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Thought i'd change the subject from the main topics over the past month (immigration & Avram Grant).

What do people think of genetically modified crops, or the future of cloned meat? Would you care that your chicken breast was grown in a lab? What turns you for/against it?

For me, I'm in favour. I mean, there aren't many veg, grains and fruits that haven't been modified in some way or other, that we eat daily.

If cloned meat meant less farming, which land could be given back to wildlife and nature, then i can only see it as a positive. the downside would be the farmers themselves. Farming families that have made a living from agriculture over the generations may be forced into other lines of work.

Hasn't 80-90% of Madagascar's forest been felled to make way for farming? I just think that the positives outweigh the negatives, although I know quite a few of you may find it hard to swallow (pun intended).

I'm in favour, we've been genetically manipulating foodstuffs and animals for generations to change them to what we want by selective breeding (look at carrots for example, normally should be white)
All we are doing now is speeding up the process and given the current food shortages in many parts of the world (which may get worse with the rush for biofuels) may be necessary anyway

Agree..crops modified to make them more resistant to disease or insects has to be good.They are well accepted in the USA and now the third world are realising the benefits eg hardier rice and cotton and quicker more substantial yields.I trust the scientists.Whereas the opponents will never see the other side...look at them down at Tescos paying a premium for so called 'organic' products and Tescos rubbing their hands with glee!

Sam,
There is no analogy to what has been done in the past to today's Frankenstein bioscience with "genetically modified crops" where for example animal genes are spliced into vegetables and"cloned meat" that is grown in laboratories.
Real wholesome food is bio dynamic and if you really want to be healthy it is the only option.
Mike Freeman.

Weren't carrots selectively bred to be orange rooted by 16th century, Dutch farmers, in honour of the 'House of Orange'? (sure that was on QI !wink!)

Eating a potato more than 800 years ago would have been poisonous, too.

I don't know why we don't breed buffalo for meat. They produce more meat for less feed. it was only the introduction of cows, to middle America that made it the dust bowl of today. Since reintroducing buffalo in replace of cows, the grass plains are making a comeback. Cows are just greedy cunts !laugh!

As for biofuels: I just can't see them taking off. I was listening to a science podcast about a month ago and one scientist predicted that if the efficiency of solar energy improves anywhere near along the rate of Moore's law predicts proccessor transistor #'s and speed, then solar energy will be cheaper than gas/oil within 5-8 years, AND meet 100% of our energy needs.

Sounds slightly overoptimistic, but who am I to argue with the experts?

Mike, I don't see where your paranoia comes from. I've said this before: Every time you catch a virus, there a chance that the invader will chop out a little piece of your dna and put a different piece in it's place. Taking a walk on a sunny day alters your dna. Nature 'splices' up your genetic code all the time. It's been happening for millenia, and, after all, we all have a common ancestor.

All mammals -that includes me & you- still have the genetic information for egg production. Theoretically, a female human still has the ability to lay an egg! Those genes are just 'ignored' or 'turned off'. 60% of your dna is the exact same as the dna in a banana....we're all carbon-based life.

DNA splicing and dicing isn't as uncommon as you think. Frankenstein was just a film, Mike. Chill baby, chill..

From a man who doesn't think twice about consuming any flora you happen to come across, your mighty scared of what the experts recommend.

Was reading the other day that GM crops after several growing seasons had a lower yield than non-GM crops.

The jury is still out for me.

Ah, you mean ancestral GM crops (seeds from original GM crops?)

GM stuff is still in development, so yeah, the jury's still out. Still, I'm all for them advancing that development and seeing where it takes us.

think we watched the same QI mate!

as for the guy saying solar power could supply all our energy needs in 5-8 years, I think we have more chance of developing cold fusion

reet, footy time

Well it's either going to benefit or not. So logic tells you that you have to look at it.