THE LAB, Transylvania, Saturday (NotScientist) — Prince Charles must prove his claim that GM crops could cause a global environmental disaster, Environment Minister Phil Woolas has challenged.
Mr Woolas said it was the government’s “moral responsibility” to investigate whether genetically modified crops, fully owned and patented to the hilt by Monsanto, could help provide a suitably profitable solution to hunger in the developing world. Monsanto famously protect their hard work, having sued and won for patent violation when their seeds have blown onto another farmer’s land.
“We see this as part of our Africa strategy,” he said. “It’s easy for those of us with plentiful food supplies to ignore the issue, but we have a responsibility to use science to get our hooks into the less well off where we can. We certainly wouldn’t drive them off their land, they’re too useful to us as labour. It’s in their own best interest. I think of it as the ‘Corporate Man’s Burden.'”
Nestlé has also urged the European Union to review its opposition to GM. “People are starting to think Monsanto are a bigger bunch of bastards than we are, and we can’t have such strikes against our public image go unchallenged.”
I like this blog! I will be back.
“having sued and won for patent violation when their seeds have blown onto another farmer’s land.”
Not that simple. If you read through the court case the seed was probably spilled from as passing truck and the land didn’t actualy belong to the farmer. But technicalities.
The reason he lost is that once he realised the stuff was growing on the strech of land he sprayed the entire area with roundup killing all the non GM plants then collecting the seeds from the GM stuff and deliberately useing them for planting the next year (a crop which he sold as GM free of course). Farmers genuinely hit by acidental GM spread generaly phone up Monsanto and get the stuff removed and have compentsation paid.
It’s down the scientists to prove that it’s OK, not the Prince. Seems the ones that don’t really understand the consequences to the environment or just hear the the words ‘it will feed the 3rd world’ think it’s all positive moves.
I’m against it because, 1) we don’t have the full information of what the effects GM has on the environment. How long have they been testing this for? What effects does it have on the non-treating insects and animals?
2) The idea that this is some sort of packaged solution for 3rd world starving is a joke, because it’s government\war\greed that keeps people poor. How will the starving pay if they don’t have any money? oh yeah, they’ll put up their land or the governments can take out loans… but what happens when they default.. oh yeah, it’s back to square 1.
3) We still don’t know everything about the human body, so how can we look for the full effects of GM. One solution is to wait and see what issues your down-line develops OR when drugs for your illness stops working.
4) Who really benefit’s from all of this anyway? And no, this is not a trick question.