GM Food Debates Heats Up with Global Warming
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 06. 1.07
Image credit: Jim Frazier
If you think the pro-genetically-modified-foods camp is pushy now, just wait till global warming starts razing the planet's surface, creating even harsher environments for food crops.
"Trying to grow plants in Australian conditions, as in many countries around the world where the conditions are harsh, is challenging, and it is likely to get harder under the effects of climate change," said Mark Tester, a plant-genomics researcher at the University of Adelaide in Australia and an Australian Research Council Federation Fellow.
Tester, who is decidedly on the side of GM foods, is working to identify genes responsible for making some plants more tolerable to hostile environments, including those afflicted by drought, salinity, and frost. The next step: moving these genes into plants for commercial production through conventional breeding and genetic-modification techniques.
No doubt Tester's interest is spurred by his homeland's increasing levels of salinity, which currently affects 5.7 million hectares of Australian soil and costs an estimated $270 million annually. Australia isn't the only nation in this predicament, Tester said. "Our results in the laboratory suggest great promise for the rapid development of crops with increased salt tolerance," he added.
"Genetic modification can help accelerate improvements in crop plants to enable them to better cope with the rapidly changing environment," he said. "There is no doubt that as farmers face reduced yields, they will need all the tools they can get to help them grow our food sustainably and economically. Genetic modification is one of those tools."
Despite Tester's enthusiasm, we're still iffy about GM technology, for reasons we've detailed before. You say to-may-to, we say to-mah-to. :: The University of Adelaide and :: Newswise
See also: :: Arguments Against GMOs, :: How Can We Make Sure We Stay GM-Free?, :: Extreme Makeover: Genetically Modified Apples, and :: Norway Seed Bank: A Hedge Against Food Loss
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Is Organic Farming Good For Africa or Not?
- Jargon Watch: Ecotarian
- Recycling TreeHugger: Celebrating Thanksgiving & What It Stands For
- Ocean's 'Poop Machines' Could Help Fight Climate Change
People are always looking for the cheap way out. Over-irrigation was the cheap way out, and that caused salinity. GM is the cheap way out, and it's going to cut species diversity, leaving us even more susceptible to changes in climate, disasters, diseases, etc.
The answer is sourcing more naturally bred crops, not GM. Naturally bred seeds are far more adaptable and hardy, because GM engineers go after a specific desirable trait, not the whole spectrum of needed traits.
horrible...
I am growing my own food!
While just the thought of genetically modified food makes me shudder, I wonder why such uncertainty surrounds these issues. I understand why it is important to look ahead and develop possible solutions, but I certainly believe in taking precautionary measures concerning any type of “new and improved” technology. It seems as though these GMO’s have been thrown onto shelves in our grocery stores without adequate research, and I would rather be safe than sorry.
I do think, however, that this could help push global warming and related issues to the forefront of the agenda. The fact that farmers and large companies are beginning to plan for potential weather patterns, caused by anthropogenic climate change, might give the non-believer a new frame of thought.
I am also wondering what local farmers/ small family farms that practice sustainable methods would think of this, and how things will change if and when global warming affects crops.
foods that are from a science lab...............................................eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwww!!!