Sure, but that doesn’t really address the argument in making. It’s a lazy way out that benefits the western world for its low cost and the fact is carrying a patented gene modification. We should be doing more, not relying on risky shortcuts.
Maybe one day all rice cultivars will be golden and the world we’ll be better off for it. But if the history of other GM crops is anything to go by, it sucks for the environment, and low prices screw local farmers over.
That’s exactly what I’m saying we should do. Brown rice ironically while it is food, might be like giving a baby an economic pacifier instead of trade milk and expecting it to grow. The Philippines has a range of biodiverse crops and other commodities that have more value than just the one food to feed them all, which would undercut the market and stifle local knowledge over time.
That said someone here suggested a more advanced plan to seed the beta-carotine gene into the native species, which is awesome in theory, but could create patent law violations and just generally be incredibly risky to the very biodiversity we’re trying to protect.
This is why I think while the science is very cool, we should avoid such irreversible treatments unless it’s a last resort.
Mosquitos on the other hand. Love the idea of genetically editing those fuckers out of existence. As the world inevitably warms, malaria is only going to spread further and wider. We should be getting ahead of that catastrophic future while we have the chance.
I don’t like Greenpeace, but these are good arguments.
This.
Yeah… There’s a bigger question too that is, why can’t other foods containing Vitamin A be supplied to the starving people of the Philippines? There are so many sources.
Let’s consider how fucked it is that even considering introducing this crop to the wild is necessary.
I’ve previously supported golden rice, but you’ve changed my mind. We should just be doing more to support developing nations directly. The world has sufficient abundance we shouldn’t need to take these dangerous shortcuts. Not yet.
Try me when we’re closer to Mad Max earth.
Absolutely, unless they’re also drinking - but then weed may also be mitigating some of alcohol’s worst effects. Alcohol reduces inhibition, while weed often causes anxiety. Alcohol increases propensity for violent behavior, while weed usually calms you down.
It’s also important to point out, it’s still illegal for kids to be doing either if the things in the first place.
Make smoking around others outside or in public without other’s consent illegal (i.e. you can complain to police if you don’t like the smell), and introduce a rule you can only smoke on licensed premises (with smoking rooms) or at home.
That’s what some places have done with tobacco smoking. It is basically harassment or assault in my view to have people consume your second hand smoke and smells.
Edibles on the outer hand, or if you create flavored vapes that don’t smell much or travel far in the air, all good.
Lack of creativity among conservatives is never surprising.
Also it’s already illegal for kids to do weed, smoke or drink.
What about when rice prices crash and local small scale farmers go out of business?