GMO discussion with teacher

[Fred's Hens]

What came first, AFAIK, was RoundUp. It seemed like a great benign, even touted as bio-degradable or bio-neutral product. Even a green one, in a way, and here's why. The farmer did not have to use products that were seemingly much worse, herbicides that were more objectionable. Plus, if cultivation trips across the fields could be reduced, by no-till, limited till methods, fewer emissions from the machinery and less fuel was used. Made sense both from an ecological and economic perspective. Thus, corn and soybeans which were modified to survive Round Up application were seen as an agricultural step forward.

Along with the technology of gene modification came pest resistant varieties which gave hopes to using less pesticides. Also something of a green motivation and certainly economically beneficial to the farmer, always a powerful motivator.

If the farmer sees the potential to make more money on such "advancements" they will employ them. If the pest resistance fails to work in the out years, or weeds mutate to resist Round Up, the cycle will begin again.

 

[chickened]

There are alternatives to roundup which I fear are a lot worse as far as herbicides go. The notion that farmers wont use it is as unrealistic as the notion that organic methods can feed the mass populations. I might as well believe I can jump to the moon IF only I jump high enough.. in theory it would work.

 

[HollyBird24]

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I have to agree, as a farmer, we regularily use GMO products. Including Monsanto's Round-Up Ready crops. Since we live in a northern climate with a short growing season, GMO products allow as to grow things we wouldn't normally be able to.

 

[HollyBird24]

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There is a good reason for that too. To develop a successful GMO product, companies such as Monsanto spend MILLIONS of dollars. All the testing and work in labs is expensive. If farmers could re-use their seed, then how would they make any money from the product that spent millions to create? If they don't make any money they will stop producing the product and farming won't advance any futher. We'd be stuck in a rut.

 

[RHRanch]

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Well, thats good - sort of... But what about the biggest problem of them all? Too darn many of us! And each year there is more, thats unsustainable. You can use GMOs to try to compensate, but for how long, and what will be left if this goes on unchecked?

Here's a solution to that problem. Everyone who says that there are too many of us, must be the first to volunteer to remove themselves from the equation.......Oh, that puts a different spin on things, doesn't it? It's all those other people, who are crowding everything up.

Actually, I have no children so when I go thats it.

 

[HollyBird24]

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Here's a solution to that problem. Everyone who says that there are too many of us, must be the first to volunteer to remove themselves from the equation.......Oh, that puts a different spin on things, doesn't it? It's all those other people, who are crowding everything up.

Actually, I have no children so when I go thats it.

Your in the minority as far as that goes though

 

[RHRanch]

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Actually, I have no children so when I go thats it.

Your in the minority as far as that goes though

And that was my point when I said that our big problem is population and thats not going to get fixed since everyone is reproducing so much.

Also, I wanted to point out that my stance on population is not hypocritical since I am not contributing to it.

 

[HollyBird24]

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Your in the minority as far as that goes though

And that was my pointg when I said that our big problem is population and thats not going to get fixed since everyone is reproducing so much.

I agree, but are you going to be the one telling people they can only have two kids?

 

[RHRanch]

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And that was my pointg when I said that our big problem is population and thats not going to get fixed since everyone is reproducing so much.

I agree, but are you going to be the one telling people they can only have two kids?

You should read my posts - I already said that I don't think we should tell people that, (but I only think that because of the potential abuse or eradication of unpopular races/ethnic groups, like what we tried to do to the Native Americans in the US). I also said that there is no hope of people doing it voluntarily, they are too selfish and if no one else is doing it, why should they?

 

[HollyBird24]

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I agree, but are you going to be the one telling people they can only have two kids?

You should read my posts - I already said that I don't think we should tell people that, (but I only think that because of the potential abuse or eradication of unpopular races/ethnic groups, like what we tried to do to the Native Americans in the US). I also said that there is no hope of people doing it voluntarily, they are too selfish and if no one else is doing it, why should they?

Sorry, I haven't read all the pages. I do agree with you though.