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Show The Salt Lake Tribune OPINION Sunday, December26, 1999 Risk in Poor Countries Is Starvation, Not Genetically Engineered Food BY DENNIS T. AVERY FOR THE BRIDGE NEWS higher yields, they do reduce weed- control costs. Ho also ar- the Nov. 18 edition of the scientific journal Nature, Gasson out- gued consumers want “poetry” lined the rigorous safety showed it was destroyed by normal soy processing, and that the introduced gene, people managed to actually eat it. Researchers compared the chem- CHURCHVILLE, Va.-Whenen- back in their foods. Instead of farmers using chemicals and tion undergone by genetically modified soybeans. The soybeans Seattle to rail against the World Trade Organization, they held a tractors, she apparently believes people want their food crops weeded by farmers working on contain vironmental protesters took over seminar on the evils of biotech- nology in food production. They hope to makeit legal for World Trade Organization mem- their hands and knees. Onescientist who spoke in favorof biotech foods was cally engineered crops, even though no human orenvironmen- University of California-Davis. bers to ban the import of geneti- tal hazards from such crops have been documented. The first speaker was David Dryer of Oxfam, an international organization long noted for helping the poor and hungry. Dryer called genetically modified foods a “dangerous diversion” from the job of feeding the hungry. Yet Dryer failed to mention the new golden rice, which could prevent2 billion Third World women and children from suffering severe malnutrition. He did not mention the new virus-free sweet potatoes and bananas thatoffer the direct promise of 50 percent higher yields for small African farmers. Nor did he bring up the acid- tolerant crop varieties that could should doubleyields for farmers in the tropics. The second speaker was Mae- wan Ho, the leading scientific voice of the anti-biotechnology opponents. Ho, an instructor at the Open University of the United Kingdom, claimed genetically modified genes cantransfer themselves horizontally, in effect, Margarita McGoughlin of the McGoughlin actually grew up on an Irish potato farm, weeding fields by hand. She has nointen- demanding conventionally bred plants undergo the kind of-intensiveanala © . ants. An acute toxicity study in mice showed the introduced natural the state of Punjab in northern India. David Byrne, the Commis- sioner of Health from the European Union, told us over and over about the need to use the “precautionary principle” before em- bracing biotechnology. But how logical is it to adopt the precautionary principle before all of the world’s children are fed andits wildlife protected from Third World slash-and-burn farming? Thepanelof biotech opponents been jumping into our cells for thousands of years! Ho claimed biotech crops do not produce higheryields. they could be better demonized, ban on biotech foods. He recommended the movementsettle in the near term for a requirement that biotech foods be labeled (so However,U.S. farmers havere- perhaps?). Meanwhile, the basic ported higher yields for both biotech cotton and corn, along witha claim of biotech opponents, that genetically-modified foods are poorly regulated, was refuted by were not designed to produce con- the “violence of the Green Revolution.” She says fighting over hybrid seeds has caused tore than 15,000 recent deaths in her native India — butshe’s counting the deaths in the long religious war between Sikhs and Hindus in said Congress and the public aren’t yet ready for a complete reduction in chemical spraying. contentfor the modified Europe and the United States on was chaired by Rep. Dennis Kucinich, a Democratfrom Ohio, He While herbicide-tolerant soybeans ical composition and nutritional Detailed molecular analysis authenticated the new protein, and its stability was demonstrated by growing several generations of lifestyle in the 21st century. The biotech opponents panel included Vandana Shiva, who lectures to packed auditoriums in organisms. If thatis true, then the natural carcinogens in our broc- coli and mushrooms must have protein was readily digested if which codes for a natural protein. tion of returning to that harsh jumping out of biotech crops, through thesoil andair, into other one Thevariety was discontinued. TheFirst World and its science establishment is now presented with a stark choice. It must decide whether to follow the pre- protein was nontoxic. Other tests ua- M.J. Gasson ofthe British Institute of Food Research. Writing in DeLee Hh Ta eae cea aan Americans Spare No Expense On Their Pets eee eeeeRS ey tGaSs® apne ‘BY BERNICE KANNER FOR THE BRIDGE NEWS NEW YORK — Americans are taking better care of their pets than theyare of themseb¥es: Two- of pe@ple with they visit cording to an American Animal Hospital Association survey of iM people in the United States Over four out ef five respondents consider themselves their pet's “mom” or, “dad.” Seventytwo percent of married people greet their pet before their mate when they walk in the door. Sixty-three percent of pet owners celebratetheir pet's birthday and 43 percentgive their pet a wrapped gift on the occasion. “Pets are clearly becoming an integral part of the American family, enjoying muchof the same attention, care and treatmentthat is given to a child or spouse,” says Thomas Cusick, president-elect of the veterinary organization. “In return, pets provide their owners with unparalleled companion- ship, loyalty and affection.” The association found 92 percent of pet owners take their charges for regular veterinary checkups and vaccinations, while 82 percent have had their pets spayed or neutered. Three out of four feed their pets premium pet foods and 68 percent go out of the way to provide them with regular exercise. Dogs and cats remain the most popular pets, of course, and weof- ten show our love to them with HUGE SAVINGS ON aA a aa see SOLID OAK! H eirloom Quality Furniture ULL GIGANTIC SELECTION OF HOME OFFICE FURNITURE. BOOKCASES, FILE CABINETS, ea BTVeste ee doggie andkitty treats, as well as prime cuts of meat. Anthropomorphic commercials tend to treat dogs as the family baby and theatrically portray kitty as king and hero. ‘et despite the fact cats are often considered intellectually su- perior to dogs, new research finds » dogs are both more intelligent than cats and more loyal too, Controversial British scientist Rupert Sheldrake claims most dogs are “psychic” and can tell when their owners are coming home. It seems most cats either can't tell or aren't interested. Previous studies done in En- MiG (ys Saas Midvalley Family Center 5636 Redwood Road Bernice Kanner, marketing and advertisingcolumnist. ‘ Hi Eh eer as val Lr BARSTOOLS | ; Ce LAMPS 4 |
