Posted by Carlos on February 24, 1999 at 14:35:40:
Rather than attempting to debate the whole issue of genetic engineering, I thought it might be useful to focus on one current debate.
There exists a naturally occurring bacteria that produces a toxin known as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), Organic farmers have been using Bt for a number of years to control harmful insects in lieu of using chemical pesticides.
Recently, several bio-tech companies (mainly Monsanto) have succeeded in splicing Bt genes into crop plants (corn, potato, and cotton). These transgenic varieties produce stomach poisons that are fatal to certain crop-damaging insects but are harmless to others (such as ladybugs). One article I read estimates that by the end of this year there will be "tens of millions" of acres of Bt crops in the ground (mainly corn). Farmers love the seed, because although it costs far more than regular seed it saves the average farmer about three times as much in spraying costs.
Now, of course, the problem. If Bt kills almost all corn borers (a particularly nasty insect), a few may survive because of genetic quirks that make them resistant to Bt. Those resistant insects could produce new strains of Bt-resistant bugs that would render Bt useless. But, you say, hasn't Bt been in use for a long time? True; however, the organic farmers have been using it as a spray, so exposure is not continuous as with the genetically engineered crops and the selection effects would be expected to be less severe. Also, the acreage being planted exceeds by many times that used in organic farming.
In response to the problem, the EPA has decreed that "refuges" (plots of land adjacent to Bt crops that do not have the Bt genes) be created. The theory is that enough insects will escape to the refuges, and later mate with any resistant insects, to delay or prevent the creation of Bt-resistant strains. However, the EPA plan is not mandatory, and various farming groups are fighting the details of the plan (how large should the refuges be, how far away, etc.).
So the question is: how far do we go with Bt crops? More generally, how far do we go with genetically modified organisms? The Luddites (such as Jeremy Rifkin) who are trying to prevent all such endeavors have a hopeless cause. The genie is most definitely out of the bottle, and the question is how best to manage the technology, not whether to permit it or not.
The link below is to one article on the subject.