Greenpeace on why they chopped down the CSIRO wheat patch

zippyzippy said :

Directors from a monsanto distributor sitting on the csiro board etc. ? I had not heard of that and it does make you wonder. Biotech co’s have a pretty sordid history.

That’s the thing about CSIRO that you seem wilfully ignorant of…
The name is short for Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, and neither politicians, career public servants, researchers and scientists aren’t the greatest at exploiting commercial opportunities or determining industrial applications for the outputs of scientific progress.

Hence the need for involving industry and people who have successfully turned research into profit.
And the Australian public both own the intellectual property and get to benefit.
(Own a mobile phone or use wifi? Thank the CSIRO. Use Aerogard? CSIRO. The plastic money in your pocket, which we license to other governments? CSIRO.)

Mysteryman said :

what_the said :

neanderthalsis said :

Grail said :

And now to address the elephant in the room: there is no problem with food shortage. We don’t need higher-yielding crops to provide the food the growing population needs. We don’t need more innovative ways of recycling water to provide Australian cities with “water security” in the face of rising population.

There is a problem with a population growing out of control.

I think there is a few million starvin marvins in the horn of Africa that may disagree.

Yes, a few million that have been told they’ll burn in hell for using contraception

Wow. Just… really? You’re trying to turn this into a anti-religion argument? Pathetic.

I hope the people responsible for this vandalism are caught and punished.

This was to do about the elephant in the room – over-population and food shortages. Food shortages aren’t a problem in Australia, however it’s definitely a problem in developing countries and it’s definitely linked to over-population, of which Catholicism is spreading with one of the main teachings being that contraception is against gods will. If you dont think Catholicism has a part to play in this you’re deluded. It plays a part in overpopulation and in the spread of AIDS.

And if you doubt the rise in Catholicism in Africa – straight from the horses mouth.
The explosion of Catholicism in sub-Saharan Africa during the 20th century ranks among the greatest missionary success stories in church history. From a Catholic population of 1.9 million in 1900, the total for sub-Saharan African mushroomed to 139 million in 2000, a staggering growth rate of 6,70 percent. Moreover, almost half of the adult baptisms in global Catholicism occur in Africa, meaning that the growth of the church has been driven not merely by overall demographic trends but also by success in attracting new converts.
http://ncronline.org/node/12233

And this is the kind of crap they spout:
We’re told by the mass media that condom distribution is the solution to the AIDS crisis in Africa and that the Catholic Church is standing in the way of that effort. The research, however, contradicts that view.
and this
You see, the pro-condom lobby’s exaggerations over the effectiveness of its product is actually making the problem worse, for one simple reason: Condoms provide a false sense of security to those who use them. Being convinced of their effectiveness and feeling invulnerable, users will simply continue — or actually increase — their high-risk behavior. In this way, the claimed 90% effectiveness rate plummets in proportion to the increase in self-destructive behavior. This phenomenon is borne out in the countries that focus on condom distribution to fight the disease.

But while condoms clearly won’t solve the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa (or anywhere else), there is an approach that will: abstinence. Indeed, in African nations — where HIV/AIDS is transmitted almost exclusively through sexual contact — abstinence is the obvious solution.
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/facts/fm0045.html

what_the said :

neanderthalsis said :

Grail said :

And now to address the elephant in the room: there is no problem with food shortage. We don’t need higher-yielding crops to provide the food the growing population needs. We don’t need more innovative ways of recycling water to provide Australian cities with “water security” in the face of rising population.

There is a problem with a population growing out of control.

I think there is a few million starvin marvins in the horn of Africa that may disagree.

Yes, a few million that have been told they’ll burn in hell for using contraception

Wow. Just… really? You’re trying to turn this into a anti-religion argument? Pathetic.

I hope the people responsible for this vandalism are caught and punished.

zippyzippy said :

Rather than listing insults, i’d be interested to know what everyone thinks about the claims greenpeace are making about the trials and gm (I just read the link above). Directors from a monsanto distributor sitting on the csiro board etc. ? I had not heard of that and it does make you wonder. Biotech co’s have a pretty sordid history.

Who doesn’t have a sordid history?

““I’m sick of being treated like a dumb Mum who doesn’t understand the science. As far as I’m concerned, my family’s health is just too important.”

I’m suddenly reminded of that Law & Order episode about the mother who refused to to get her child vaccinated against some childhood disease (because she was sick of being treated as a dumb mum who didn’t understand the science and her family’s health was just too important) and then that kid spread the disease to other kids who died… but it was her right and her opinion was more important than doctors etc so she didn’t feel guilty at all.

I’m sure there’s an important lesson to learn there but I’m too busy facepalming at how these people say it’s dangerous because not enough research has been done but then go and destroy said research…

Looks like she’s eaten a few too many slices from that video also

Heather McCabe

Office Manager at Greenepace

http://au.linkedin.com/pub/heather-mccabe/19/12/83b

“I’m a Greenepeacer”

This makes me angry.

I wish police could occasionally do the ‘back alley beatdowns’ for people like this.

“Activist and Mother Heather McCabe…”
They quote from their Sydney office manager?

Nobody significant around to make a statement?

Also, if you think commercially exploitable scientific experimentation has potential for unethical behaviour, the CSIRO are the people you -want- at the forefront of it.
Commerically explotable patents, market dominance through utility, organisational control leveraged by public policy, etc…

What’s next …………….people saying Climate Change is real?

The Greens acted like cowardly thugs today. They broke into a place in the dark of night (or early morning as is the case) and destroyed property. Great effort – not!

The CSIRO, like them or not ( and I am a great fan I must say), are providing valuable research for a variety of things – including sustainablility issues that will impact globally. Yet these morons choose to go and destroy that work? Why?

If they have an issue, run a campaign without destructive actions. Let’s then look at it. Otherwise, their actions will adversely affect the Greens Party (I know, they aren’t allegedly related but) and so it should.

Oh dear

On one hand i find myself saying “Go Sea Shepherd..kick jap butt” but then they go and do this. I guess losing a small trial crop wont slow progress too much and now there can be more public debate.

perhaps QANDA can tear itself away from climate change and refugee issues for an episode.

what_the said :

….CSIRO isnt starting a GM wheat forcefeeding program in her loungeroom.

I bet they are considering a GM Hemlock force feeding program though.

its funny these idiots going on about evil monsanto “owning” the grain.

thats been happening for years, a small royalty is paid to the company that develops new strains of wheat, when the crop is harvested.

when i was a kid, the varieties were dollarbird, diamond bird etc, now its katana and longreach etc.

these varieties have been bred to increase their yeild, resist rust and bunt and other diseases, and have better frost resistance, same as breeding the best bull with the best cows to get the best calves.

problem is the hippies have just taken the “evil corperation” approach, and shoved thier heads up their own arses, rather than do any research in to the actual system

sadly natural selection wont have a chance to eradicate these idiots, as the science they hate so much has led to the medical advancements that allow these idiots to live long healthy lives

Snoman said :

The CSIRO can learn from this, it’s just another thing they need to make the GM crops resistant against, can’t be that hard

To misquote someone or other: The trouble with idiot-proofing is that nature keeps building better idiots.

The CSIRO can learn from this, it’s just another thing they need to make the GM crops resistant against, can’t be that hard

neanderthalsis said :

Grail said :

And now to address the elephant in the room: there is no problem with food shortage. We don’t need higher-yielding crops to provide the food the growing population needs. We don’t need more innovative ways of recycling water to provide Australian cities with “water security” in the face of rising population.

There is a problem with a population growing out of control.

I think there is a few million starvin marvins in the horn of Africa that may disagree.

Yes, a few million that have been told they’ll burn in hell for using contraception

Grail said :

And now to address the elephant in the room: there is no problem with food shortage. We don’t need higher-yielding crops to provide the food the growing population needs. We don’t need more innovative ways of recycling water to provide Australian cities with “water security” in the face of rising population.

There is a problem with a population growing out of control.

I think there is a few million starvin marvins in the horn of Africa that may disagree.

Grail said :

There is a problem with a population growing out of control.

Yeah but it’s easier and more marketable to make GM crops than to get everyone to stop procreating

zippyzippy said :

Rather than listing insults, i’d be interested to know what everyone thinks about the claims greenpeace are making about the trials and gm (I just read the link above). Directors from a monsanto distributor sitting on the csiro board etc. ? I had not heard of that and it does make you wonder. Biotech co’s have a pretty sordid history.

This is the problem with Greenpeace actions like this. Instead of discussing the matter they’re concerned about and bringing it to the attention of the public, they do something idiotic and the debate revolves around the idiots instead of the subject matter. Using your family as an excuse is idiotic, as CSIRO isnt starting a GM wheat forcefeeding program in her loungeroom.

Grail said :

And now to address the elephant in the room: there is no problem with food shortage. We don’t need higher-yielding crops to provide the food the growing population needs. We don’t need more innovative ways of recycling water to provide Australian cities with “water security” in the face of rising population.

There is a problem with a population growing out of control.

So… we dont need more food, we need less people.

What do you suggest? Maybe GM people?

“The activists constructed a decontamination area to safely dispose of the untested and potentially unstable GM organisms.”

Heck, any idiot can ‘construct a decontamination area’ these days, it seems. Why bother with Hazmat experts, when the local mums from Greenpeace are at hand to deal with ‘potentially unstable GM organisms’.

These people are idiots. Who in their right mind would go into a field of untested and potentially unstable organisms?

I think I know which of the organisms in this story are a little light on the stability side.

OK kiddies get your GM conspiracy theory tin-foil hats out … CSIRO. Commonwealth Science & Industry Research Organisation. It’s charter is to use science to develop and improve Australian industry.

And now to address the elephant in the room: there is no problem with food shortage. We don’t need higher-yielding crops to provide the food the growing population needs. We don’t need more innovative ways of recycling water to provide Australian cities with “water security” in the face of rising population.

There is a problem with a population growing out of control.

Erg0 said :

The rest of the CSIRO board are some pretty smart folks, and I don’t imagine that they’d roll over quite so easily at the promise of a few bucks.

It’s not a matter of a few bucks, it’s a matter of millions of dollars to fund their research projects. Without that money there is no research project, and no CSIRO.

This reminds me of the scene in “The Sheep Look Up” when the radical “Trainites” accidentally bomb the activist/scientist who founded their own movement and is trying to save them and mankind. I am doing work with computers using silicon chips to make advanced products to help us face future energy issues… Will some ignorant person break into my office and destroy my work in the name of what, chip manufacturing is evil? The wheat probably was developed to withstand heat and drought…. get it? Sorry for the researchers who have to start all over now. It’s both sadly amusing and terrifying to see the right side of politics driving up fear through false statements and the left or green side destroying the science we are developing to help. Also reminds me of the people who got upset with me when I was studying atomic and nuclear physics, as if by understanding how the physical world worked would make me into some bomb loving Dr Strangelove.

zippyzippy said :

Rather than listing insults, i’d be interested to know what everyone thinks about the claims greenpeace are making about the trials and gm (I just read the link above). Directors from a monsanto distributor sitting on the csiro board etc. ? I had not heard of that and it does make you wonder. Biotech co’s have a pretty sordid history.

As far as I can tell (http://www.csiro.au/org/Board.html), this is no longer the case. Even so, it’s drawing a pretty long bow to jump from “two shared board members” to “massive conspiracy to poison the populace for profit”. The rest of the CSIRO board are some pretty smart folks, and I don’t imagine that they’d roll over quite so easily at the promise of a few bucks.

The activity follows the revelation that Australia’s peak scientific body, CSIRO, is conducting the world’s first human feeding trials of GM wheat, without adequate safety testing.

While I can see that this is a matter of opinion, it also seems to be pretty close to libel.

Well I certainly don’t want to eat GM. I stay well away from canola now you can’t tell what’s what.

Thoroughly Smashed said :

zippyzippy said :

Rather than listing insults, i’d be interested to know what everyone thinks about the claims greenpeace are making about the trials and gm (I just read the link above). Directors from a monsanto distributor sitting on the csiro board etc. ? I had not heard of that and it does make you wonder. Biotech co’s have a pretty sordid history.

If true, it doesn’t surprise me given the way that CSIRO has been pushed into soliciting more and more private funding over the years.

Possibly dodgy, but it’s public knowledge and doesn’t mean they can do whatever they want.

“…secret genetically modified wheat trial…” my bit fat hairy arse. The location and type of all trial sites is a matter of public knowledge. It’s freely available to anyone that cares to make themselves, you know, not look like an idiot.

The thing is, I’m a bit wary of some GM stuff (like Monsanto making crops that don’t seed so that farmers have to buy the seed again) and can respect their opposition. What I can’t respect is complete misinformation and poor tactics.

Anyway, what sort of “concerned parent” feeds their kid plain white bread?!

zippyzippy said :

Rather than listing insults, i’d be interested to know what everyone thinks about the claims greenpeace are making about the trials and gm (I just read the link above). Directors from a monsanto distributor sitting on the csiro board etc. ? I had not heard of that and it does make you wonder. Biotech co’s have a pretty sordid history.

If true, it doesn’t surprise me given the way that CSIRO has been pushed into soliciting more and more private funding over the years.

Thoroughly Smashed said :

GM wheat is not safe[citation needed]

Hmm. That came up looking just right in the preview box, but the <sup> tag appears to have been stripped when it was posted. Gah.

Rather than listing insults, i’d be interested to know what everyone thinks about the claims greenpeace are making about the trials and gm (I just read the link above). Directors from a monsanto distributor sitting on the csiro board etc. ? I had not heard of that and it does make you wonder. Biotech co’s have a pretty sordid history.

GM wheat is not safe[citation needed]

Greenpeace obviously don’t give a rats @rse about food security. High yield crops will be necessary if we’re going to feed an ever growing world population, unless greenpeace suggests we embark on a rqapid depopulation program.

These daft bints should be locked up for a very long time.

So let me get this straight: they destroyed wheat intended for use in trials (i.e. testing) because it hadn’t been tested enough? I’m pretty sure that CSIRO wasn’t intending to force-feed the wheat to this individual’s (took me 3 edits to get down to that) children, so I don’t particularly see what it has to do with her. Good to see that Greenpeace aren’t above the old appeal to mother’s instinct, though.

Hot tip: As is often the case, the best way to avoid being treated like an idiot is not to be one.

what a self important twat – throw the book at them

” “I’m sick of being treated like a dumb Mum who doesn’t understand the science.”

Oh lordie lordie dearie dearie me, and presumably she cannot see the irony of it all.

These people enjoy the same voting rights too.

I have a feeling Mrs McCabe will get a visit from the AFP today. Throw the bloody book at her.

These loonies ahould explain to us all how they intend to feed the world without GM crops,