GMO and Insects and Larger Animals
24. Superpests
Lab tests indicate that common plant pests such
as cottonboll worms, will evolve into superpests immune from
the Bt sprays used by organic farmers. The recent “stink
bug” epidemic in North Carolina and Georgia seems linked
to bioengineered plants that the bugs love. Monsanto, on their
Farmsource website, recommended spraying them with methyl parathion,
one of the deadliest chemicals. So much for the notion of Bt
cotton getting US farmers off the toxic treadmill. Pests the
transgenic cotton was meant to kill - cotton bollworms, pink
bollworms, and budworms - were once “secondary pests.” Toxic
chemicals killed off their predators, unbalanced nature, and
thus made them “major pests.”
25. Animal Bio-invasions
Fish
and marine life are threatened
by accidental release of GM
fish currently under development in several countries – trout,
carp, and salmon several times the normal size and growing up to
6x times as fast. One such accident has already occurred in the
Philippines – threatening local fish supplies.
26. Killing Beneficial Insects
Studies have shown that GM products
can kill beneficial insects – most notably the monarch butterfly
larvae (Cornell, 1999). Swiss government researchers found Bt crops
killed lacewings that ate the cottonworms which the Bt targeted.
A study reported in 1997 by New Scientist indicates honeybees may
be harmed by feeding on proteins found in GM canola flowers. Other
studies relate to the death of bees (40% died during a contained
trial with Monsanto’s Bt cotton), springtails (Novartis’ Bt
corn data submitted to the EPA) and ladybird beetles . |
27. Poisonous to Mammals
In a study
with GM potatoes, spliced with DNA from the snowdrop plant and
a viral promoter (CaMV), the resulting plant was poisonous to
mammals (rats) – damaging vital organs, the stomach lining
and immune system. CaMV is a pararetrovirus. It can reactivate
dormant viruses or create new viruses - as some presume have
occurred with the AIDES epidemic. CaMV is promiscuous, why biologist
Mae Wan-Ho concluded that “all transgenic crops containing
CaMV 35S or similar promoters which are recombinogenic should
be immediately withdrawn from commercial production or open field
trials. All products derived from such crops containing transgenic
DNA should also be immediately withdrawn from sale and from use
for human consumption or animal feed.”
28. Animal Abuse
Pig number 6706 was supposed to be a “superpig.” It
was implanted with a gene to become a technological wonder. But
it eventually became a “supercripple” full of arthritis,
cross-eyed, and could barely stand up with its mutated body. Some
of these mutations seem to come right out of Greek mythology -
such as a sheep-goat with faces and horns of a goat and the lower
body of a sheep. Two US biotech companies are producing genetically
modified birds as carriers for human drug delivery – without
little concern for animal suffering. Gene Works of Ann Arbor, Michigan
has up to 60 birds under “development.” GM products,
in general, allow companies to own the rights to create, direct,
and orchestrate the evolution of animals.
29. Support of Animal Factory Farming
Rather than using the
best of scientific minds to end animal factory farming - rapid
efforts are underway to develop gene-modified animals that better
thrive in disease-promoting conditions of animal factory farms.
Contact: Nathan Batalion 607-432-5214 Email Americans for Safe
Food 161 East Street Map Oneonta, New York N.Y. |
