While chemical pollution has been the scourge of the 20th century, biological pollution from GMO crops poses even more hazards as we enter the new millennium. Unlike chemicals that are released into the environment, GMOs are living beings that will reproduce and spread uncontrollably, with no possibility of containment or clean-up. .
The consequence of GMO's is the increased use of chemicals. An analysis of thousands of field trials has shown that farmers who grow GMO soybeans use 4 times more herbicides than farmers who grow natural soy varieties. The biotech industry claims that no one has been harmed by eating GMO food. But doctors and scientists warn that there is not enough evidence to ensure that these foods are safe in the human diet. In fact, there is ample evidence of the risks of GMOs. Transfer of allergens through the genetic engineering process has been documented, yet GMOs now on the market contain proteins that have never been assessed for allergenic potential. The rise of diseases that are resistant to treatment with common antibiotics is already a serious medical concern. Doctors warn that the use of antibiotic resistance genes in GMO crops may add to this risk. .
Seventy percent of the GMO crops growing in the U.S. are engineered to withstand high doses of toxic weed killers. These herbicide tolerant crops will likely lead to more pesticides in our food, drinking water, and the environment. Recent evidence links exposure to biochemical giant Monsanto's Roundup herbicide, the chemical used with most herbicide tolerant crops, to an increase incidence of certain cancers. The topics of genetic engineering and industry go hand in hand. It is industry, primarily large bio-tech corporations, that are forging ahead with the genetic experiment on our food supply. These companies see huge profits in implementing patents on life in creating crops that can only be grown with particular brands of pesticides.
