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 GMOs > Background

GM Invasiveness and Contamination

Probably the second most damaging environmental human action other than the mass consumerism that is bringing about global warming.

However GM invasiveness and the consequential biocide are procedures that we can have some expectation of stopping.

What is GM? 

GM stands for Genetically Mutated or Genetically Modified, as in genetically modified or genetically mutated crops. The difference in the two is that the pro GM lobby likes to use a more acceptable word in mainstream products, as in Enhanced, Improved, Modified. However the term applied directly to any changes to biological chromosomes is Mutated.

Chromosomes which carry the Genetic bluprint through hereditry consists of numerous small sections called Genes. It is the forced alteration of these genes that is the process of mutation.

• Modified or Updated is the proper term for an altered computer programme.
• Enhanced is a biased viewed referring to the promoted beneficial use and function of a product.
• Mutation is the term for animals and plants that have their chromosomes altered

A mutant :-

1. (also known to early geneticists as a "monster") is an individual, organism, or new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is a sudden structural change within the DNA of a gene or chromosome of an organism . . .

   en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutant

2. Definition : (biology) an organism that has characteristics resulting from chromosomal alteration.

   http://ardictionary.com/index.php

No wonder Monsanto and the self-proclaimed all-knowing scientific community adopts the word modified. They do not want to be associated with the term Mutant, although this is exactly what their goal is. To mutate the environment to their ends.

The sponsers of genetic scientists are attempting to mutate the bio-sphere on a large scale, this is not just some schoolboy experiment at the kitchen sink. The laboratory here is the open fields and gardens of earth. They already have  created mutations of animals and plants are are well on their way to mutating humans. Clearly, in their eyes, this is a good thing to remove unwanted flora, fauna and undesirable families of human beings so that only their's have dominance in a world of plants and fauna akin specifically to their wants and desires.


If only this was some science fiction story, but alas it really started in 1972. Stanley Cohen of Stanford University and Herbert Boyer of the University of California at San Francisco decided to combine their knowledge for a series of experiments. For the first time, Boyer and Cohen put altered E. coli plasmids into bacteria that normally would be killed by the antibiotics tetracycline and kanamycin and found that when the bacteria was transferred to a culture dish containing both antibiotics, some of it survived. Now it has massive funding and is primarily used to alter crops in an increasingly invasive and damaging manner. Since the first commericial crops planted in the US in 1995 some havoc to traditional agricultural crops has emerged. See Canada, US, Mexico, Brazil, India

Whereas genetic engineering includes animals as well as plants, genetically engineered sheep and cows etc. are unlikely to cause general environmental damage but rather human health problems. As it is an individuals choice what to eat and that this site bases its environmental arguments on rejecting the use of animals for food the GMO focus is on plant genetic engineering.

The human health issue in consuming GM plants although presenting some concern is compared to the consequential damages.

• That of the impact upon the habit and
• On Fair-Trade, Organic and modern GM free agriculturally based businesses.
• It will become a problem for anyone who has a garden.

The concerns result from contamination of non-GM crops, lets consider the second, the cost to agricultural businesses

The problem has arisen due to the nature of current copyright legislation. Judges in the US and Canada have supported Monsanto in a claim against a farmer who's crops were cross pollinated with 'Monsanto's' 'genes'.

Of course Monsanto doesn't really own the 'gene' in GM soya, called Round Up Ready Soy, but the modified beans that contain them 'belong to' Monsanto.

So if your beans get pollinated by wind or by bees, with pollen that has come from Monsanto's Round Up Ready Soy,  they have a claim to your beans or at least some of the resale value. And if it can be argued that you knew there may be contamination and didn't tell Monsanto, then you are also guilty of theft and liable to further financial penalties, of court costs and compensation.

Unbelievable, impossible you may think as its so unreasonable. Well listen to this statement from Percy Scheiser , a Canadian canola (rape seed) farmer, who was local councillor and official of the local farmers union.

Simply put the statement goes :
It doesn't matter how your crops get contaminated by GM they then belong to the holder of the copyright for that particular GM plant.

If you feel outraged by this, please contact us to formulate some lobbying of our Government to ensure that no UK resident will be financially encumbered by finding their crops have been contaminated by GM and that instead the owner of the contaminated crops will be obliged to compensate and clean up the contamination.

If this can't be stopped you can see where it will lead. A number of companies will genetically alter all major food crops, not necessarily for any alleged 'crop improvement' but to command taxes on all the food we eat. It is not without good reason we should be concerned that cross contamination would be carried out deliberately to facilitate this control.

For information on this issue you may like to visit percyschmeiser.com .
If you would like to discuss this issue in a more energetic manner CD's with associated information are available at little or no cost.
If you do take a CD all the information is free to duplicate. To request a CD please, contact Roger Lovejoy on 0777 9492953, you maybe asked to provide your own CD to remove any costs at this end.

Help to copy the CD and edit and update the content will be appreciated.

For extracts from the CD use this menu.

There is an urgency on this issue as the UK government is currently undertaking  a public consultation (closing on 26th October 2006) on levels of maximum contamination we would accept before a crop has to be labelled GM. (There is already an acceptance that contamination will be rife) Once an initial contamination limit has been endorsed by Law there will be little hope of controlling further enhanced levels of GM in all food stuffs.

The other issue is the long term and likely permanent change to the flora and fauna of Earth.  This can only be stemmed by stringent controls on limiting what species plants are genetically engineered and on our ability to provide an equally well sustainable population of the non-gm original species and it's full span of varieties.

Cross pollination can easily destroy the original varieties leading to biological annihilation of important plants and their dependants and the general habit.

I am shocked already by the damaged caused and it seems accepted and the problem pushed under the carpet. It's a sick comparison pushing dirt and dust under the carpet, for the damaged area and related crop is all Canada and its previously flourishing Canola business.

Canadian canola is now contaminated, and I don't mean some of it.  Over two years ago it was acknowledged that all Canadian canola is contaminated and they are unable now to provide GM free canola to the international market. All organic canola production has been effected so that there is no source of GM free canola, organic or otherwise. Unbelievable, well yes it is, but nevertheless true.