[senior citizen]

Who would dare to wager a guess re the amount of GMO food we all consume? None of us really know which of the foods we eat are genetically modified. Food for thought after viewing Jake Tapper's "The Lead" earlier today. The tumors on the mice were startling, to say the least.


Millions protest genetically modified food, Monsanto, organizers say

Two million people in more than 50 countries marched over the weekend in protest against a company called Monsanto, organizers claimed. CNN could not independently verify those numbers..

Monsanto is a giant, $58 billion multinational corporation with field in 60 countries. It was founded more than 100 years ago – and is best known for producing the chemical known as Agent Orange that scorched thousands of miles of earth during the Vietnam war.Monsanto currently produces pesticides designed to deliver a death blow to living things, and also produces seeds designed to resist those lethal chemicals.

Now the company, with a history of questionable ethics practices and close ties to the government, may have received protection from future trouble. Slipped into a bill signed by President Barack Obama back in March is something called the "Monsanto Protection Act," which would shield Monsanto seeds and other genetically modified crops approved by the Agriculture Department to be grown - even if there is action in the courts against them.

The weekend protest was focused on genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. GMOs are plants, bacteria, and animals whose genetic makeup has been scientifically altered.

Some opponents want GMOs banned, others say foods whose DNA has been changed needs to at least be labeled.

Monsanto is a leading producer of genetically modified seeds and herbicides. In the last quarter alone it sold seed – much of it modified – worth more than $4 billion. The company said their business helps to feed the planet.

"It’s a vision that strives to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population," said a Monsanto ad.

Some of the outrage was sparked by shocking photos showing massive tumors that developed on rats that ate genetically modified corn over a lifetime.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Caen, France. It has been criticized by many in the scientific community, and by the European food safety authority, who said it is simply not up to scientific standards.

Even so, the disturbing tumor photos lead many to question their own standards about what exactly they are eating.
But consumers have no way of knowing if they are eating genetically modified food, or feeding it to their family.

Last week, U.S. senators debated whether states could require food labeling for products with genetically engineered ingredients. The legislation, introduced by Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, failed.

"When you take on very powerful biotech companies like Monsanto and large food corporations, who, in many ways, would prefer that people not know what is in the food that they produce, they're very powerful," said Sanders. "They were able to gather a whole lot of support in the Senate."

On its website, Monsanto states, “plant biotechnology has been in use for over 15 years, without documented evidence of adverse effects on human or animal health or the environment."

Legislators who sided with Monsanto say the company is improving on nature.

"I think it would more accurately be called a modern science to feed a very troubled and hungry world," Kansas Republican Sen. Pat Roberts said on the Senate floor last week.
But Sanders said the company, and others like it, need to be more transparent, and that slipping protection for Monsanto into that March bill was wrong.

"People have a right to know what is in the food they're eating," said Sanders.
"You have deregulated the GMO industry from court oversight, which is really not what America is about. You should not be putting riders that people aren't familiar with, in a major piece of legislation," said Sanders.

Law or no law, grocery giant Whole Foods said they will start labeling all genetically modified food by 2018.
"The fact is there are no studies, as yet, linking GMO to health problems,"said Michael Moss, New York Times investigative reporter and author of "Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us."The flip side, said Moss, is there are few scientists doing that kind of research, and the agency in charge of GMOs is "the FDA, which has a real spotty record on food safety, which concerns people."

At the moment, the issue appears to be evolving into a matter of disclosure.
"People care about what they're putting into their bodies, and they want to know what is in the products that they're eating, so they can make that decision," said Moore.

.

[jblum315]

I wish they would GMO bananas so they don't go from green to black in 4 days.

[mickey100]

My understanding is that most corn and soy in the U.S. is GMO, but not wheat. They have found an extremely small percentage of wheat to be contaminated, but think it is due to cross contamination during shipment in containers that probably held GMO corn and soy. Monsanto applied for a permit some years ago to produce GMO wheat but didn't follow through when suppliers said they wouldn't buy the wheat.

[golf4me]

We recently met and talked at some length to a young woman, daughter of a friend, she was just finishing her doctorate in plant molecular genetics. She was a very bright young woman and her education past her initial degree was focused on the process of genetically altering plants and testing them to see that they do produce better crops and she spent years in the labs and classrooms and the many farms that test and grow genetically altered crops. She is a scientist and one of the brightest and best and her work will help us and other countries produce better and more drought and pest resistant foods and probably tastier ones and more of them.

I think that many don't realize that changing the genetics of plants that we consume does not change our genetics or harm us in any way. Growing plants and cross pollinating plants to have higher yield and better flavor and more nutritious punch has been going on for years and years and years. To change the genetic qualities of seeds to make a plant produce more fruit or to make a tomato more delicious or with less seeds and impervious to tomato worms is a helpful process and one that will not harm the people who consume it.

I think that many who protest do not realize that changing the genetics of food products does no harm to the people who eat those plants and makes it better for all people.

It may be misunderstood or thought unethical much like artificial insemination was at first but geneticists everywhere are finding clues to many processes to further our own lives and cure disease in people. They are also doing it in plants.
Because it is very complicated and involved does not make it dangerous to consume foods that have grown from seeds that were genetically altered.

I doubt if my post will change anyone's mind, because I am not on the level of this remarkable young woman who was educated at the University of Florida at Gainesville. Maybe we can ask one of their educators in molecular plant genetics to come to one of our garden groups to educate us about this process and allay some of the fears about genetically altered plants and fruits and vegetables that are produced from them..

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by golf4me

We recently met and talked at some length a young woman, daughter of a friend who was just finishing her doctorate in plant genetics. She was a very bright young woman and her education past her initial degree was focused on the process of genetically altering plants and testing them to see that they do produce better crops and she spent years in the labs and classrooms and the many farms that test and grow genetically altered crops. She is a scientist and one of the brightest and best and her work will help us and other countries produce better and more drought and pest resistant foods and probably tastier ones and more of them.

I think that many don't realize that changing the genetics of plants that we consume does not change our genetics or harm us in any way. Growing plants and cross pollinating plants to have higher yield and better flavor and more nutritious punch has been going on for years and years and years. To change the genetic qualities of seeds to make a plant produce more fruit or to make a tomato more delicious or with less seeds and impervious to tomato worms is a helpful process and one that will not harm the people who consume it.

I think that many who protest do not realize that changing the genetics of food products does no harm to the people who eat those plants and makes it better for all people.

It may be misunderstood or thought unethical much like artificial insemination but geneticists everywhere are finding clues to many processes to further our own lives and cure disease in people. They are also doing it in plants.
Because it is very complicated and involved does not make it dangerous to consume foods that have grown from seeds that were genetically altered.

I doubt if my post will change anyone's mind, because I am not on the level of this remarkable young woman who was educated at the University of Florida at Gainesville. Maybe we can ask one of their educators in molecular plant genetics to come to one of our garden groups to educate us about this process.

No......GREAT POST. My husband just about said the same thing as you have.

It was those tumors on the test mice that got to me.......gross.

Still, a huge amount of protestors from all over.........I'll have to do some more reading on the subject...............

Thanks for posting.

[maureenod]

They now have a GM Salmon before the FDA for approval. If you think for one minute that the FDA is on your side think again. Money talks.

[Villages PL]

Dr. Bruce Lipton, in his book "The Biology Of Belief" talks about the concept of gene transfer that takes place between GMO crops and surrounding weeds. This creates what's known as "super weeds". The result being that more herbicides have to be used to kill weeds that have become herbicide resistant. In other words, when you make crops more herbicide resistant, gene transfer will eventually make the weeds more herbicide resistant.

This is a relatively recent finding that plants share genetic information via gene transfer.

In addition to the above, a study has shown that gene transfer can take place within humans who ingest GMO foods. That's because we have beneficial bacteria in our intestines that will share genetic information with the GMO food. (And I would suggest that it may go one step further with the beneficial bacteria sharing genetic information with cells in our body.)

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Dr. Bruce Lipton, in his book "The Biology Of Belief" talks about the concept of gene transfer that takes place between GMO crops and surrounding weeds. This creates what's known as "super weeds". The result being that more herbicides have to be used to kill weeds that have become herbicide resistant. In other words, when you make crops more herbicide resistant, gene transfer will eventually make the weeds more herbicide resistant.

This is a relatively recent finding that plants share genetic information via gene transfer.

In addition to the above, a study has shown that gene transfer can take place within humans who ingest GMO foods. That's because we have beneficial bacteria in our intestines that will share genetic information with the GMO food. (And I would suggest that it may go one step further with the beneficial bacteria sharing genetic information with cells in our own body.)

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.........

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by AutoBike

In The Biology of Belief, Dr. Lipton says that DNA can be altered by our thoughts. HUH?!!


Beam me up , Scotty!!

Remember the days when doctors used to work on cadavers with their bare hands and then go straight to the operating room to operate on someone without washing their hands? When they were told they should wash their hands, they laughed and ridiculed the doctor who suggested it.

Did you actually read his book?

[Villages PL]

An article in today's Daily Sun: "USDA: Modified wheat found in Oregon field"

Non-approved GMO wheat was discovered by a farmer on his land. He doesn't know how it got there. He tried to kill it with "roundup" but it didn't work. It's herbicide resistant.

[KeepingItReal]

Originally Posted by golf4me

We recently met and talked at some length to a young woman, daughter of a friend, she was just finishing her doctorate in plant molecular genetics. She was a very bright young woman and her education past her initial degree was focused on the process of genetically altering plants and testing them to see that they do produce better crops and she spent years in the labs and classrooms and the many farms that test and grow genetically altered crops. She is a scientist and one of the brightest and best and her work will help us and other countries produce better and more drought and pest resistant foods and probably tastier ones and more of them.

I think that many don't realize that changing the genetics of plants that we consume does not change our genetics or harm us in any way. Growing plants and cross pollinating plants to have higher yield and better flavor and more nutritious punch has been going on for years and years and years. To change the genetic qualities of seeds to make a plant produce more fruit or to make a tomato more delicious or with less seeds and impervious to tomato worms is a helpful process and one that will not harm the people who consume it.

I think that many who protest do not realize that changing the genetics of food products does no harm to the people who eat those plants and makes it better for all people.

It may be misunderstood or thought unethical much like artificial insemination was at first but geneticists everywhere are finding clues to many processes to further our own lives and cure disease in people. They are also doing it in plants.
Because it is very complicated and involved does not make it dangerous to consume foods that have grown from seeds that were genetically altered.

I doubt if my post will change anyone's mind, because I am not on the level of this remarkable young woman who was educated at the University of Florida at Gainesville. Maybe we can ask one of their educators in molecular plant genetics to come to one of our garden groups to educate us about this process and allay some of the fears about genetically altered plants and fruits and vegetables that are produced from them..

Agree, great post. We maybe too often fear anything new before we fully understand it. If not for Hybrid Seeds we would likely not be able to produce enough food for present needs much less an excess. Herbicides are for killing weeds etc. not the crop so the more resistant the crop to herbicide the less damage to the crop. The study on the mice was totally refuted by the French according to the article.

("However, six French academies dispute the study. The national academies of agriculture, medicine, pharmacy, sciences, technology and veterinary studies issued a joint statement condemning the findings. Their opinion was backed by two government-commissioned scientific reviews.")

What are genetically modified foods?

The term GM foods or GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. The enhancement of desired traits has traditionally been undertaken through breeding, but conventional plant breeding methods can be very time consuming and are often not very accurate. Genetic engineering, on the other hand, can create plants with the exact desired trait very rapidly and with great accuracy. For example, plant geneticists can isolate a gene responsible for drought tolerance and insert that gene into a different plant. The new genetically-modified plant will gain drought tolerance as well. Not only can genes be transferred from one plant to another, but genes from non-plant organisms also can be used. The best known example of this is the use of B.t. genes in corn and other crops. B.t., or Bacillus thuringiensis, is a naturally occurring bacterium that produces crystal proteins that are lethal to insect larvae. B.t. crystal protein genes have been transferred into corn, enabling the corn to produce its own pesticides against insects such as the European corn borer. For two informative overviews of some of the techniques involved in creating GM foods, visit Biotech Basics (sponsored by Monsanto) or Techniques of Plant Biotechnology from the National Center for Biotechnology Education.

What are some of the advantages of GM foods?

The world population has topped 6 billion people and is predicted to double in the next 50 years. Ensuring an adequate food supply for this booming population is going to be a major challenge in the years to come. GM foods promise to meet this need in a number of ways:

Pest resistance Crop losses from insect pests can be staggering, resulting in devastating financial loss for farmers and starvation in developing countries. Farmers typically use many tons of chemical pesticides annually. Consumers do not wish to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of potential health hazards, and run-off of agricultural wastes from excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers can poison the water supply and cause harm to the environment. Growing GM foods such as B.t. corn can help eliminate the application of chemical pesticides and reduce the cost of bringing a crop to market4, 5.
Herbicide tolerance For some crops, it is not cost-effective to remove weeds by physical means such as tilling, so farmers will often spray large quantities of different herbicides (weed-killer) to destroy weeds, a time-consuming and expensive process, that requires care so that the herbicide doesn't harm the crop plant or the environment. Crop plants genetically-engineered to be resistant to one very powerful herbicide could help prevent environmental damage by reducing the amount of herbicides needed. For example, Monsanto has created a strain of soybeans genetically modified to be not affected by their herbicide product Roundup ®6. A farmer grows these soybeans which then only require one application of weed-killer instead of multiple applications, reducing production cost and limiting the dangers of agricultural waste run-off7.
Disease resistance There are many viruses, fungi and bacteria that cause plant diseases. Plant biologists are working to create plants with genetically-engineered resistance to these diseases8, 9.
Cold tolerance Unexpected frost can destroy sensitive seedlings. An antifreeze gene from cold water fish has been introduced into plants such as tobacco and potato. With this antifreeze gene, these plants are able to tolerate cold temperatures that normally would kill unmodified seedlings10. (Note: I have not been able to find any journal articles or patents that involve fish antifreeze proteins in strawberries, although I have seen such reports in newspapers. I can only conclude that nothing on this application has yet been published or patented.)
Drought tolerance/salinity tolerance As the world population grows and more land is utilized for housing instead of food production, farmers will need to grow crops in locations previously unsuited for plant cultivation. Creating plants that can withstand long periods of drought or high salt content in soil and groundwater will help people to grow crops in formerly inhospitable places11, 12.
Nutrition Malnutrition is common in third world countries where impoverished peoples rely on a single crop such as rice for the main staple of their diet. However, rice does not contain adequate amounts of all necessary nutrients to prevent malnutrition. If rice could be genetically engineered to contain additional vitamins and minerals, nutrient deficiencies could be alleviated. For example, blindness due to vitamin A deficiency is a common problem in third world countries. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Institute for Plant Sciences have created a strain of "golden" rice containing an unusually high content of beta-carotene (vitamin A)13. Since this rice was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation14, a non-profit organization, the Institute hopes to offer the golden rice seed free to any third world country that requests it. Plans were underway to develop a golden rice that also has increased iron content. However, the grant that funded the creation of these two rice strains was not renewed, perhaps because of the vigorous anti-GM food protesting in Europe, and so this nutritionally-enhanced rice may not come to market at all15.
Pharmaceuticals Medicines and vaccines often are costly to produce and sometimes require special storage conditions not readily available in third world countries. Researchers are working to develop edible vaccines in tomatoes and potatoes16, 17. These vaccines will be much easier to ship, store and administer than traditional injectable vaccines.
Phytoremediation Not all GM plants are grown as crops. Soil and groundwater pollution continues to be a problem in all parts of the world. Plants such as poplar trees have been genetically engineered to clean up heavy metal pollution from contaminated soil18.

[asianthree]

So far I am doing well with this we grow our veggies from seeds that have been in our family for generations we raise our own organic beef chicken and pork since forever (sorry jumbo) but still it's a great concern for children to come

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by KeepingItReal

Agree, great post. We maybe too often fear anything new before we fully understand it.

That sounds logical, but what about the other way around?: What about when we don't fear something until we come to understand it? Then it's too late because the damage has been done. Example: In the early years of the 20th century, how much was known about the dangers of long term cigarette smoking? Even as late as mid-century (1950s and 60s?) the cigarette companies were defending cigarette smoking. They kept saying there was no proof of any harm.

[KeepingItReal]

[QUOTE=Villages PL;684899]In addition to the above, a study has shown that gene transfer can take place within humans who ingest GMO foods. That's because we have beneficial bacteria in our intestines that will share genetic information with the GMO food. (And I would suggest that it may go one step further with the beneficial bacteria sharing genetic information with cells in our body.)

I would like to be provided a reference or link to this study or note where it may be located and/or where it was conducted.


[QUOTE=Villages PL;684899]That sounds logical, but what about the other way around?: What about when we don't fear something until we come to understand it?

************************************************** ************************************************** ****************
Maybe we should just doubt and fear everything even though there is ample research data and well documented evidence to eliminate those unfounded fears. Most of us have neither the intellect, resources, nor the time to become an expert on everything to know if the research is really accurate. At some point we must rely on those that have expertise, and do the research in a particular field, or we can just continue being scared of everything while the rest of the world moves forward. What would be the answer when we go to the market and there is no longer any food on the shelves since we are still trying to prove or disprove an already tested technological advancement?

Dr. Bruce Lipton talks about unproven ideas, concepts, beliefs, and nutty theories, just to sell a book. I would have to wonder why anyone would be willing to put such stock in a book by a guy living in New Zealand working at a chiropractic school?

Bruce Harold Lipton (born 21 October 1944) is an American developmental biologist, who is best known for promoting the idea that genes and DNA can be manipulated by a person's beliefs.[1] He teaches at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic.[2]

If you Google Lipton or click below you find his ideas, theories, concepts, and Lipton himself are not well respected.

http://www.google.com/webhp?source=s...w=1344&bih=800

[graciegirl]

[quote=KeepingItReal;685201][QUOTE=Villages PL;684899]In addition to the above, a study has shown that gene transfer can take place within humans who ingest GMO foods. That's because we have beneficial bacteria in our intestines that will share genetic information with the GMO food. (And I would suggest that it may go one step further with the beneficial bacteria sharing genetic information with cells in our body.)

I would like to be provided a reference or link to this study or note where it may be located and/or where it was conducted.

Originally Posted by Villages PL

That sounds logical, but what about the other way around?: What about when we don't fear something until we come to understand it?

************************************************** ************************************************** ****************
Maybe we should just doubt and fear everything even though there is ample research data and well documented evidence to eliminate those unfounded fears. Most of us have neither the intellect, resources, nor the time to become an expert on everything to know if the research is really accurate. At some point we must rely on those that have expertise, and do the research in a particular field, or we can just continue being scared of everything while the rest of the world moves forward. What would be the answer when we go to the market and there is no longer any food on the shelves since we are still trying to prove or disprove an already tested technological advancement?

Dr. Bruce Lipton talks about unproven ideas, concepts, beliefs, and nutty theories, just to sell a book. I would have to wonder why anyone would be willing to put such stock in a book by a guy living in New Zealand working at a chiropractic school?

Bruce Harold Lipton (born 21 October 1944) is an American developmental biologist, who is best known for promoting the idea that genes and DNA can be manipulated by a person's beliefs.[1] He teaches at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic.[2]

If you Google Lipton or click below you find his ideas, theories, concepts, and Lipton himself are not well respected.

www.google.com/webhp?source=search_app#sclient=psy-ab&q=bruce+lipton+quack&oq=bruce+lipton+q&gs_l=ser p.1.1.0l4.21548.24029.0.25118.2.2.0.0.0.0.66.126.2 .2.0...0.0.0..1c.1.15.psy-ab.oPRTpX5lRMM&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&fp=96e70d11 bba84a0e&biw=1344&bih=800

Very well said. I very much agree with your arguments.