Franken Foods: GM Crops are Scientifically Unsound, says former GM crop scient

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GMW: " GM Crops are Scientifically Unsound, " says former GM

crop scientist

" GM WATCH " <info

 

Fri, 8 Apr 2005 11:15:15 +0100

 

 

" GM Crops are Scientifically Unsound, " says former GM crop scientist

 

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http://www.gmwatch.org

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Taken from CS Prakash's AgBioView list: April 7, 2005

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GM Crops are Scientifically Unsound

- James Macgregor <james_macgregoreng

 

Dear Professor Prakash

 

As a former GM crop scientist involved in pest resistance I am

intrigued by the comments of Dr. Patrick Moore who states " the

campaign of fear

now being waged against genetic modification is based largely on

fantasy and a complete lack of respect for science and logic " . The

reason for

my intrigue is that I abandoned a career in GM research because I came

upon a rather simple idea that appeared to prove that the current

generation of GM crops were

scientifically unsound. I present it below.

 

All bio-engineered organisms created in a laboratory environment are

done so under strict containment conditions, thus, preventing the escape

and proliferation of untested experimental bio-engineered organisms

with unknown consequences. These practises are followed in all regulated

bio-laboratories for the stated safety reasons.

 

However, it is proposed by scientists to release GM crop's into the

environment without biological controls on artificial transgene

dispersal.

Further to this artificial bio-engineered gene constructs will also

undergo mutation and evolution to an end we are not aware of, making

safety assessment of GM crops a snapshot theoretical exercise lacking in

longevity. One cannot safety assess what has not yet evolved.

 

It appears that the safety guidelines so rigourously practised by

scientists under laboratory conditions are not proposed to be expanded

and

practised in the wider environment in relation to releases of

bio-engineered GM crops.

 

Could you explain this apparent double standard in scientific safety

conduct? One might consider that even more stringent safety controls

would be enforced in the natural environment than in the laboratory

environment, after all we do not have a backup. Having thought of this

it did

create rather a scientific conundrum, leading to myself

resigning from the field of research on scientific grounds.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Dr. James MacGregor

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for more on Patrick Moore: http://www.gmwatch.org/profile1.asp?PrId=89

 

 

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