ROCKING THE ECOSYSTEM
In reply to my email “FOOD SAFETY, PUTTING THE BREAKS ON SCIENCE,” I
received one that is worthy of attention. Below are two paragraphs from
it:
“Until the world has some well considered and accepted rules governing
the who does what genetic modifications to what life for what purposes,
and who has what options about using them, then I say No to messing with
any of it.”
“Also, until we have some long term studies accurately assessing the
impact of GMOs on other organisms on this planet, particularly on human
DNA, I say No to messing with any of it.”
In both paragraphs, the writer uses the expression “No to messing with
any of it.” If “it” refers solely to DNA, that one thing. If, on the
other hand, “it” means “life in the ecosystem,” then we Homo sapiens
have been messing with “it” since we got out of the trees. When our
primitive ancestors started utilizing fire and clothing themselves with
skins of other animals, they were messing up life, messing with part of
the “it.” The “it,” the ecosystem is changed.
At that time it is reasonable to assume that there might have been an
individual or group that used “scare tactics,” and insisted that there
was no way to know if there would be adverse long time effects from
these changes. If there was, and there probably was some short-sighted
people, they didn’t prevail. And we should give thanks for that!
Homo sapiens are the singular animal (living thing) whose living habits
have altered the ecosystem to an appreciable degree. We have “rocked
the ecosystem.” Of course, the change resulting from our behavior is not
of the magnitude of other natural occurrences, like earthquakes and the
like. Nevertheless, we are a singular different animal.
This piece takes a huge jump in time and discusses gene modification
other than that caused by a varieties of other natural phenomena. (Mind
you, whatever homo sapiens do is a natural phenomena. We animals are
part of nature.) The huge jump being referred to is the agricultural
revolution in which human beings produced new varieties of plants and
animals. Bringing together genes that might not normally be combined (or
be infrequently combined) in nature, what is going on in laboratories is
largely just a speeded up version of that same process that has been
going on for thousands of years. How fortunate that the group that would
have wanted to “have some long term studies accurately assessing the
impact of GMOs on other [than homo sapiens] organisms on this planet”
did not prevail with their scare tactics.
A new scientific step involves genetic engineering but that is just
another step by which homo sapiens will “rock the ecosystem.” Precaution
is always advisable but putting the breaks on science makes no sense at
all.
An article “Court Date for Serving Beef on Bone,” S.F. Chronicle, Feb.
14, 1998, reflects on the thoughts above of “messing with any of it.” It
was an Associated Press article from London.
“A Scottish hotel owner has been summoned to court for defying a
government ban on serving beef on the bone.”
“A number of people have openly defied the ban, a precaution against the
spread of mad cow disease. But it appears that only Jim Sutherland will
answer for it. He served prime rib to 170 diners December 22, 1997.”
“For that, the owner of the Carfraemill Hotel in Lauder, Scotland, says
he faces a maximum fine of $8,000 if he is convicted March 10.”
“ ‘A person is 2,000 times more likely to die in a rail accident than
from eating beef on
the bone, yet the government hasn't banned trains,’ said Raymond
Robertson, chairman of Scotland's Conservative Party.”
Where did I hear this expression? “ Resisting change is like holding
your breath; if you succeed,
you die.”
