Review of book - The Gene Genie

Gene Genie
making choices about genetic engineering.
From the text of the art/science exhibition by Critical Mass
Illustrations by Emily Johns

Published in April 2001 in St. Leonards-on-Sea by Critical Mass in
association with Drava
Papers (Tel: 0845 458 9572)- 46 page booklet. ISBN 0 9518188 8 0

This booklet explains the science behind genetic engineering very
simply and
accessibly for non-scientists. It tells us how the DNA in plants
and animals can be changed by the artificial insertion of
foreign genes, e.g.:-

"To make its first GM soybean, Monsanto coated microscopic metal
balls with petunia and bacterial genes, and then fired these
balls into soya cells, using a tiny gene gun" (p.5)

It is not primarily addressed to animal welfare activists, but
I think it is a valuable booklet. The worry for most people is
that GM foods may affect their health, but this could equally
well be applied to animal health. One of the major disaster of
our farming industry (BSE) was caused by feeding herbivores
unnatural food. Why should GM food be any safer in the long run?
It is up to us to form our own conclusions and questions.

One issue which concerns us is the environmental impact-
Dr. Brian Johnson from English Nature says:-
"At the moment, selective herbicides are used, which leave some
other plants alive, so that birds and chicks can feed on their
seeds. Crops engineered to be herbicide-tolerant allow the use
of broad-spectrum herbicides (like Monsanto's glyphosate) which
kill absolutely everything." (p.22).

The RSPB says that this could result in farmlands devoid of
wildlife.