GM foods and the EU.

[CerberusIV]

Look closer Azazel, I said "not to believe" meaning not to take what the government says at face value.

You think it is OK to have fluoride added to your drinking water, fine. You're happy to live under a high voltage power line, great. The UK government says these things are not proven dangerous. I still won't go along with them. It is a question of individual judgement.

As for GM food, I have no problem with GM crossbreeding of varieties of wheat. I do have a problem with maize containing genes from tomatoes. Until they agree a way to distinguish between the two cases, I want all food from GM sources labelled as such so that I can choose to avoid it. Simple, unless you are Monsanto and their friends.

[Sandman]

I'm indifferent to GM foods. But I don't think they are inventions, and thus should not be patented. If they could not be patented, worthless capitalist GM dross like seed X that goes with weedkiller Y would be less likely to exist. We wouldn't have any concerns about bio-piracy or illiberal legal cases on innocent farmers.

Most of the research would be done by governments and charities, that is, useful research aimed at the betterment of the human race, rather than frivolous products aimed at the betterment of profit.

The EU should accept GM foods without condition, so long as we also ignore any and all 'patents' that go along with them.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by CerberusIV
Look closer Azazel, I said "not to believe" meaning not to take what the government says at face value.

You think it is OK to have fluoride added to your drinking water, fine. ... I still won't go along with them. It is a question of individual judgement.

If you are afraid of flouride, what do you brush your teeth with?

[HershOstropoler]

Originally posted by Azazel
So, there is no testing done on the edibility and safety of the foods?

There sure is, but it's hardly comparable to meteorology. Most is done by interest groups that have an agenda either way, and it has to make predictions for decades, not days.

Much of the concerns about GM foods are hysteria, but there are some serious issues about it. To put it all down to "fearmongering, panicky attitude" is onesided. We also get the hysteric "save africa" with GM foods, which is similar bollocks as the anti-GM hysteria.

[CerberusIV]

Fluoride free toothpaste.

It's not that I am afraid of it, just that I stopped with fluoride toothpaste several years ago and have since found I don't need to have fillings replaced as often as I used to.

Off topic but what irritates me about that one is that we get all these pictures of children with decayed milk teeth but never anything about the effects of high levels of fluoride in drinking water on adults.

[Az]

get the hysteric "save africa" with GM foods

I never seen that being said in a hysterical matter.

what definition of hysterical do you imply?

[HershOstropoler]

"Hysteric" as "European opposition to GM foods makes little african babies starve".

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Look how France continues to ban British beef years after both the British government and the EU government have certified British beef as being Mad Cow free. In short the safety excuss has been falsely used so often that most sane people no longer believe the politicians when they cry to ban foreign goods for "safety reasons".

There have been, IIRC over 300 cases of mad cow disease reported so far this year in Britain.

[Odin]

Originally posted by Sandman
I'm indifferent to GM foods. But I don't think they are inventions, and thus should not be patented. If they could not be patented, worthless capitalist GM dross like seed X that goes with weedkiller Y would be less likely to exist. We wouldn't have any concerns about bio-piracy or illiberal legal cases on innocent farmers.

Most of the research would be done by governments and charities, that is, useful research aimed at the betterment of the human race, rather than frivolous products aimed at the betterment of profit.

The EU should accept GM foods without condition, so long as we also ignore any and all 'patents' that go along with them.

That is what I was trying to tell Irman.

[Gibsie]

What amuses me is how that bloody Atkins Diet can get a million Brits damaging their bodies in the name ofa slimmer waistline despite it being slated by most nutritionists, but despite constant reassurances that GM foods are not inherently harmful or likely to be harmful to health or environment, the people would never willingly eat GM food.

People = stupid

[Odin]

Originally posted by Gibsie
What amuses me is how that bloody Atkins Diet can get a million Brits damaging their bodies in the name ofa slimmer waistline despite it being slated by most nutritionists, but despite constant reassurances that GM foods are not inherently harmful or likely to be harmful to health or environment, the people would never willingly eat GM food.

People = stupid

nonono, People = Ignorant

[DarthVeda]

I was under the impression the EU was blocking importation under that guise for sake of simple protectionism.

[Gibsie]

Originally posted by Odin
nonono, People = Ignorant

If they're that ignorant (i.e. actively ignoring the experts) then they're stupid