will be, and must be planted. It's not by choice. It's not for fun.
We have to grow this food. The people who grow it have to stay in business to keep growing it. -From within the outline of that constraint- is where we have to begin our risk assessments, and our management strategies have -all- been organized with this in mind. GMO crops aren't the kind of genie you can stuff back into a bottle, in a hungry and competitive world. We -will- have to identify and assess and manage risks in support of them. There might be drift, there is going to be contamination.
We'll have to make compromises for their management. Just as we always have for every ag system we've ever come up with since the dawn of ag.
-As far as people, I say we engineer the shit out of ourselves. Pretty sure we could all use an upgrade.
I mention this example, because it sheds some light on how an uncontroversial concern about the spread of modified genetics in the general becomes a non-issue in the specifics. This certainly isn;t the case for all issues of that kind...however, the specific risks implied and agreed upon in the general haven't been well developed. Those known risks lrleady have management strategies (as Vor explained, at length, above). We can't create management strategies for unspecified risks, and risks common to both systems considered are not a specific risk of that system to begin with. The main pressure, here, is that GMO crops are, will be, and must be planted. It's not by choice. It's not for fun.
We have to grow this food. The people who grow it have to stay in business to keep growing it. -From within the outline of that constraint- is where we have to begin our risk assessments, and our management strategies have -all- been organized with this in mind. GMO crops aren't the kind of genie you can stuff back into a bottle, in a hungry and competitive world. We -will- have to identify and assess and manage risks in support of them. There might be drift, there is going to be contamination.
We'll have to make compromises for their management. Just as we always have for every ag system we've ever come up with since the dawn of ag.
-As far as people, I say we engineer the shit out of ourselves. Pretty sure we could all use an upgrade.
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