GM crops created superweed, say scientists — This is just peachy.
Modified genes from crops in a GM crop trial have transferred into local wild plants, creating a form of herbicide-resistant “superweed”, the Guardian can reveal.
The cross-fertilisation between GM oilseed rape, a brassica, and a distantly related plant, charlock, had been discounted as virtually impossible by scientists with the environment department. It was found during a follow up to the government’s three-year trials of GM crops which ended two years ago.
The new form of charlock was growing among many others in a field which had been used to grow GM rape. When scientists treated it with lethal herbicide it showed no ill-effects.
By the way. If you’ll note in the first paragraph the phrasing “can reveal.” This means they know even more that they cannot reveal. That’s probably worse information than this!
spotted by Maddog Mike
“The cross-fertilisation … had been discounted as virtually impossible by scientists with the environment department.”
Famous last words.
We have many junior Dr. Frankenstein’s out there, as certain in their infallibility as they are fanatical about the “goodness” of all scientific advances.
Yet the phrase “thought virtually impossible” and it’s variants is becoming almost trite now as the standard descriptive for increasingly common biological “errors”.
Due to unregulated, unethical and widespread genetic tinkering across the spectrum of life – when even a grad student can create his own personal virus – expect much more of this sort of thing.
And as minor as this particular event may seem today, the full ecological implications will not be known for years or even decades. It is precisely the inability of scientists to predict or control the results of their genetic experiments, once released into the wild, that makes their activities so incredibly dangerous, unethical and perhaps even insane.
Superweed… Mmm… I can’t wait to see the potheads drooling over it 😉
Oooh, scary!
Of course also complete rubbish too, but that’s what happens when you rely on the Guardian and Dvorak for your news.
Would all right minded people please read this:
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7729
and make a sensible assessment of the potential risks of GM.
OK.
From the New Scientist article:
“We’re not at all convinced it contains the gene construct,” Johnson reaffirms. “We still remain concerned about gene transfer,” he adds, “but not about the transfer of resistance to a single herbicide. We’re more concerned about traits that may change fitness, such as insect resistance or drought- or salt-tolerance.”
Is that sensible?