Oh My Gosh must read makes you want to be more self sustainable

[DuckyBoys]

Genetically modified does not mean chemically treated, regardelss of whether you respectfully disagree or not. Those crops are not modified with chemicals. They are spliced with DNA that compliments the chosen pest control strategy.

It is vitally important for people to fully understand terminology prior to forming an opinon on complex science. for instance - chemical obviously means something very different to some people than its actual definition.

Everything has a chemical structure - almost everything is capable of reacting in a chemical nature given the right circumstances and every single solitary living thing on this earth contains hundreds of thousands of chemicals. All bodily fliuds, tissues, skeletons, exoskeletons, hair, teeth, skin, muscle, hormones, proteins etc etc are chemicals.

Without chemicals there would be no life. DNA is a chemical, RNA is a chemical, DNA ligase, RNA trasncriptase, lipase, estrogen, testosterone, insulin, aspirin, penicilin, Vaseline, Bath and Body Works Plumeria, Chanel no. 5, Arrowhead Water, gasoline, petrolium, sunlight, grass...everything is made up of chemicals.

Chemistry has gotten a bad name and I'm not gonna stand for it anymore.

And one more thing - this is not an evolution debate but clearly a soybean and a peanut have genetically similiar properties because the genetic codes of most organisms are similiar. HOW do you think we got so much genetic variation in the FIRST place??? OBVIOUSLY there was recombination involved due to cross pollination at some point in time and if I were more interested in historical genetics I'd look up the stupid tree to show you EXACTLY where they converged.

I think you're afraid of the science because you don't understand it.

 

[me&thegals]

I didn't say that GMOs are modified WITH chemicals. I said they are modified to ACCEPT certain chemicals without themselves being killed (like Round-up Ready products). The first poster was making the point that GMOs are created to negate the use of chemicals. I was making a counterpoint that one reason they can be created is to withstand certain chemicals.

I wish this discussion could remain friendly. Duckyboys, while I may not have a degree in chemistry, I do have one in science. Most of us probably "get it" that all life has evolved over time, that we are all made of chemicals. Obviously, though, in general when people refer to chemicals they are talking about manufactured substances. I don't think it's something a person should take personally or as a slap against "chemistry," just the way we happen to use the term in America.

Also, we "get it" that diversity is created in nature all the time through cross pollination, grafting, breeding. I think people would like a better sense of where GMO might lead to, this forced creation of new plants/animals that requires patenting, rules against replanting seed, etc.

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
Said strategy is chemical!

No one here said GM was the same as chemically treated, but the two most definitely go hand in hand.

No one needs a degree in anything to get the relationship.

 

[Oblio13]

me&thegals :

... my husband is a conventional farmer. He has almost no options in our area beyond GMO crops...

Why doesn't he become an "unconventional" farmer and plant heirloom varieties and save his own seed? I'm with you on this, I'd like to see more farmers cut the umbilical cord to industrial agriculture, practice sustainable methods and preserve genetic diversity. We personally grow only open-pollinated heirlooms and have been saving the best seeds from the best plants for a couple decades now. "Painted Mountain" corn, "Blacktail Mountain" watermelon, "Red and White Fall" beans, etc.

me&thegals :

...Also, oblio, what exactly is the upside of genetic modification ...

Producing human insulin for diabetics. Growing or replicating damaged tissues and organs. Treating or eliminating cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and cancer.

For food crops specifically, since that seems to be the thrust of this thread: Resistance to insects, diseases, chemicals, salt, drought, flooding, heat and cold. Improved yield and shelflife. Increased nutritional value. Shortened ripening times. Transferring genes without generations of breeding, and without closely linked undesirable genes.

The team of carefully selected evil scientists and mad doctors here at Headquarters for World Domination would prefer that I not discuss genetic modifications as they relate to animals until we are ready to unleash our army of ape/humans. Rest assured, though, that everyone on BYC is on our Do-Not-Kill list, and once humanity has been subjugated some fascinating information will be promulgated along with your instructions.


(Edited to add evil laughter; not sure about the spelling - pardon me in advance.)


BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

.​

 

[SeaChick]

In regards to the original post regarding GMO sugar beets..... it's really not that difficult to avoid them and "vote with your pocketbook" by boycotting the mass-produced stuff... we've been doing this for a while now.

We also, of course, avoid GMO corn products which includes High Fructose Corn Syrup, the ubiquitous sweetner in American processed foods. But it's not that hard to do. We mostly avoid processed/prepared foods, and cook from "scratch". We can then control what goes into the food, and for sweeteners we pretty much use organic cane sugar, sometimes honey or maple syrup but they're expensive.

If you're buying pre-made food, you have read labels carefully. If it's not organic, at least look for "cane sugar" (which SO FAR isn't GMO as far as I know) rather than High Fructose Corn Syrup or plain sugar, which is most likely from sugar beets. But, as previously pointed out, if you're trying to avoid GMOs, you really have to give up processed/packaged food entirely unless you buy certified organic (and of course there's debate about whether that designation really protects you or not but let's not go there right now...) because SO MUCH American food is made with corn in some form, all GMO.

Best bet: make it yourself from ingredients you're pretty sure are whole, local, and sustainably grown!!

 

[me&thegals]

Quote:
Why doesn't he become an "unconventional" farmer and plant heirloom varieties and save his own seed? I'm with you on this, I'd like to see more farmers cut the umbilical cord to industrial agriculture, practice sustainable methods and preserve genetic diversity. We personally grow only open-pollinated heirlooms and have been saving the best seeds from the best plants for a couple decades now. "Painted Mountain" corn, "Blacktail Mountain" watermelon, "Red and White Fall" beans, etc.

me&thegals :

...Also, oblio, what exactly is the upside of genetic modification ...

Producing human insulin for diabetics. Growing or replicating damaged tissues and organs. Treating or eliminating cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and cancer.

For food crops specifically, since that seems to be the thrust of this thread: Resistance to insects, diseases, chemicals, salt, drought, flooding, heat and cold. Improved yield and shelflife. Increased nutritional value. Shortened ripening times. Transferring genes without generations of breeding, and without closely linked undesirable genes.

The team of carefully selected evil scientists and mad doctors here at Headquarters for World Domination would prefer that I not discuss genetic modifications as they relate to animals until we are ready to unleash our army of ape/humans. Rest assured, though, that everyone on BYC is on our Do-Not-Kill list, and once humanity has been subjugated some fascinating information will be promulgated along with your instructions.


(Edited to add evil laughter; not sure about the spelling - pardon me in advance.)


BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

.​

Ahhhh--my life's work--getting my husband on the same page as I am

That's great about your own seed saving. Something I'm trying to learn about, too. Good point, too, about GMO speeding up the process of introducing desirable traits. Sure hope someone's holding onto all the old seed strains in case it doesn't work out as planned...

 

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

edited

 

[mom'sfolly]

In response to the difference between traditional crop breeding and modification and modern micro-genetic techniques; the difference is fairly simple.

Traditional agriculture breeds the same species plant or animal, selects for a desired trait, and keeps breeding, back crossing and adding crosses...like anyone trying to reproduce those gorgeous orpington color varieties available in Europe but not here. Traditional agriculture also looks for sports with desirable traits such as a weeping variety of redbud. Crossing species that are too different usually results in a sterile offspring such as a mule or liger; genetic dead ends.

Modern genetic modification techniques bring genes from differing species together for a desired trait i.e. Round-Up resistant soybeans. This means inserting bacterial genes into corn, cotton and soy; cod genes into potatoes and strawberries, viral genes into papaya and other mixes. These are mixes that could never be acheived through conventional techniques.

 

[eggzettera]

Quote:
Okay so what happens when Mr. Bumble Bee/Pollinator hits your neighbors house first to pick up some pollen from their GMO watermelon/beans (corn being wind pollinated so its a different factor) then coming over to your house bringing with them the fruits off their labor....

That's what scare the bee-jeezes out of me is the terminal gene factor, if that mutates and spreads.....talk about a Pandora's box....

 

[dacjohns]

Quote:
Okay so what happens when Mr. Bumble Bee/Pollinator hits your neighbors house first to pick up some pollen from their GMO watermelon/beans (corn being wind pollinated so its a different factor) then coming over to your house bringing with them the fruits off their labor....

That's what scare the bee-jeezes out of me is the terminal gene factor, if that mutates and spreads.....talk about a Pandora's box....

If you save the seed then you have stolen patented seed and can be prosecuted. I heard it happened to a corn or wheat farmer in Canada or the northen plains of the US. Don't know if it's true or not. I might be passing on false rumors.