Ethical Dangers of Genetic Engineering.

January 15, 2006

Ethical Dangers of Genetic Engineering by Ron Epstein, Institute for World Religions & San Francisco State University Excerpts : That future is a lot more plausible than you might think. How can it come about? Probably from a combination of misplaced, naïve altruism, the short-sighted quest for short-term corporate profit, power-domination, and just plain emotionally fueled vengeance. In the 1950s, the media were full of information about the great new scientific miracle that was going to make it possible to kill to all of the noxious insects in the world, wipe out insect-borne diseases and feed the world's starving masses. That was DDT. In the 1990s, the media are full of information about the coming wonders of genetic engineering. Everywhere are

claims that genetic engineering will feed the starving, help eliminate disease, and so forth. The question is the price tag. As has been our experience with most technologies, such as DDT and nuclear energy, the promise of benefit in the short- term is overwhelmed by long-term disasters. Unlike most other technologies, genetic engineering does not leave room for mistakes. Results of flaws in this technology cannot be recalled and fixed, but become the negative heritage to countless future generations. Please read the entire article at; http://www.greens.org/s-r/20/20-01.html "Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest of life by the

power of the spirit." - Aurobindo.

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