From: "Robert J. Bradbury" <bradbury@www.aeiveos.com>
>Exactly! If we assume that most of the fears and naysaying is
>unjustified (because the people don't understand the relative
>risks), then your "right" to have free and complete access to
>information is conflicting with my "right" to buy the cheapest
>food products. If some people have and *misinterpret* the
>information, then companies fail to develop markets that would
>otherwise be benificial to everyone. [You don't have to buy it if
>its engineered, but you shouldn't be able to force me into not
>being able to buy it as well.] Furthermore, if you look at the
>agenda of the anti-Ag-Bio people, they not only want to take away
>my right to buy cheaper food, they want to take away *your* right
>to grow such food. So it would appear that you have a logical
>conflict between your desire for full disclosure and your desire
>to grow whatever crop you feel like on your property. [I'm
>assuming that you would argue fairly strongly that if you want to
>grow *any* crop you should be able to do so.]
Yep, sounds like a court issue, which takes precedence, my right to know or your (their) right to spray massive quantities of roundup. As long as I get the right to sue for damages....
You don't have to tell me about anti's, I'm NRA remember... ;)
>Now, I suspect that companies would still develop the products
>because there are people who can interpret the relative risks
>properly. They might do some educational advertising or fund PBS
>specials, etc. It would all take longer though because the ROI
>would be slower.
Yes, this would be a good idea, actually a smart company could do both, you could have your Campell's "cream of genetically engineered "FlavvrSavr" tomato" for 50 cents, or your Cambell's "cream of organically grown Brandywine tomato" for 2 bucks.
>The real *sticky* point is going to revolve around the
>cross-pollination and "natural crop" contamination issues. Who
>should have to bear the burden enclosing their crops in "safe
>zones" (miles from other crops, greenhouses, etc.), the
>Gene-Engineers or the Naturalists?
Court time again.... I think it depends on venue....contaminating an organic crop in California for example might get you the death penalty.... ;)
Actually from a marketing standpoint it depends on each product. I see micronutrient rice as getting considerably less opposition than our favorite whipping boy "Roundup corn".
Brian
Member, Extropy Institute, www.extropy.org
Life Extension Foundation, www.lef.org
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