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Nature fights back

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  • J JimmyRopes

    Corn-eating worm evolves to feed on GMO corn designed to kill it[^]

    The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain
    Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
    I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

    M Offline
    M Offline
    Marc Clifton
    wrote on last edited by
    #6

    to multiple Bacillus thuringiensis toxins And we eat this stuff. This should add fuel to the non-GMO fire. Marc

    J W H 3 Replies Last reply
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    • W W Balboos GHB

      As noted in the report, there were supposed to be sacrificial stands of corn which would keep susceptible root-worm genes in the mix.

      Greedy Manufacturers + Greedy Farmers = Watered down and ignored regulations.

      Scientists were right . . . they killed the golden goose. If only one could hope they'd learn from this and not repeat the mess. But, that was IF one could hope - and unfortunately, greedy stupid people are hopeless.

      "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

      "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert

      "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

      J Offline
      J Offline
      JimmyRopes
      wrote on last edited by
      #7

      W∴ Balboos wrote:

      As noted in the report, there were supposed to be sacrificial stands of corn which would keep susceptible root-worm genes in the mix.

      <quote> "Scientists proposed to the EPA that farms should consist of at least half non-Bt corn" </quote> Not a very good plan to have to sacrifice half your land! :doh:

      The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain
      Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
      I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

      W 1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • M Marc Clifton

        to multiple Bacillus thuringiensis toxins And we eat this stuff. This should add fuel to the non-GMO fire. Marc

        J Offline
        J Offline
        JimmyRopes
        wrote on last edited by
        #8

        Marc Clifton wrote:

        to multiple Bacillus thuringiensis toxins
         
        And we eat this stuff.

        Doesn't sound very appetizing. X|

        The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain
        Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
        I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

        1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • M Marc Clifton

          to multiple Bacillus thuringiensis toxins And we eat this stuff. This should add fuel to the non-GMO fire. Marc

          W Offline
          W Offline
          W Balboos GHB
          wrote on last edited by
          #9

          That particular bacillus based toxin was picked because that's the stuff used by "Organic Farmers" Oh dear. Now what will you do?

          "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

          "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert

          "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

          1 Reply Last reply
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          • W W Balboos GHB

            McDonald's will only do that when forced to in order to put some nutritional value into their swill-buns.

            "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

            "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert

            "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

            Mike HankeyM Offline
            Mike HankeyM Offline
            Mike Hankey
            wrote on last edited by
            #10

            They have stuff that's got nutritional value? :)

            Along with Antimatter and Dark Matter they've discovered the existence of Doesn't Matter which appears to have no effect on the universe whatsoever! Rich Tennant 5th Wave

            W 1 Reply Last reply
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            • M Marc Clifton

              to multiple Bacillus thuringiensis toxins And we eat this stuff. This should add fuel to the non-GMO fire. Marc

              H Offline
              H Offline
              hairy_hats
              wrote on last edited by
              #11

              Through selective breeding and cross-breeding we've been genetically modifying organisms for thousands of years[^]. The sweetcorn we eat are GMOs. Domesticated cattle are GMOs. We eat GMOs all the time.

              M B L 3 Replies Last reply
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              • J JimmyRopes

                W∴ Balboos wrote:

                As noted in the report, there were supposed to be sacrificial stands of corn which would keep susceptible root-worm genes in the mix.

                <quote> "Scientists proposed to the EPA that farms should consist of at least half non-Bt corn" </quote> Not a very good plan to have to sacrifice half your land! :doh:

                The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain
                Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
                I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

                W Offline
                W Offline
                W Balboos GHB
                wrote on last edited by
                #12

                The idea is that the worms are greatly controlled by the GM's corn but they don't develop genetic resistance to the stuff. You're not sacrificing half your crop, per se. You're leaving half your crop to the more traditional* farming methods * Soaking them with toxins related very closely to nerve gas.

                "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert

                "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

                J 1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • Mike HankeyM Mike Hankey

                  Instead of using pesticides again it would be cheaper just to package the worms as food, or has McDonalds already done that?

                  Along with Antimatter and Dark Matter they've discovered the existence of Doesn't Matter which appears to have no effect on the universe whatsoever! Rich Tennant 5th Wave

                  J Offline
                  J Offline
                  JimmyRopes
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #13

                  Mike Hankey wrote:

                  Instead of using pesticides again it would be cheaper just to package the worms as food

                  We do eat caralillers as well as other insects here. Locust are my absolute favorite, followed by crickets. Silk worm (caterpillar) is a good too but lacks the crunch factor of the exoskeleton insect varieties. :-D

                  The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain
                  Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
                  I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

                  Mike HankeyM 1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • H hairy_hats

                    Through selective breeding and cross-breeding we've been genetically modifying organisms for thousands of years[^]. The sweetcorn we eat are GMOs. Domesticated cattle are GMOs. We eat GMOs all the time.

                    M Offline
                    M Offline
                    Marc Clifton
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #14

                    viaducting wrote:

                    The sweetcorn we eat are GMOs. Domesticated cattle are GMOs. We eat GMOs all the time.

                    Well, I don't. I actually stay away from corn, choose non-GMO products (but who really knows if they are) and refuse to eat any beef other than from 100% grass fed cows raised by the local farmers around here whom I personally know. But given the cost of the beef, I don't eat much beef!

                    viaducting wrote:

                    Through selective breeding and cross-breeding we've been genetically modifying organisms for thousands of years[^].

                    True, but there's a difference between that and corn that's had specific genomes added to its DNA. Marc

                    W 1 Reply Last reply
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                    • J JimmyRopes

                      Mike Hankey wrote:

                      Instead of using pesticides again it would be cheaper just to package the worms as food

                      We do eat caralillers as well as other insects here. Locust are my absolute favorite, followed by crickets. Silk worm (caterpillar) is a good too but lacks the crunch factor of the exoskeleton insect varieties. :-D

                      The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain
                      Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
                      I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

                      Mike HankeyM Offline
                      Mike HankeyM Offline
                      Mike Hankey
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #15

                      It's interesting what people in different regions of the world eat. I've heard insects are good for you!

                      Along with Antimatter and Dark Matter they've discovered the existence of Doesn't Matter which appears to have no effect on the universe whatsoever! Rich Tennant 5th Wave

                      J 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • Mike HankeyM Mike Hankey

                        They have stuff that's got nutritional value? :)

                        Along with Antimatter and Dark Matter they've discovered the existence of Doesn't Matter which appears to have no effect on the universe whatsoever! Rich Tennant 5th Wave

                        W Offline
                        W Offline
                        W Balboos GHB
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #16

                        Not according to what I wrote. True, I didn't explicitly state the bun had none. It may server as roughage. Probably not. It's always possible they slipped up somewhere. Perhaps the Ketchup? (per Ronald Regan's administration, ketchup counts as a school-lunch vegetable).

                        "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                        "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert

                        "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

                        Mike HankeyM OriginalGriffO 2 Replies Last reply
                        0
                        • H hairy_hats

                          Through selective breeding and cross-breeding we've been genetically modifying organisms for thousands of years[^]. The sweetcorn we eat are GMOs. Domesticated cattle are GMOs. We eat GMOs all the time.

                          B Offline
                          B Offline
                          BillW33
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #17

                          True, but folk get nervous when the modification is done by "artificial" means. I have heard folk say that they don’t know what is in the genes of the GMO crops, as if they know what is in the genes of the “natural” crops.

                          Just because the code works, it doesn't mean that it is good code.

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • M Marc Clifton

                            viaducting wrote:

                            The sweetcorn we eat are GMOs. Domesticated cattle are GMOs. We eat GMOs all the time.

                            Well, I don't. I actually stay away from corn, choose non-GMO products (but who really knows if they are) and refuse to eat any beef other than from 100% grass fed cows raised by the local farmers around here whom I personally know. But given the cost of the beef, I don't eat much beef!

                            viaducting wrote:

                            Through selective breeding and cross-breeding we've been genetically modifying organisms for thousands of years[^].

                            True, but there's a difference between that and corn that's had specific genomes added to its DNA. Marc

                            W Offline
                            W Offline
                            W Balboos GHB
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #18

                            Those who eat organic-only foods can do so only because most of us do not. In places without pesticides, vermin get half of the crop, which is smaller to begin with without the 'chemical' fertilizers. Now - with the world population in the Seven Billion range - how do you propose to feed everyone? Plant breeding the 'old fashioned way' is way too slow and chancy.

                            We can use other traditional methods to increase food production:
                            Chop down more rain-forests so we can plant crops on more land.
                            Spray lots more pesticides and 'chemical fertilizers'
                            Increase the food supply by not producing meat (10:1 feed:meat protein ratio)
                            Hope for a devastating plague to lower the population
                            Or, everyone's favorite
                            WAR !

                            So - take your pick. Remember the scale of things. What will you do?

                            "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                            "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert

                            "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

                            M L 2 Replies Last reply
                            0
                            • W W Balboos GHB

                              Not according to what I wrote. True, I didn't explicitly state the bun had none. It may server as roughage. Probably not. It's always possible they slipped up somewhere. Perhaps the Ketchup? (per Ronald Regan's administration, ketchup counts as a school-lunch vegetable).

                              "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                              "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert

                              "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

                              Mike HankeyM Offline
                              Mike HankeyM Offline
                              Mike Hankey
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #19

                              Yeah I remember that and all the fuss there was associated with it.

                              Along with Antimatter and Dark Matter they've discovered the existence of Doesn't Matter which appears to have no effect on the universe whatsoever! Rich Tennant 5th Wave

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • W W Balboos GHB

                                The idea is that the worms are greatly controlled by the GM's corn but they don't develop genetic resistance to the stuff. You're not sacrificing half your crop, per se. You're leaving half your crop to the more traditional* farming methods * Soaking them with toxins related very closely to nerve gas.

                                "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                                "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert

                                "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

                                J Offline
                                J Offline
                                JimmyRopes
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #20

                                W∴ Balboos wrote:

                                You're leaving half your crop to the more traditional* farming methods
                                 
                                * Soaking them with toxins related very closely to nerve gas.

                                Doesn't sound very appetizing. X| So I take it GMO is only half a solution.

                                The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain
                                Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
                                I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

                                W 1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • J JimmyRopes

                                  W∴ Balboos wrote:

                                  You're leaving half your crop to the more traditional* farming methods
                                   
                                  * Soaking them with toxins related very closely to nerve gas.

                                  Doesn't sound very appetizing. X| So I take it GMO is only half a solution.

                                  The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain
                                  Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
                                  I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

                                  W Offline
                                  W Offline
                                  W Balboos GHB
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #21

                                  See Below: http://www.codeproject.com/Messages/4782069/Re-Nature-fights-back.aspx[^] Some other solutions are referenced, therein (a bit in this thread, actually) But seriously, if we didn't expend so much vegetable protein fattening animals for their meat, we'd have an enormous increase in available food without changing any farming conditions. An inevitable future, but I would care to predict when.

                                  "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                                  "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert

                                  "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

                                  J 1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • W W Balboos GHB

                                    Those who eat organic-only foods can do so only because most of us do not. In places without pesticides, vermin get half of the crop, which is smaller to begin with without the 'chemical' fertilizers. Now - with the world population in the Seven Billion range - how do you propose to feed everyone? Plant breeding the 'old fashioned way' is way too slow and chancy.

                                    We can use other traditional methods to increase food production:
                                    Chop down more rain-forests so we can plant crops on more land.
                                    Spray lots more pesticides and 'chemical fertilizers'
                                    Increase the food supply by not producing meat (10:1 feed:meat protein ratio)
                                    Hope for a devastating plague to lower the population
                                    Or, everyone's favorite
                                    WAR !

                                    So - take your pick. Remember the scale of things. What will you do?

                                    "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                                    "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert

                                    "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

                                    M Offline
                                    M Offline
                                    Marc Clifton
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #22

                                    W∴ Balboos wrote:

                                    Those who eat organic-only foods can do so only because most of us do not. In places without pesticides, vermin get half of the crop, which is smaller to begin with without the 'chemical' fertilizers.

                                    Well, I will happily admit that not only am I not an expert in this field, but I certainly haven't studied the statistics to speak about it other than hearsay. That said, I'm surrounded by organic farmers and I have read a lot of information and talked to my farmer friends (some of them are my poker buddies, so I get to hear all sorts of stories) that with proper integration of different crops and healthy land management, they don't have pest issues. Also, do we really need to be eating so much meat? Most of the non-organic corn around here goes to feeding cattle -- they just let it dry up on the stalk before harvesting it. Waste of land and resources, in my opinion. So, an alternative that you didn't mention: people need to start eating lower down on the food chain: there's a lot more nutrients packed into a vegetable or fruit or leaf at a lot less cost than eating a piece of meat. But like I said, I've only been peripherally paying attention to all this stuff, so my objective evidence is not immediately at hand and I don't want to start a lounge war! Marc

                                    W 1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • Mike HankeyM Mike Hankey

                                      It's interesting what people in different regions of the world eat. I've heard insects are good for you!

                                      Along with Antimatter and Dark Matter they've discovered the existence of Doesn't Matter which appears to have no effect on the universe whatsoever! Rich Tennant 5th Wave

                                      J Offline
                                      J Offline
                                      JimmyRopes
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #23

                                      Mike Hankey wrote:

                                      It's interesting what people in different regions of the world eat. I've heard insects are good for you!

                                      There was a study at Khon Kaen University that measured protein content of insects. If I remember correctly it was around 25-26%. This is roughly twice the protein of beef and you don't have to spend any money or labor growing them. They have been consumed locally for a very long time as a protein supplement. It is estimated that in the tropics the biomass of insects is approximately equal to the biomass of mammals. Just try to imagine how many ants it would take to equal the biomass of one elephant and you will start to get a feeling of just how many insects we have here.

                                      The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain
                                      Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
                                      I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

                                      Mike HankeyM 1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • J JimmyRopes

                                        Corn-eating worm evolves to feed on GMO corn designed to kill it[^]

                                        The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain
                                        Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
                                        I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

                                        L Offline
                                        L Offline
                                        Lost User
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #24

                                        The only weird thing about that is how long it took before the problem manifested itself.

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • J JimmyRopes

                                          Mike Hankey wrote:

                                          It's interesting what people in different regions of the world eat. I've heard insects are good for you!

                                          There was a study at Khon Kaen University that measured protein content of insects. If I remember correctly it was around 25-26%. This is roughly twice the protein of beef and you don't have to spend any money or labor growing them. They have been consumed locally for a very long time as a protein supplement. It is estimated that in the tropics the biomass of insects is approximately equal to the biomass of mammals. Just try to imagine how many ants it would take to equal the biomass of one elephant and you will start to get a feeling of just how many insects we have here.

                                          The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain
                                          Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
                                          I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

                                          Mike HankeyM Offline
                                          Mike HankeyM Offline
                                          Mike Hankey
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #25

                                          Very interesting!

                                          JimmyRopes wrote:

                                          Just try to imagine how many ants it would take to equal the biomass of one elephant

                                          Similar to "Guess how many Jelly beans in the jar to win"! :)

                                          Along with Antimatter and Dark Matter they've discovered the existence of Doesn't Matter which appears to have no effect on the universe whatsoever! Rich Tennant 5th Wave

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