I came across a post entitled Activist’s Misrepresentation of Bt Toxins in Genetically Modified Crops on the pro-GM blog I follow to see what exciting angles the GM industry will come up with next.
The article attempts to discredit Jeffrey M. Smith, the acclaimed author of a number of anti-GM books.
The author rants about selective quoting, junk science and contains all the usual noise industry makes to try and confuse things. Then he includes this statement, backing up the pro-GM argument with a ‘scientific’ perspective. The World Health Organization (WHO), which Mr. Smith attempts to use to shore up his argument, has already stated that “…Bt products are unlikely to pose any health hazard to humans or other vertebrates or to the great majority of non-target invertebrates….”
I followed the reference to the WHO article. I did find the quote above, but I also found this one: The report stresses, however, that vegetative Bt has the potential to produce Bacillus cereus-like toxins whose significance as a possible cause of human gastrointestinal disease remains unknown.
What was that about selective quoting in order to shore up ones point of view?
Motivation matters. All the best things in the world are done for love and passion first. Industry paying some unfortunate, though willing, person to spew their propaganda doesn’t qualify as love or passion. It’s just playing upon people’s fear and greed. Sadly we’ve been taught to value money above all else, and these are the consequences.
Related posts:
- South Africa’s toxic staple diet, and the language of attack
- SA ‘happy to eat what they can’ – GMO producer
- Some good news about GMO’s
Tags: genetic modification GM food genetic engineering genetically modified food genetics, GMO Jeffrey Smith
I came across another article a little while ago stating that Germany’s Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety requested Monsanto to stop selling their Genetically Engineered Bt Maize MON810 because of concerns over Bt building up in the soil and affecting other organisms, like butterflies, in the food chain. Up until then MON810 was the only commercial GM Maize allowed to be grown in the EU.
http://www.gmo-safety.eu/en/legal_notice/534.docu.html