I don't know..I think all the things we feed to our livestock to make the meat leaner and more tender...and to make our crops grow prettier and less buggy...all leads us to having cancer later on...
Laurie --- Tim Harder <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > I personally don't think that genetically modified > food poses a danger > to humans. > There is absolutely *NO* evidence that it does. One > of the main crops > that have > been totally transformed for the good are soybeans. > They now have > soybeans > that you can plant (drill) right into the ground and > then be sprayed > for weeds > *after* they have come up. The soybeans are immune > to the spray that > kills all > other vegetation. This means that the farmer has > way less tilling to > do to the > field which saves money, fuel, and erosion, which is > good for the > environment. > > The fact that Greenpeace is behind this scare tactic > should tell you > something. > People have been manipulating the genetics of crops > for centuries.... > They > are just getting really good at it now with the > advent of cellular > biology. > > As far as "do countries have the right to keep these > crops from their > shelves" > without violating the WTO.... I have no idear. > That is a different > kettle of fish. > > > > > On Tuesday, September 23, 2003, at 04:21 PM, Charles > wrote: > > > Hot-Button Issue: Genetically Modified Foods > > > > Can a WTO member nation ban the import of > genetically modified foods, > > or does such a prohibition amount to an illegal > barrier to free trade? > > Seattle will host the showdown. > > > > by Jen Soriano > > Nov. 24, 1999 > > > > > > > > > > > <image.tiff> > > > > Do countries have the right to keep genetically > modified foods off of > > their supermarket shelves? The issue has sparked > popular protests and > > diplomatic fireworks in recent months -- and is > emerging as a key > > issue for the World Trade Organization's Seattle > summit. > > > > Genetically engineered crops can produce higher > yields, create their > > own natural pesticides and result in more > nourishing food -- but > > critics say they also have the potential to cause > vast damage to the > > environment and human health. The issue strikes a > visceral chord: > > European Greenpeace activists have taken to > hacking down swaths of > > genetically modified corn and soybeans, a French > farm activist and > > friends in rubber fish masks began a series of > rallies outside > > Washington supermarkets this week, and more > mainstream groups have > > launched protests in Britain and elsewhere. > > > > For the trade bureaucrats, the question is > whether, under existing WTO > > agreements, countries can keep genetically > modified products off the > > market in response to their citizens' concerns > about ecological safety > > and public health, or whether doing so would > constitute an illegal > > barrier to free trade. The stakes are high: Some > 80 million acres of > > genetically modified crops were planted around the > world last year, > > including at least half of the soybean acreage and > one third of the > > corn crop in the US. The biotechnology industry > has invested billions > > in developing such organisms. > > > > The trade conflict sprouted in late June, when the > European Union > > effectively banned the approval of all new > genetically modified > > organisms. Shortly thereafter, a Brazilian judge > suspended imports of > > US produce giant Monsanto's genetically engineered > soybeans until a > > complete ecological impact study is completed. > > > > In response, the US is proposing a > reinterpretation of existing WTO > > rules. In essence, it wants any country seeking to > ban genetically > > altered products to come up with concrete > scientific evidence of their > > harmfulness, not simply outraged public opinion. > "We cannot let others > > hide behind unfounded, unwarranted scientific > claims to block commerce > > in agriculture," said Secretary of Agriculture Dan > Glickman. > > > > But critics retort that limiting the traffic in > genetically altered > > foods is warranted precisely because so many > scientific questions > > remain unanswered. Preliminary research by Cornell > University > > scientists has shown that pollen from genetically > modified crops can > > potentially harm insects like the monarch > butterfly. Other researchers > > have identified a risk of herbicide-resistant > genes "migrating" into > > nearby weeds, possibly resulting in a new strain > of poison-proof > > "superweeds." Many environmental scientists say > more research is > > required to assess the seriousness of these > problems. > > > > The question of whether genetically modified foods > are directly > > hazardous to human health is at this point largely > hypothetical, > > though consumer advocates say that's because it > could take years for > > such health problems to emerge. Advocates and some > scientists agree > > that the primary potential hazard of genetically > altered foods lies in > > the possible transfer of antibiotic-resistant > genes to bacteria in > > people's organs, a process which could lead to the > growth of > > antibiotic-resistant disease strains. Also of > concern is the potential > > for new toxins and allergens to be produced by > foreign proteins in > > genetically modified foods. > > > > The widespread sentiment that genetically modified > foods were being > > shoved down people's throats without regard to > these environmental and > > health concerns led to a popular backlash against > "frankenfoods" in > > Europe this year. That, in turn, sparked consumer > protests in Japan, > > Australia, New Zealand, and other countries. The > protesters have been > > heard: Britain now requires all shops and > restaurants to notify > > customers about genetically modified ingredients > in their food. In > > September, Japanese importers announced they would > switch to supplying > > only non-genetically modified crops to domestic > food manufacturers. > > And in the most drastic precautionary move to > date, EU commissioners > > have halted approvals of new genetically altered > organisms for at > > least the next two years, or until stricter risk > assessment rules come > > into place. > > > > If the WTO adopts the rule-changes the US is > pushing, then the US will > > be able to challenge the EU ban. If the WTO's > ruling in another case > === message truncated ===> ________________________________ > > Changes to your subscription (unsubs, nomail, > digest) can be made by going to > http://sandboxmail.net/mailman/listinfo/sndbox_sandboxmail.net ===== I wanted a perfect ending... Now, I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment, and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity. --Gilda Radner __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com ________________________________ Changes to your subscription (unsubs, nomail, digest) can be made by going to http://sandboxmail.net/mailman/listinfo/sndbox_sandboxmail.net
