Weekly Genetics Quote #27: Challenging Nature
This week’s genetics quote is from Challenging Nature : The Clash of Science and Spirituality at the New Frontiers of Life by Lee M. Silver. The book is also reviewed by Nicholas Wade at The New York Times this week.
…many western Europeans and American devotees of organic food express a visceral distaste for genetically modified organisms (GMOs)—or “Frankenfood,” as the British refer to it. Anti-GMO activists typically reject all scientific tinkering with animal genes as well, even when the goal is to alleviate animal and human suffering or avoid environmental degradation, and even though most GMO opponents have no problem eating the cooked flesh of animals raised for slaughter.
Technorati Tags: gmo, genetically modified food, gm food, frankenfood, lee silver, lee m silver, genetics, genes, disease, health, dna
I don’t think the anti-GMO cause and the animal welfare/vegetarian cause are necessarily related. For some people, an anti-GMO stance might lead them to shy away from animal flesh, in addition to the other concerns about meat eating. But I don’t necessarily think they go hand-in-hand, nor would one expect them to (speaking as a vegan who doesn’t have anything “spiritually” against GMO food, but who does see potential problems with their widespread use from an environmental point of view).
P.S. You might want to pick up Peter Singer’s book, The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter. I’m reading it right now, and I think it could be a real eye-opener for many people. Not sure what he has to say about GMO though, haven’t seen anything on it yet.
Nice site! When science and spirituality clash, the result can be amusing! Check out
http://activismhumor.blogspot.com/
and see what you think!
river2sea72: I’m still in the middle of reading Anxious Parents! Keep your eye out for more quotes from that book. haha
Schiller: I think you’re going to be offending a lot of people with your blog but thanks for dropping by Genetics and Health!