CropLife really cross with Greenpeace activists who chopped down their wheat patch

Food security would be provided by humankind treating meat as more of a luxury and eating more grain food – in which case there would be no need to take the risk of GM crops. The record of GM is abysmal – look at south Asia, where traditional crops were replaced with expensive Monsanto grain on all sorts of yield promises. After a few years the boom in grain production reduced back below the traditional levels, because local grains bred over centuries had been able to withstand the vagaries of weather. Frankencrops turned out to be febrile and vulnerable.
CSIRO is utterly in the pockets of mega agribusiness interests. Again, I applaud Greenpeace and Shane Rattenbury for their actions and cmments re the CSIRO GM wheat experiment.
AND, where was the consultation with the ACT populace, as to whether we wanted this experiment in the Inner North? Bad call, CSIRO. Bad call, ACT Labor. Bad call, feds.

John Moulis said :

Tooks said :

Classified said :

johnboy said :

In what fantasy world is canberra the only part of australia where support for greenpeace can be found.

If you hate it so much here mate the highway beckons.

All due respect JB, but that’s not what he said.

Yes it is:

“Canberra is probably the only place in Australia where you would get hard core Leftists (or anybody else) supporting this disgusting action by Greenpeace.”

I stand by my comments, and the reaction by JB, Tooks and the rest only reinforce what I said.

That’s because you’re an idiot. I don’t support this vandalism by Greenpeace one iota.

satyr said :

These companies can’t win. They develop GM crops that have the potential to provide food security for millions. People raise legitimate concerns that these crops could out-compete native crops and reduce genetic diversity. The US Department of Agriculture invents terminator technology that stops these plants from producing viable seeds, and people go nuts claiming that an evil corporate conspiracy is trying to stop them from resowing seed.

I know it’s not fair to lump all environmentalists in the same boat. Some environmentalists are pragmatic. Many do fantastic work. The Franklin River Dam protests and the recent grand bargain to preserve forests in Tasmania spring to mind. However, blanket opposition to safe technology such as GM food is honestly, retarded. These are the kind of people who eat organic vegetables (which are inefficiently produced, and cause more environmental damage that mass produced vegetables) and who support inefficient government schemes (cash for clunkers, roof top solar panels) that create perverse outcomes and increase emissions.

Even if we assume that the biotech corporations are doing this for the good of humankind, how are poor farmers in Africa going to fund buying new seed every season? Even if they get better crops out of it, they can still have failed crops because of drought and then they not only lose their crop but also their significant financial investment. And how will a small-scale farmer find the funds to even start his expensive first GM crops? Won’t it encourage corporate-style farming and push the little guys further into poverty? It just doesn’t strike me as a very well thought-out plan?

I have other reservations, but I don’t think anyone here is really interested in them. Too many posts referring to scientists as if they are national heroes and should never be criticised. While I wonder how many of us ever read anything but “popular science” articles. Science is a valuable tool, if used in the right way. But with the amount of research that goes on globally, I fear we often can’t see the wood for trees. That counts for both sides in this case. I don’t believe that the GP activists are necessarily following the “right science” either. At least they definitely didn’t come up with any convincing arguments that they are.

These companies can’t win. They develop GM crops that have the potential to provide food security for millions. People raise legitimate concerns that these crops could out-compete native crops and reduce genetic diversity. The US Department of Agriculture invents terminator technology that stops these plants from producing viable seeds, and people go nuts claiming that an evil corporate conspiracy is trying to stop them from resowing seed.

I know it’s not fair to lump all environmentalists in the same boat. Some environmentalists are pragmatic. Many do fantastic work. The Franklin River Dam protests and the recent grand bargain to preserve forests in Tasmania spring to mind. However, blanket opposition to safe technology such as GM food is honestly, retarded. These are the kind of people who eat organic vegetables (which are inefficiently produced, and cause more environmental damage that mass produced vegetables) and who support inefficient government schemes (cash for clunkers, roof top solar panels) that create perverse outcomes and increase emissions.

The Frots said :

madamcholet said :

I don’t condone what GP have done at all – not a good look and smacks of having no argument. However it does frustrate me that large organisations such as the international chemical companies can use their power and resources to suggest that their information is the only correct information and that by virtue of that, orgs like GP must be wrong. “Industry bodies” can sometimes be guns for hire and will say what their members want them to. I’m not sure that we do know all that we need to about GM produce, but the fact is, the organically grown produce that the greenies want to see will not feed the world.

Flick over and google a group called the ‘Bilderburg Group’. Interesting.

Great, thanks for that – I’ve heard about this group before – a few years ago now – found it really interesting and then prompt;y forgot their name.

Tooks said :

Classified said :

johnboy said :

In what fantasy world is canberra the only part of australia where support for greenpeace can be found.

If you hate it so much here mate the highway beckons.

All due respect JB, but that’s not what he said.

Yes it is:

“Canberra is probably the only place in Australia where you would get hard core Leftists (or anybody else) supporting this disgusting action by Greenpeace.”

I stand by my comments, and the reaction by JB, Tooks and the rest only reinforce what I said.

The Frots said :

Kalfour said :

Martlark said :

There as never being one rigorously established incident of harm from consuming or producing GM crops any where in the world…

Actually there have. Nobody has had any serious health issues from GM (that I know of), but there have been plenty of cases of crops being bred to be pesticide/herbicide resistant and then going feral. If they’re too hardy, they become weeds.

That being said, I don’t believe that Greenpeace acted sensibly, or in their best interests in this particular case. It does sound as though these crops were being well regulated, and the chance of them going feral was pretty minimal.

Going feral……….? Are we talking ‘Day of the Trifids’ feral or “there’s a weed in the pot plant, honey” feral………..????

The latter I would think. But ready your shot guns, giant whipper-snippers and flamethrowers just in case.

buzz819 said :

Kalfour said :

Martlark said :

There as never being one rigorously established incident of harm from consuming or producing GM crops any where in the world…

Actually there have. Nobody has had any serious health issues from GM (that I know of), but there have been plenty of cases of crops being bred to be pesticide/herbicide resistant and then going feral. If they’re too hardy, they become weeds.

That being said, I don’t believe that Greenpeace acted sensibly, or in their best interests in this particular case. It does sound as though these crops were being well regulated, and the chance of them going feral was pretty minimal.

Well there wasn’t much of a chance, I’m looking at how they “destroyed” the crop. There would have been debris, seed and everything flying everywhere.

What I want to know is there any immediate concerns if those seeds get released into the natural environment, if there is what problems would that cause?

That’s a really good point actually!

Classified said :

johnboy said :

In what fantasy world is canberra the only part of australia where support for greenpeace can be found.

If you hate it so much here mate the highway beckons.

All due respect JB, but that’s not what he said.

Yes it is:

“Canberra is probably the only place in Australia where you would get hard core Leftists (or anybody else) supporting this disgusting action by Greenpeace.”

Wouldn’t it be ironic if they had sprayed the crop with Roundup instead!

The Frots said :

Kalfour said :

Martlark said :

There as never being one rigorously established incident of harm from consuming or producing GM crops any where in the world…

Actually there have. Nobody has had any serious health issues from GM (that I know of), but there have been plenty of cases of crops being bred to be pesticide/herbicide resistant and then going feral. If they’re too hardy, they become weeds.

That being said, I don’t believe that Greenpeace acted sensibly, or in their best interests in this particular case. It does sound as though these crops were being well regulated, and the chance of them going feral was pretty minimal.

Going feral……….? Are we talking ‘Day of the Trifids’ feral or “there’s a weed in the pot plant, honey” feral………..????

We’re Australian. We don’t have to worry about weeds (or animals) going feral of course. We’ve never seen an example of how detrimental that can be to our environment, so why worry? It’s Pest Resistant! It’s going to save the world from starvation! There absolutely cannot be any downsides to that!

jayskette said :

ahem. We ALL eat genetically modified foods. It is called FARMING, FISHING and DOMESTICATING animals. We have been doing so ever since we started clearing some trees and stopped hunting and gathering.

As someone else already mentioned in one of these threads (it’s confusing to have 3 going at the same time!), genetic selection is not the same as genetic modification. GM is things like introducing pig genes into spinach. I don’t think the early farmers were able to cross pigs with spinach, though I would’ve liked to see them try.

Kalfour said :

Martlark said :

There as never being one rigorously established incident of harm from consuming or producing GM crops any where in the world…

Actually there have. Nobody has had any serious health issues from GM (that I know of), but there have been plenty of cases of crops being bred to be pesticide/herbicide resistant and then going feral. If they’re too hardy, they become weeds.

That being said, I don’t believe that Greenpeace acted sensibly, or in their best interests in this particular case. It does sound as though these crops were being well regulated, and the chance of them going feral was pretty minimal.

Well there wasn’t much of a chance, I’m looking at how they “destroyed” the crop. There would have been debris, seed and everything flying everywhere.

What I want to know is there any immediate concerns if those seeds get released into the natural environment, if there is what problems would that cause?

ahem. We ALL eat genetically modified foods. It is called FARMING, FISHING and DOMESTICATING animals. We have been doing so ever since we started clearing some trees and stopped hunting and gathering.

Kalfour said :

Martlark said :

There as never being one rigorously established incident of harm from consuming or producing GM crops any where in the world…

Actually there have. Nobody has had any serious health issues from GM (that I know of), but there have been plenty of cases of crops being bred to be pesticide/herbicide resistant and then going feral. If they’re too hardy, they become weeds.

That being said, I don’t believe that Greenpeace acted sensibly, or in their best interests in this particular case. It does sound as though these crops were being well regulated, and the chance of them going feral was pretty minimal.

Going feral……….? Are we talking ‘Day of the Trifids’ feral or “there’s a weed in the pot plant, honey” feral………..????

Martlark said :

There as never being one rigorously established incident of harm from consuming or producing GM crops any where in the world…

Actually there have. Nobody has had any serious health issues from GM (that I know of), but there have been plenty of cases of crops being bred to be pesticide/herbicide resistant and then going feral. If they’re too hardy, they become weeds.

That being said, I don’t believe that Greenpeace acted sensibly, or in their best interests in this particular case. It does sound as though these crops were being well regulated, and the chance of them going feral was pretty minimal.

It’s the jacked-up sense of moral entitlement of these retards that’s most annoying. This sort of rubbish is the inevitable consequence of a couple of decades of public education dogma that fallaciously promotes the nonsense that everyone’s views are valid and equal – people like the jerk-offs in Greenpeace and their apologists genuinely believe that their uninformed concerns are real and that their views somehow matter or even worse are legitimate.

housebound said :

Dark days indeed. They should have waited until the sun rose.

I’ve been good friends for nearly 20 years with several senior CSIRO and ex-CSIRO scientists who are involved with this work. We’ve discussed the ethics and implications of GM modification of plants regularly over that time, and despite my own initial misgivings about the GM business, I trust their thoughts on this matter. Their opinion, which I share, is that these people are luddite idiots.

And I concur with Gerry-Built about the public perception of this foolishness. Vandalism and destruction of other peoples property and livelihood, even if done with a multitude of good intentions, is never going to fly in the Australian community. Reasoned argument and protest through legitimate means are far more likely to sway peoples opinions than this ridiculous action.

Dark days indeed. They should have waited until the sun rose.

madamcholet said :

I don’t condone what GP have done at all – not a good look and smacks of having no argument. However it does frustrate me that large organisations such as the international chemical companies can use their power and resources to suggest that their information is the only correct information and that by virtue of that, orgs like GP must be wrong. “Industry bodies” can sometimes be guns for hire and will say what their members want them to. I’m not sure that we do know all that we need to about GM produce, but the fact is, the organically grown produce that the greenies want to see will not feed the world.

Flick over and google a group called the ‘Bilderburg Group’. Interesting.

I don’t condone what GP have done at all – not a good look and smacks of having no argument. However it does frustrate me that large organisations such as the international chemical companies can use their power and resources to suggest that their information is the only correct information and that by virtue of that, orgs like GP must be wrong. “Industry bodies” can sometimes be guns for hire and will say what their members want them to. I’m not sure that we do know all that we need to about GM produce, but the fact is, the organically grown produce that the greenies want to see will not feed the world.

johnboy said :

In what fantasy world is canberra the only part of australia where support for greenpeace can be found.

If you hate it so much here mate the highway beckons.

All due respect JB, but that’s not what he said.

In what fantasy world is canberra the only part of australia where support for greenpeace can be found.

If you hate it so much here mate the highway beckons.

Stevian said :

54-11 said :

Good on GP. Australia does not need bullying US multi-nationals taking over our agri-businesses. Companies like News Corp are paragons of ethical virtue compared with Monsanto et al.

+100

Well said. “Monsanto is the Devil” may sound silly, but, unfortunately it’s true

Canberra is probably the only place in Australia where you would get hard core Leftists (or anybody else) supporting this disgusting action by Greenpeace. It is pathetic and embarrassing to see these people trying to defend the indefensible.

Well Done Mr Cossey! Greenpeace are more interested in populist stunts than actually working on things that assist the environment. There as never being one rigorously established incident of harm from consuming or producing GM crops any where in the world, even with billions of meals containing it eaten every year.

zippyzippy said :

Ah, ok i see you changed it to say “crop life’ now instead of csiro. Crop life appear to be the body representing the agriculture/biotech industry in aust.

CSIRO are in it up to their necks, however.

Yes it s the same Matthew Cossey who worked at the Labor Party and at Raytheon, the weapons manufacturer.

Greenpeace are their own worst enemy. This sort of activism will win them no friends from the general public, (many) who would otherwise support the anti-GM stance… Well, except for additional extremists… Vandals. Criminals… They should be treated as such…

54-11 said :

Good on GP. Australia does not need bullying US multi-nationals taking over our agri-businesses. Companies like News Corp are paragons of ethical virtue compared with Monsanto et al.

+100

Well said. “Monsanto is the Devil” may sound silly, but, unfortunately it’s true

colourful sydney racing identity said :

Is that the same Matthew Cossey that used to be the secretary of the ACT Labor party???

Yes – the same.

well spoken. i just hope those hippies get a nice healthy fine, and hopefully some public ridicule.

and yeah, petrol whipper snippers. 2 stroke probably. good for the environment. if these hippies were serious they’d have done it with hand tools, you know, the kind society used back in the dark ages, the ages these people want us to return to.

“It is hypocritical of Greenpeace to demand that governments act on the science of climate change and at the same time demand that government completely ignore and act against the science of biotechnology”.

Zing!!

Is that the same Matthew Cossey that used to be the secretary of the ACT Labor party???

Good on GP. Australia does not need bullying US multi-nationals taking over our agri-businesses. Companies like News Corp are paragons of ethical virtue compared with Monsanto et al.

Ah, ok i see you changed it to say “crop life’ now instead of csiro. Crop life appear to be the body representing the agriculture/biotech industry in aust.

zippyzippy said :

That’s not the csiro.

clarified, thanks.

That’s not the csiro.

What was powering those whipper snippers?
I expected push mowers.