GM Wheat set to contaminate? : Melbourne Indymedia

In a story about lifetime achievement award winner, Emeritus Professor Nancy Millis Honoured scientist toasts recycled water she says that drinking recycled water could boost dwindling resources.

What the BLEEP? If thoughts can do that to water, imagine what shit can do. Please wrap your turds in happy thoughts before you flush. And don't get me started about the fluoridation. That is a whole nother conspiracy.

Back to Professor Nancy Millis, who chaired a committee overseeing gene technology for the Australian Government, also said rules covering genetic engineering should be relaxed if research revealed that risks were less severe than first thought. "You move in response to knowledge, you don't move in response to prejudice."

I would possibly jump off a ten story building "if research revealed that risks were less severe than first thought", but I think I'll move in response to the knowledge that I'd probably break my neck. And I'll move in response to the knowledge that I don't want to let biotech industries turn my gut bacteria into their personal petri dish.

Moving right along (a few pages in today's The Age) we have a well placed story about GM trial sows hope for farmers where by "VICTORIA'S first crop of genetically modified wheat is set to be growing within weeks, after a positive response from the federal regulator to a State Government proposal."

So I wonder who chaired the committee overseeing that government proposal? But relax, there are safety measures:

■ A 490-metre exclusion zone between the GM wheat and any other wheat species.
■ A 10-metre exclusion zone between the GM wheat and any other plant.
■ A rabbit-proof fence more than a metre high around all GM wheat trial sites.
■ A ban on the GM wheat being used for anything other than research.

Wheat farmers in Victoria may want to move forward in the knowledge of how GM crops have contaminated other farms in the past. Like in the case of Percy Schmeiser a farmer from Bruno, Saskatchewan Canada whose Canola fields were contaminated with Monsanto's Round-Up Ready Canola.

Monsanto's position was that it didn't matter whether Schmeiser knew or not that his canola field was contaminated with the Roundup Ready gene, or whether or not he took advantage of the technology (he didn't); that he must pay Monsanto their Technology Fee of $15./acre. The Supreme Court of Canada agreed with Schmeiser, ruling that he didn't have to pay Monsanto anything.

This seems to be the way it works: first you have the test crops, then you get the contamination, then you get it approved once it is out there and sell it to drought stricken countries.

ie:

"The issue of the presence of GM in the food supply is an issue for Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and the GM canola varieties that have been imported have all been approved for use in the food supply by FSANZ and the Ministerial Council,"

RELATED:

FSANZ Approve GE Corn That Risks Human Health

Dr Jack Heinemann of the Canterbury University’s Centre for Integrated Research in Biosafety in an interview with Tremane Barr from Prism Webcast News expresses his concerns over Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) approving a genetically engineered (GE) high lysine corn (HLC) for human consumption.

http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2007/03/142335.php

LISTEN TO:

"The GMO Trilogy - Unnatural Selection"
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=20169

SOURCES:

GM trial sows hope for farmers
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/gm-trial-sows-hope-for-farmers/2007/04/17/1176696837334.html

GM genes found in human gut
http://www.guardian.co.uk/gmdebate/Story/0,2763,756666,00.html

Percy Schmeise
http://www.percyschmeiser.com/

Canadian GM Canola in Australia
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/2006/s1779693.htm

Miraculous Messages from Water
http://www.life-enthusiast.com/twilight/research_emoto.htm

According to an ABC Rural news report:
The federal Gene Technology Regulator is confident that a planned trial of genetically modified wheat in Victoria will not pose a threat to the environment.

Dr Sue Meek has assessed the planned trial by the Victorian Department of Primary Industries, but now wants public comment.

She says it should not be seen as an open door to more new genetic modification trials.

"We have a regulatory system that assesses applications on a case by case process, so anybody can apply, but we will have a rigorous process by which we consider each application in terms of the organism and the genes, and come to a separate resolution in relation to each application," she said.

ABC Rural - Regulator confident of successful GM wheat trial
Wednesday, 18/04/2007
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/2006/s1900455.htm
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Read about the trial :
Application for Licence for Limited and Controlled Release of GMOs Into the Environment: Application No. DIR 071/2006 Limited and Controlled release of GM drought tolerant wheat
http://www.ogtr.gov.au/ir/dir071.htm

The Gene Technology Regulator has invited your comment:
"The Regulator welcomes written submissions in order to finalise the RARMP, which will then form the basis of her decision on whether to issue the licence. The consultation RARMP and related documents can be obtained from http://www.ogtr.gov.au under ‘What’s New’ or by contacting the Office. Please quote application DIR 071/2006 in any correspondence."

Submissions should be received by close of business on 25 May 2007.
Office of the Gene Technology Regulator, PO Box 100 WODEN, ACT 2606 (http://www.ogtr.gov.au)
Telephone: 1800 181 030 Facsimile: 02 6271 4202 E-mail: ogtr@health.gov.au