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Science/Tech See other Science/Tech Articles Title: Fewer bees in GM crops, study finds Fewer bees in GM crops, study finds 24 March 2005 - The ecological dangers of genetically modified crops remain largely unresolved and a stronger research effort is needed to track possible environmental changes, Australian scientists have warned. Fewer bees in GM crops, study finds 23 March 2005 The Canberra Times The ecological dangers of genetically modified crops remain largely unresolved and a stronger research effort is needed to track possible environmental changes, Australian scientists have warned. Their comments follow the issuing yesterday in Britain of the world's largest study of the ecological impact of GM crops, which revealed significant declines in bees and butterflies. But Bayer CropScience, a world leader in GM crop technology, claims the study is not a setback and proves there is little difference between GM and conventional crops. The University of Queensland's Professor Myron Zalucki, a world authority on the impact of GM crops on America's monarch butterflies, said more research needed to be done to track the impact of GM herbicide- resistant crops on Australia's insects. "A lot depends on the crop and the area in which it is grown. The impacts of GM crops on butterflies and insects are far from resolved and a lot more work needs to be done," Professor Zalucki said. The president of Australia's Concerned Farmers Network, Julie Newman, also warned that farmers had been advised GM canola would necessitate increased use of herbicides, such as 2,4-D which are toxic to native trees and wildlife and pose health risks to farmers. "We are letting these crops out of the lab too early and a lot more caution needs to be exercised before we go ahead and contaminate the natural environment and the world's food supply," Ms Newman said. After three years of studying more than 190 crops of canola, sugar beet and maize, the final results of the three-year British study found butterfly numbers dropped by 75 per cent and bee populations by 50 per cent in crops of GM canola, engineered to resist spraying of glufosinate herbicide. "The implications are quite different for Australia because of the difference in weed species here," CSIRO Entomology assistant chief Dr Mark Lonsdale said. "In Britain, many of the weeds in farm crops are native plants, whereas most of our weeds are introduced species. It's conceivable that GM crops might affect native wildlife, but to establish that would require a massive research experiment to establish how biodiversity interacts with the farm crop system." One of the authors of the British report, Dr Les Firbank, spent several weeks in Australia studying GM cotton crops at Narrabri with CSIRO Entomology staff. The GM cotton contains toxins derived from soil bacteria which are effective in controlling two native moths regarded as crop pests. CSIRO Entomology senior scientist Dr Geoff Baker said a 15-year study at Narrabri has shown no evidence of a population decrease in the two moth species native budworm and cotton bollworm. "This is one study, but more needs to be done. After these crops were released into the landscape, only limited research has been done on their broadscale ecological impact. "We need more information but the research dollars are not there." Source: Genethics This article can be found here: http://www.non-gm-farmers.com/news_details.asp?ID=2105
Poster Comment: It should be a no-brainer that it is very possible for corporations to do enormous harm by fooling with god's creation. But government doesn't seem to even consider this view when making things like genetically modified crops legal. The only consideration is profit. I feel that this study is absolute proof that these particular GM crops harm the environment. and we don't know the ramifications of it.
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