O/T A subject that really divides opinion....

Gene editing.
I, like the vast majority of people have no expertise regarding GM but it appears many vocal protest groups against GM seem to be driven by people with few or no scientific qualifications in the field.
On that basis my views on the thorny issue are as good as most others.
IMO. There are good and bad points. One of the bad points is that companies like Monsanto ho years ago caused problems for many small farmers in countries like Mexico by supplying only GM seeds that were single season. Prior to that many poor farmers retained some seeds from previous year to replant. The GM crops could not do that so they had to buy seeds every year( from Monsanto of course).I know that some non GM modified plants like F1 hybrids already revert to type or don't thrive if you try to grow the seeds they produce.
Nevertheless, we have been effectively genetically modifying plants and Animals for years. Cross breeding animals plants et.hence the huge varieties available. Nature has been doing the same for thousands/millions of years. It may be a distrust of scientists and politicians with vested interests but to me, all GM is doing is accelerating the natural process of evolution.
Of course rigorous checks and balances need to be in place to prevent the situation like bananas where we have become reliant on only one or two strains which could be wiped out if a new parasite virus or disease targets them.
We also need to guard against unscrupulous companies trying to monopolise the supply. The plus side is that in a shrinking world with climate change etc disease/drought/heat/cold resistant crops can be developer in a few years rather than a few decades.
In the field of medicine research and gene modification is heading towards cancer cures without horrendous chemo and radiotherapyside effects and even sci-fi stuff like regrowing lost limbs (albeit that is still some distance away)
I may be being naive but cannot help but think there is an increasing 'Luddite' mentality amongst many protest groups, which as I previously implied are often led by social media 'influencers' with no real scientific basis to back their objections and some with hidden agendas.
Overall I personally believe there is far more good than bad in following the science.

 

Gene editing, genetic modification, is a logical progression in science and as you say is only looking to utilise and replicate things that happen in nature anyway.

There were scare stories some years ago about genetically modified fruit and veg which makes people wary. The problem being there was never really any risk then - and the science in this field, like in any field, has progressed exponentially in the intervening years.

Anything that makes the food production chain quicker, cheaper easier and more reliable can’t be viewed as negative.

And from a medical point of view, it will lead to less invasive cancer treatments, maybe a cure for some strains. It will lead to infant treatments for detected illnesses / conditions which will let them live a more ‘normal’ and comfortable life.

We need to support and embrace scientific development.

 

Many of the protest groups - anti-vax, anti-lockdown, anti-trans, anti-gay, anti-gm, anti-climate change, anti-15 minute city, anti-refugees, and the rest - are funded by the same opaque think tanks and people. Some of this money is from billionaires with an agenda, some is from countries that have an agenda (it is easy to blame Russia and China, but they are leaders in that field). Many of the same grifters at the second level jump from one to the next in search of clicks to keep the money coming in.

They want people to work, as much as possible with as little in the way of "red tape" (health and safety laws, minimum wage, working hours, etc) and the ability to do and say *what they want*. They do this by working on genuine fears with plausible-sounding information and anecdotes and before you know it you are beyond the event horizon and deep in the rabbit hole blaming a minority for your problems. For an example, look at Andrew Bridgen, who after losing a court case that could bankrupt him suddenly is very anti-vax and spouting conspiracy theories in the HoC.

 

The problem is as is with all ideas/proposed new practices, people or companies with vested interest from both sides. These vested interests are usually money related. Confuse the public by either saturating them with info/ case studies etc, or not put enough known info out there. Cause fear/ concern, again from both sides. Cue the usual snowflake, woke jibes. Until we have sources that we can fully trust, and I include Govts in this, it will be forever thus.

 

I would argue GM foods are not 'more reliable'. Surely it's better to have natural food.

 

GM crops...natural crops...

Still ain't got the bodies to pick them....

 

Ah! A suitable cue for another contentious topic. Cloning! We could clone a Pole and Romanian to solve our agricultural worker shortages by producing hundreds of willing hardworking slave....err...workers! A bit more research and we could reduce the 9 months plus 18 years to reach working age lead time to several months.

 

That`s what we need Pomanians.

 

No, Pomeranians, we need more pomeranians, the whiny yappy feckers.

 

Don't encourage him FFS.