> Having listened to your concerns and seriously pondered them, all I see is fear. Unbounded fear. Nothing in here leads me to think these fears will be calmed by study. The nature of science is that there's always another unknown to point to, and GMOs are seen by many as inherently scary - unlike safe, cuddly natural plants, obviously.
What you said above exactly sounded like those scientists and studies sponsored by Monsanto.
I am no expert on biology and chemistry. And I am aware that majority of the studies on GMO so far has yet to prove any harm to human races. However, I don't know any study can address the long term effect on humans? When I said long term, I mean the a few generations (so hundreds of years) ahead.
Testing long term effects on animals or insects are easy because their generations lasts only very short amoubt of time, but average human life span is 71 years[1] according to Google, so how can you be so sure that GMO food won't affect my great grandchildrens a few hundred years down the road? (We all know that evolution sometimes take a LONG time to appear[2])
Perhaps someone or some new studies can enlight the few of us who does feel uncertain about GMO products?
How do we do this with non GMO products? I'm eating today organic crops which were either never eaten by my previous generations, or didn't even exist then. Let's take a garden-style non GMO cherry tomatoes. They didn't even exist a few hundred years ago and didn't become popular until 20th century. In eastern europe I don't think I've ever seen one before late 90s.
So what's the difference between a genetic mixture like cherry tomatoes and GMO tomatoes? Why should I be more scared of long-term effect of one over the other?
I understand why you're afraid. It feels like arrogant assholes playing god with our most intimate things so they can cash in with no regard for safety at all. It all seems completely unreasonable.
How can we be sure of the common strains of dwarf wheat we all eat, developed in the last century? Do you feel safe eating bread? How long a term of study do you need before you feel safe? Is it ever possible for you to feel safe eating human-bred plants?
Because telling you why tells you that you were right to be afraid and won't make you less afraid. Nothing is gained, time is spent, and you're no less fearful. You know full well that nobody has studied any GMO across centuries.
What level of study would assuage your fears? Three human generations? Six? Ten? Do you think this standard should apply to all foods, or just GMOs?
What you said above exactly sounded like those scientists and studies sponsored by Monsanto.
I am no expert on biology and chemistry. And I am aware that majority of the studies on GMO so far has yet to prove any harm to human races. However, I don't know any study can address the long term effect on humans? When I said long term, I mean the a few generations (so hundreds of years) ahead.
Testing long term effects on animals or insects are easy because their generations lasts only very short amoubt of time, but average human life span is 71 years[1] according to Google, so how can you be so sure that GMO food won't affect my great grandchildrens a few hundred years down the road? (We all know that evolution sometimes take a LONG time to appear[2])
Perhaps someone or some new studies can enlight the few of us who does feel uncertain about GMO products?
[1]: https://www.google.com/search?q=average+life+span&oq=average...
[2]: http://phys.org/news/2011-08-fast-evolutionary-million-years...