tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2919113553182677585.post7891243476438165780..comments2023-05-24T06:13:27.773-07:00Comments on GenPeace: What is a LMO/GMO “not likely to have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health”?http://genpeace.blogspot.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17685103270795869796noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2919113553182677585.post-24686297919591733452012-04-12T15:14:42.920-07:002012-04-12T15:14:42.920-07:00Dr. Paulo Paes clearly stated what science and dec...Dr. Paulo Paes clearly stated what science and decades of use confirmed. All GMOs so far released in the environment are safe on all accounts required. They are organic modifications of a living creature with the purpose of obtaining a new useful variety better for man, animals, environment and economy. They are "green" products of biotechnology, the fulfilled dream of Rachel Carson who wanted to reduce (or even abolish) the use o chemicals in agriculture. Their creation means an increase in that particular category of biodiversity that is useful to mankind: our pet plants, that we started to tame over 10,000 years ago. There is no reason for man to avoid emulate mother nature, always prodigal in moving genes around species, genera and even phila as reported in the current literature. Our own, nucleated eukaryotic cells of animals and plants arose by a bold and, for the anti-biotech purists of today, totally "artificial" move: one cell "swallowed" another. The canibalized, one derived from a bacteria, ended up as the important organelle known as mitochondria. Cells that engulfed a photosynthetic bacteria ended up with an organelle known as chloroplast, so the plant cell can harvest energy from sunlight. Can anyone devise in our labs a bolder experiment? Without it the Earth would be clear of green plants and animals. The fantastic biodiversity that surrounds us in animals and even more so in microrganisms (they are around for over 3.6 billion years), is a toolbox of gene products like none other. Man should, for the benefit of animals and environment, access this treasure and use the potential of these genes. We now have the technology to do so, imitating nature. Most important, the modifications are perfectly traceable, we are able to detect the presence of the new gene with enormous sensitivity. So we have moved from improving crops by blind heavy radiation or chemical mutagenesis, leaving the plant with dozens of unknown mutations (and commercialized over 2,000 such varieties) that may spread around silently, to a precise manipulation that controls almost all relevant aspects of the process.Francisco G Nobregahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16650474988423718927noreply@blogger.com