-Caveat Lector- CALL MADE TO BAN PLANT PRODUCTS DERIVED THROUGH RADIATION 'Mutant plants' potentially more dangerous than biotech foods May 10, 2001 ROME (Reuters) - Environmental and consumer activist groups today called for a ban on all food products containing hybrid plants that have been developed by induced mutation via irradiation. The call came after it was revealed by the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency that since 1963, 2,252 new plant varieties, including Italian durum wheat, have been created using radioactive substances such as cobalt and X-rays. The IAEA report, which was cited recently by the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, goes on to say that "mutations today cover 70 per cent of the area undercultivation." This came as a surprise to many people, including organic farmers and critics of genetically modified foods. "I always thought the plants we eat every day came from Mother Nature," said Charles Margulis of Greenpeace USA. "But now they tell us that scientists have been artificially hybridizing plants since the 1960s. That's, like, really uncool." Larry Bohlen of Friends of the Earth, another organization which has joined the coalition against "mutant plants," was quoted as saying, "I knew something was going on. I mean, how else could they make those seedless grapes? For the past five years we have focused on the dangers of plants created using biotechnology, but they are just the tip of the iceberg. While biotech plants involve the manipulation of only a few genes, radiation treatment involves thousands of genes and are thus potentially even more dangerous. These irradiated varieties have never been tested for human safety, and they aren't even labeled." These sentiments were echoed by Jane Rissler of the Union of Concerned Scientists, a watchdog group. "The industry will probably say there's no evidence these foods are harmful and that people have been eating them for many years now," she said yesterday. "Do you believe that statement? How would we know if someone had gotten ill from these foods if they're not labeled? Radiation can affect a plant's entire genome. Compared to these plants, genetically modified food is about as dangerous as a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest." Others, however, believe these fears to be unfounded. According to an IAEA news release, "Evolution of plants is a constant, natural phenomenon associated with spontaneous mutations (e.g. may be brought about by cosmic or ultra-violet rays) but can also be encouraged or accelerated scientifically where there are sound reasons for doing so." Mutation breeding has been used on wheat, barley, oats, rice, soybeans, string beans, navy beans, potatoes, onions, cherries, apples, grapes and numerous other plant types for disease resistance and improved quality, yield and adaptability. If the proposed ban ever does come into effect, virtually every product found on supermarket shelves will not be fit forsale. Professor James Henriksen, a botanist at the University of Agricultural Rationalism, said in an interview that "mutation breeding was instrumental in allowing us to triple crop yields during the Green Revolution and has allowed us to feed millions of people who would probably have starved otherwise," and he called the safety concerns brought up by environmentalist groups to be completely unfounded. Added Henriksen, "These people are a bunch of f**kin' a**holes." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices http://auctions.yahoo.com/ <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
