GM foods are killing stuff??
Posted by being_fiona_falconer on Mar 22, 2007 · Member since Feb 2007 · 67 posts
http://www.mercola.com/2007/mar/22/are-gm-crops-killing-honeybees.htm
i really like the website www.mercola.com this guy is an MD (i think he practices in illinois) who focuses on naturopathic alternatives for his patients. he has a newsletter that i get and i find a lot of interesting things on his website. he comments on everything from breastfeeding, animal cloning, genetically modified foods, and the list goes on.
this particular link is about how honeybees who pollenate genetically modified crops are passing the pollen to their young, who are getting sick and dying. it is something that makes you think about the circle of life and how everything affects us, even if it is just a sick bee.
fiona
I have heard this, that GM crops are bad for bees, and also that poss the honey made from GM pollen could be unhealthy. Not enough time has been given to the study of GM crops and their effects on humans and other living organisms say 50 yrs down the road. It gives one furiously to think! ???
Scary stuff... Got me thinking, does anyone know if broccoflower is GM? Wikipedia says that it is... Does this make it dangerous?
Also, does fresh produce need to be labeled GM? What are the chances of buying GM produce if it is fresh and organic?
I read the links to the news stories linked on the mercola page and that left me a bit skeptical. It sounded like the bees died or took off because of bad diet (being fed high fructose corn syrup instead of being allowed to leave the hives and consume nectar) and being worked during time periods where they wouldn't otherwise work (February in Florida). I find both of these reasons probable and outright horrifying.
I'm not ready to say to demonize GM crops because we don't yet know if they're actually harmful. Theoretically, GM crops could be no different than foods that have been cultivated over the years. I don't honestly think that there is a reason to genetically modify food when we produce so much (Unfortunately, It just isn't available to everyone.) Plus GM crops are bad for the environment.
The Wikipedia article says that there are two cultivars called Broccoflower - one's GM and is called Brocciflower, the other, called Broccoflower, was cultivated in Europe. The Brocciflower isn't particularly popular and is harder to find the Broccoflower, which isn't GM. Brocciflower is sometimes called Broccoflower, but it does look different so you can tell the difference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brocciflower
The Brocciflower plant is a little scary looking.
Oh, and USDA certified organic food can't be GM. Of course, that doesn't stop a bird who's eaten from a GM crop from flying over the organic crops and...distributing...seeds from GM plants.
according to another article on the mercola website, about 70% of products in the grocery store contain genetically modified ingredients. anything that contains a corn derivative, for example, high fructose corn syrup, maltose, maltodextrin, ...... and also most things containing soy products. they use GM corn and soy because of the cost savings to the manufacturer. there is no labeling to let us know what has it and what doesn't. the exception is things that are labeled certified organic.
here is a link to his page that lists ingredients that you can almost guarantee are GM
http://www.mercola.com/2004/jan/24/gm_foods.htm
fiona
a new rice type containing human genes has been submitted for approval by the FDA
http://www.mercola.com/2007/mar/22/is-your-rice-contaminated-with-human-genes.htm
fiona