GMO producers should be punished as terrorists, Russian MPs say

[mentalfloss]

GMO producers should be punished as terrorists, Russian MPs say

A draft law submitted to the Russian parliament seeks to impose punishment up to criminal prosecution to producers of genetically-modified organisms harmful to health or the environment.

The draft legislation submitted on Wednesday amends Russia's law regulating GMOs and some other laws and provides for disciplinary action against individuals and firms, which produce or distribute harmful biotech products and government officials who fail to properly control them.

At worst, a criminal case may be launched against a company involved in introducing unsafe GMOs into Russia. Sponsors of the bill say that the punishment for such deeds should be comparable to the punishment allotted to terrorists, if the perpetrators act knowingly and hurt many people.

???When a terrorist act is committed, only several people are usually hurt. But GMOs may hurt dozens and hundreds. The consequences are much worse. And punishment should be proportionate to the crime,??? co-author Kirill Cherkasov, member of the State Duma Agriculture Committee told RT.

Russian criminal code allows for a punishment starting with 15 years in jail and up to a life sentence for terrorism.

Less severe misdeeds related to GMOs would be punishable by fines. For instance the administrative code would provide for up to 20,000 rubles (US$560) in fines for failure to report an incident of environmental pollution, which would also cover harmful GMO contamination, if sponsors of the bill have their way.

Russia gave the green light to import of GMOs and planting of bioengineered seeds as part of its accession to the WTO, but the Russian government remains skeptical of GMOs. In April, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced that his cabinet will postpone the beginning of certification of GMO plants for growth in Russia due to lack of proper infrastructure needed to test their safety.

The government also opposes imports of GMO food, saying the country has enough farmlands to provide enough regular food to feed itself.

http://rt.com/news/159188-russia-gmo-terrorist-bill/

 

[Cliffy]

Good for them. GMOs are not food.

 

[EagleSmack]

Enjoy your hunger!

 

[Cliffy]

Enjoy your hunger!

Lots of good homegrown food in these parts. Don't need no stinkin' GMOs.

 

[mentalfloss]

Enjoy your hunger!

Now take note of this post and place this in your bookmarks.

The science showing the safety of GMO crops is as solid as the science on global warming.

If you want to accept one on scientific grounds then you cannot deny the other. Similarly, if you want to shut your ears and deny any scientific credibility on one issue, then you cannot embrace the science on the other.

So what will you choose?

Accept both or forsake both?

 

[EagleSmack]

Now take note of this post and place this in your bookmarks.

The science showing the safety of GMO crops is as solid as the science on global warming.

If you want to accept one on scientific grounds then you cannot deny the other. Similarly, if you want to shut your ears and deny any scientific credibility on one issue, then you cannot embrace the science on the other.

So what will you choose?

Accept both or forsake both?

Oh if it was only that easy MF. The science on man-made climate change is not solid which is why you post thread after thread in frustration.

 

[lone wolf]

You eat genetically modified food every time you eat an apple or corn

 

[mentalfloss]

Oh if it was only that easy MF. The science on man-made climate change is not solid which is why you post thread after thread in frustration.

Scientific consensus on both says you are wrong.

But that's not surprising.

A Tale of Two Scientific Consensuses - Reason.com

 

[EagleSmack]

Scientific consensus on both says you are wrong.

http://reason.com/archives/2007/04/06/a-tale-of-two-scientific-conse

No it doesn't.

I know you want to stifle debate and the opposition because it is not settled science.

Just like Cobalt Kid having a temper tantrum in the other threads. If we aren't fear mongering alarmist we MUST believe the earth is 6,000 years old and humans walked with dinosaurs. How childish.

 

[mentalfloss]

I'm not trying to stifle anything.

The more you post the more exposure a thread gets so please, keep up the good work!

 

[EagleSmack]

I'm not trying to stifle anything.

The more you post the more exposure a thread gets so please, keep up the good work!

Oh... and the amount of minds you are changing here must be enormous!

The only reason why you post so many retarded threads is you know they will go right to the bottom and off to the archives like all the others. You're panicking now. You never used to do this.

 

[Cliffy]

I'm not trying to stifle anything.

The more you post the more exposure a thread gets so please, keep up the good work!

I'm afraid that the battle against self inflicted ignorance is a losing one, my good man. But keep on thinking free.

 

[petros]

Scientific consensus on both says you are wrong.

But that's not surprising.

A Tale of Two Scientific Consensuses - Reason.com

What consensus?

Is this over health concerns or politics?

 

[EagleSmack]

I'm afraid that the battle against self inflicted ignorance is a losing one, my good man. But keep on thinking free.

Hey Cliffy... read the thread and then you can add another to your DUH column.

 

[petros]

Do ya think Russia is being pathetic because it lost exports of it's grains?

 

[mentalfloss]

I'm afraid that the battle against self inflicted ignorance is a losing one, my good man. But keep on thinking free.

The funny part is that he just flipped his lid on you and apparently I'm the one that's losing it lol

But yea, there's no scientific consensus because Eaglesmack and petros say so haha

 

[Tonington]

We eat DNA every day. Every. Day.

The dangers with some GMOs are pesticide residues which are by nature designed to be disruptive biologically, not the fact that the food is made from *gasp* DNA. Loony anti-GMO activists are loons.

 

[Cliffy]

We eat DNA every day. Every. Day.

The dangers with some GMOs are pesticide residues which are by nature designed to be disruptive biologically, not the fact that the food is made from *gasp* DNA. Loony anti-GMO activists are loons.

Almost all our food has been genetically modified from the original species. But splicing genes from unrelated species, like bacteria or animals into vegetables is insane.

 

[Tonington]

Almost all our food has been genetically modified from the original species.

Yep, even the hippy approved organic, free range, anti-biotic free, cruelty free, enriched environment poultry. Ok the enriched environment I just threw in there...it's free range!

But splicing genes from unrelated species, like bacteria or animals into vegetables is insane.

Genes have crossed species barriers horizontally, including from prokaryotes like bacteria to the multi-cellular eukaryotes. Ever heard of spreading antibiotic resistance? That's horizontal gene transfer. DNA is DNA. There is no such thing as 'supposed to be there'. DNA by it's nature is conservative with respect to information, but life on Earth without gene transfer would be boring. There would be very few species...

 

[damngrumpy]

Many growers in the apple sector are opposed to GMO because it will put a damper
on apple sales in the market place Surveys have been done in parts of Canada and
it demonstrates people don't want GMO apples. Besides the one product that has
applied is promoting a non browning apple for salads etc. Use Ambrosia apples they
have low acidic factor and without GMO they will not brown for at least three hours.
I remain opposed to GMO but I think the Russians have gone nuts with all kinds of new
rules anyway.