Environment:

The Dangers of Genetic Engineering

Genetic engineering has far outrun the science that must be its first governing discipline. Many unknowns attend the insertion of genes across species, from ecological risks to food allergies–and even more frightening uncertainties surround the effort to clone humans or manipulate human germlines–that is, to breed genetically modified humans. These unknowns beg for investigation, before biotech corporations or their indentured researchers introduce unintended hazards into the natural environment.

In the industry, corporate greed has eclipsed sound science and the humility and caution that should be manifest in contemplations of "Changing the Nature of Nature," as Martin Teitel and Kimberly Wilson subtitled their recent book Genetically Engineered Food, which should serve as a primer on that issue for all citizens and government regulators. Compounding the problem, government regulators have abandoned their duty to protect the public, choosing instead a mission of industry boosterism.

The result has been a rush to introduce genetically altered seeds into the natural environment without adequate testing; a frenzy to patent genes, seeds and life forms and to extend monopolistic control over the very material of life; a transformation of university culture so that traditional values of openness and shared information are increasingly replaced by proprietary agreements and a focus on personal, university and corporate bottom lines; and an effort to foist genetically altered food on an unknowing public that would reject biotech foods if notified and given alternatives. Even more serious perils lie in the near future, as biotech companies increasingly focus on manipulating human germlines, the prospect of genetic discrimination rises and researchers such as Princeton's Lee Silver openly predict the creation of "Genrich" and "Natural" classes of people.

The Taco Bell crisis and the mixing of genetically altered corn–not approved for human consumption–into the nation's corn supply reveals how poorly government regulators have been doing their job. Indeed, it was not the FDA, but biotech activists, who discovered the problem.

It is time to re-establish priorities. Protection of human health and the environment must take precedence over corporate efforts to rush the latest product to market and please investors. The commodification of life must be stopped. Sci-fi-like proclamations about "improving" the human species through germline modification must not be permitted to translate into public policy. We must:

Halt the release of genetically altered plants into the environment until comprehensive, independent studies are performed as to environmental and food-safety risks under a regulatory framework.

Exempt life forms from the purview of patent laws in order to allow broader research and safety testing opportunities by academia and government.

Place liability for harm on the owners or licensees of biotechnology patent rights in the event of damages caused by environmental release.

Label all food containing any genetically altered ingredients.

Ban the genetic manipulation of human embryos–cloning or germline manipulation–for reproductive purposes.

Adopt much more rigorous personal and institutional conflict-of-interest rules for recipients of federal research funding; ever-tightening corporate-university alliances undermine the independence and critical detachment needed from academia to monitor corporate biotech schemes.