The Philippines has finally approved Golden Rice, a genetically engineered crop designed to combat vitamin A deficiency. Greenpeace, never content to let evidence guide its agenda, has trotted out some mealymouthed justifications to urge regulators to reverse the decision.
Golden Rice
Golden rice lives up to its name, both for its color and the beneficial effect it can have on those (especially children) with vitamin A deficiency. Yet, the main obstacle preventing its distribution is the disinformation about genetically-engineered foods spread by anti-GMO Luddites. Let's hope that changes for the holidays.
Golden rice — bioengineered to contain beta-carotene — has the potential to decrease the toll of blindness and mortality due to vitamin A deficiency in the developing world. A new study modeled this potential when varying degrees of substitution and beta carotene content are involved. For the poorest, the benefit can be substantial.
Golden Rice has paved the way for more nutrient deficiencies to be addressed with other genetically engineered crops. The latest innovation by scientists is the genetically engineered cassava plant, which produces increased levels of vitamin B6.
An agency in Bangladesh announced that life-saving Golden Rice has passed trials in contained facilities and will soon move on to open-field tests. If all goes well, the crop will finally be approved for farmers to grow. It's been a long fight to receive approval, but success now appears to be at hand.
Patrick Moore was instrumental in the founding of GreenPeace, and held high positions until he broke with the group in the 1980 s over policy decisions. Since then Moore has been an outspoken critic of the organization for losing touch with its initial science mission. This week, Moore posted a video on youtube in which he describes his reasons for leaving, and how GreenPeace is now doing more harm than good for the world.
A New York Post op-ed calls out songwriter and activist Neil Young for his misguided beliefs about sound agricultural practices, specifically his loud-mouthed (but widely heard) ignorance about GMO technology and its potential for saving lives threatened by malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies.
Dr. Patrick Moore, who co-founded Greenpeace in 1970, parted ways with the organization in 1986 due to philosophical differences. These differences could not be more clear, certainly with regard to GMOs, and especially Golden Rice. (It should be noted that Greenpeace is perhaps the most formidable opponent of Golden Rice.)
We have taken Vani Hari The Food Babe to task multiple times for her charade posing as a credible science-based resource on nutrition, acting in the best interests of her followers, when she really is a metaphor for anti-science hype and fear, according to
If you think you re getting accurate science from Fox News Sunday Housecall, you may want to think again. A segment they did recently, featuring hosts Dr. Marc Siegel, associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, and Dr. David Samadi, Chairman
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Dr. Alan Moghissi of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies (and former chairman of the ACSH Board of Directors) and colleagues cogently reviewed the evolution of