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Time to stop Genetic Molestation

Judith Hoad urges you to remain vigilant and make your opinion on GM known to the politicians to ensure we prevent the introduction of GM to Ireland.

Many years ago, one of my daughters brought home three cowslip plants she had liberated from a roadside on a journey through the Burren. I planted them and they survived to bloom again the next year, but every year since then, now spreading prolifically, their once bell-like flowers open now like primrose flowers, to whom they are closely related and with which they have cross-pollinated.

I want to make this point very clearly - closely related creatures can and do cross fertilise. When we 'cross' a pony with an ass, we get a jennet. Dogs and foxes have been known to mate and so have sheep and goats. They can, because their chains of DNA are so very similar. However, the young of these unions - called 'hybrids' - are infertile and incapable of breeding.

Bending truth

When geneticists tell us that their work is only perpetuating what plant and animal breeders have been doing since farming began, they are twisting the truth. Plant and animal breeders have bred and cross bred within species to develop certain characteristics, such as short stalked wheat, because long-stalked wheat falls and 'lodges' in winds and rain. Consequent loss of crop is lessened when the stalks are short. What plant and animal breeders have never done, but geneticists are doing, is introducing genes from the DNA of completely different species, such as fish genes in to tomatoes. The 'desirable' features of such crosses are one thing, but it is the unknown features that should be worrying the geneticists.

GM Soya

Monsanto have bred herbicide resistance into strains of Canola, (Mustard), into Soya and into Maize. These are interesting choices, because that are among the most widely used foods, used in a great variety of ways - as oils, syrups, flour, etc, - and as both human and animal foods. All these plants have close relatives in the wild with which they readily cross breed, (the wild plants being fertile), just like the primroses and cowslips in my garden. Unfortunately, there are 'side-effects' in addition to the desired effect of this sort of cross breeding. Most of them are only coming to light after the plants are released. Some of them cause serious allergic reactions in susceptible people. Because of these undesirable side-effects, it is not unreasonable to regard genetic 'modification' as genetic 'molestation' - a form of laboratory-induced pollution. It is very important that GM does not advance into further plants and animals and it is supremely important that none of them are let loose here, on the island of Ireland. If it happens, it will no longer be safe to harvest plants in the wild, for food, or for herbal medicine.

Bad publicity

The Arthurstown Seven, whose trial, in March 1999 on charges concerning the destruction of part of a crop of GM sugarbeet resulted in the probation act - a virtual acquittal - effectively brought an end to Monsanto's activities in Ireland, because of the widespread, adverse publicity for the Company. We have to remain vigilant. We have to make our opinions known. Send postcards to the Minister for Agriculture, Mary Coughlan TD and to An Taioseach, Bertie Ahern TD. Tell them you never, ever, want GM introduced into Irish farming and growing. Don't ignore the potential and do nothing, even when you genuinely don't want GM to come in. Buy one of those GM-FREE ZONE signs - put them on your car, in your garden, anywhere where they can be seen.

Never safe

Uranium is safe, when left in the ground. Mined and processed into plutonium, it creates hazardous wastes that remain hazardous for thousands of years and the plutonium can be used as a method for killing huge numbers of people when - as it is - it's made into bombs. We already have huge problems with the products and waste-products from Nuclear Power. The products and by-products, side-effects, of GM are even more insidious: once released, THEY CAN NEVER BE RECALLED. Never was the story of Pandora's box more appropriate!

Pure Island

Ireland is in a unique position, both geographically and figuratively: as an island, if we are able to prevent the introduction of GM, we will be like the 'control' in an experiment - there to show how health can be maintained through the use of natural food. Our expanding organic farming enterprises can kiss their ass goodbye if GM food is grown here. No plant will ever be safe - or true to type again.