[patrickinator]

here is the article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18224637

here is the protesters site: http://taketheflourback.org/


Does anyone else think these protesters lack any logical and credible argument against the research?
They refuse to have an open dialogue and furthermore are hellbent on stopping any future experiments because they fear the 'GM' name. This research is crucial in helping maintain future food production, through the use of controlled experiments where the results of the study will be analysed and open to peer reveiws and the protesters will be able to raise any issues then.

Any opinions and thoughts...

[babyjustin]

Stupid protesters, trying to prevent research and the advancement of the human race. idiots.

[patrickinator]

Anyone else have an opinion?

[patrickinator]

http://www.soilassociation.org/gm?gc...FUUhtAodBi7QZw
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gm

[DarkWhite]

I agree.

GM is feared for rather unfounded reasons, namely that we don't know what will happen; but then that's the point of experimenting.

GM can do wonders for the third world.

[TheHansa]

They're total idiots, their website implies this somehow will make things worse for the third world which is total *******s for a start. They're refusing to open dialogue because they know they know **** about ****, their bread-cow demonstrates this nicely I mean we share most of our genetic material with chimps, should we impound the chimps incase they sponaneously turn into human-chimp hybrids? Even if there was a contamination risk, surely are bunch of ignorant lay-people charging down there in radiation suits would likely cause more contamination when they trash the field than highly trained scientists being scrutinised by other highly trained scientists left to their own devices? They're hypocrites too, GM has only lost farmers money in the past because of their incessant scaremongering, their argument is circular 'GM is bad because it has lost farmers money in the past because we managed to convice people GM is bad'.

GM would also reduce pesticide use ffs.

Can't they bring in the feds to arrest these bums

[Bellissima]

this is an EXPERIMENT. it is needed to further scientific knowledge. these protesters are morons, this kind of crop could be useful in the future for saving lives with over population etc.


their main argument is that we don't know what could happen in the future, but how will we ever know if they do things like this? they are idiots.

[Fires]

The science behind these experiments is complex, but basically there is some practical merit to the protests. One strong possibility is that rogue DNA can be carried by plant viruses and insects to other plants when they are out in the wild. This effect has been shown in the US and other countries.

However, the main aim of the protests is obviously to make a point. People should not be misled into thinking that the GM science industry is a well-meaning attempt to solve the world's food supply needs. It is strictly aimed at increasing profitability of the major food corporations. A few very large corporations control key foods, like the world's wheat supply. These are "traded" to further increase profit margins. Farmers get little return internationally and the food companies and food traders most of the returns.

GM crops are not designed to help poor farmers generally (a few token developments in that direction have been offered up by the GM industry for marketing reasons) but to ensnare them. Previously, the main focus of GM research has been to create crops that have to be repurchased from the food corporations every year, rather than re-seeded from existing crops, as was traditionally the case.

GM manipulation to have crops with lower pesticide inputs as in this case do seem desirable and may be, but they may also lead to heavy reliance on particular commercial GM crops and the designer pesticides that accompany them, often produced by the same company.

This is about profit, not saving the human race.

[internetguru]

(Original post by DarkWhite)
I agree.

GM is feared for rather unfounded reasons, namely that we don't know what will happen; but then that's the point of experimenting.

GM can do wonders for the third world.

Incorrect it is in fact a government Eugenics operation to weaken the masses and achieve full spectrum domination. I know this because Alex Jones said so.

[MacDaddi]

I'm guessing like most humans, these GM protesters wouldn't like to see people starving in the world. But they are, and GM crops can provide food for them.

I honestly don't see why people will stand in the way of scientific advancement like this.

[Bellissima]

(Original post by Fires)
The science behind these experiments is complex, but basically there is some practical merit to the protests. One strong possibility is that rogue DNA can be carried by plant viruses and insects to other plants when they are out in the wild. This effect has been shown in the US and other countries.

However, the main aim of the protests is obviously to make a point. People should not be misled into thinking that the GM science industry is a well-meaning attempt to solve the world's food supply needs. It is strictly aimed at increasing profitability of the major food corporations. A few very large corporations control key foods, like the world's wheat supply. These are "traded" to further increase profit margins. Farmers get little return internationally and the food companies and food traders most of the returns.

GM crops are not designed to help poor farmers generally (a few token developments in that direction have been offered up by the GM industry for marketing reasons) but to ensnare them. Previously, the main focus of GM research has been to create crops that have to be repurchased from the food corporations every year, rather than re-seeded from existing crops, as was traditionally the case.

GM manipulation to have crops with lower pesticide inputs as in this case do seem desirable and may be, but they may also lead to heavy reliance on particular commercial GM crops and the designer pesticides that accompany them, often produced by the same company.

This is about profit, not saving the human race.

this research as rothampstead is not for commercial purposes and their results will not be patented nor owned by any private company. it is publicly funded. if their wheat could somehow help farmers they'd produce it at as low cost as possible.

same has happened before for other GM products e.g. there is a GM crop that produces extremely high concentrations of a certain vitamin (can't remember which one) which is free for farmers to plant because it can help those in the 3rd world with this vitamin deficiency.

it's protesters like this that actually encourage big corporations out for profit becaue they will be the only ones that will be able to afford the security to keep these morons OUT.

[Bobifier]

"We feel that GM presents potential risks," protester Tom Fenton told BBC News.

"There's uncertainty about the health effect of this - there's been no adequate long-term health safety testing."

It is unclear how he expects his plan of destroying all GM research to remedy these problems.

[cl_steele]

(Original post by internetguru)
Incorrect it is in fact a government Eugenics operation to weaken the masses and achieve full spectrum domination. I know this because Alex Jones said so.

you are kidding right?

[internetguru]

(Original post by cl_steele)
you are kidding right?

Yes obviously.

[subspace5000]

(Original post by Bellissima)
this research as rothampstead is not for commercial purposes and their results will not be patented nor owned by any private company. it is publicly funded. if their wheat could somehow help farmers they'd produce it at as low cost as possible.

same has happened before for other GM products e.g. there is a GM crop that produces extremely high concentrations of a certain vitamin (can't remember which one) which is free for farmers to plant because it can help those in the 3rd world with this vitamin deficiency.

it's protesters like this that actually encourage big corporations out for profit becaue they will be the only ones that will be able to afford the security to keep these morons OUT.

QFT.

[canŵio]

I can't honestly see what's wrong with GM at all. I mean, I'm all for organic food not grown with lots of pesticides etc but GM seems like a good idea.

Really, children born from IVF are kind of GM because sperm are selected for the optimum genes...
and we're all naturally genetically modified anyway, what's wrong with combining the skills of nature with the skills of humans?

[Fires]

(Original post by Bellissima)
this research as rothampstead is not for commercial purposes and their results will not be patented nor owned by any private company. it is publicly funded. if their wheat could somehow help farmers they'd produce it at as low cost as possible.

same has happened before for other GM products e.g. there is a GM crop that produces extremely high concentrations of a certain vitamin (can't remember which one) which is free for farmers to plant because it can help those in the 3rd world with this vitamin deficiency.

it's protesters like this that actually encourage big corporations out for profit becaue they will be the only ones that will be able to afford the security to keep these morons OUT.

As I said, there is some GM research around that isn't directly profit-seeking, but it is relatively minor in the overall GM research expenditure - it also, as in this case, focuses on Western commercial crops (wheat) and not on the staples that would have a major impact on developing world food production. (The most effort on GM worldwide goes on soya and wheat, the bedrocks of Western meat consumption and the burger culture.)

The vitamin deficiency one you mention was a bit of PR fluff by Monsanto that was never actually produced.

In India, the major GM/Graincos like Cargills are determinedly forcing small farmers into bankruptcy by selling them expensive GM-wheat, loaning them the money to re-seed, selling over their heads to secure the debt and then aggregating the farms. The rate of suicide of small farmers in India has soared.