(I know this is about Rifftrax, but we don’t have a Rifftrax community.)

  • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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    8 months ago

    This is what these non GMO types always seem to forget: we’ve been modifying the crap out of everything for the past thousands of years. We’re now justuch more efficient and smart about it.

    • Dettweiler@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      They always picture someone in a lab with syringes and special machines to “modify DNA”. Most of the time it’s just a couple of potted plants under a lamp and a cotton swab. For fruit trees, you’re pretty much just replacing a branch with another branch. Tape and staples might be involved.

      • ForgotAboutDre@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Genetically modified plants is very different from selective breeding. Selective breeding mimics the natural evolution process, removing natural selection and replacing it with human decisions.

        Using a separate root stock from your fruiting trees isn’t genetic modification or breeding. It’s just taking desirable size features from a root stock and growing your desired fruit from that. It still remains two different plant, with two different DNAs. The fruit would produce a child of the fruit tree, the same as if it was grown from seed. If the root tree was allowed to flower it would create a seed the same as if it were never grafted.

        GMO are an extremely useful technology. When well regulated and tested will help produce food for the growing world population. The big problems with it are the consequences of it. Plant have been modified to tolerate high doses of weed killer, pesticides and fertilisers. These all help increase the productivity of the land, but the impacts are terrible on the local environment. Residual weed killer and pesticide may pose a risk to human as well.

        • SkippingRelax@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Thanks. Comments above yours are a bit disingenuous, trying to bunch up intrusive lab techniques with selective breeding. While the definition of GMO is pretty vague, let’s not pretend what Monsanto does is exactly the same as what Native Americans did.

          • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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            8 months ago

            It’s not. It’s more advanced, and yes, it’s better.

            You know, more technology becomes available, you use it to make life better for everyone. Monsanto execta can go pound dicks, but in principle, GMO food is perfectly fine, safe, and healthy. If anything, it’ll be more healthy (more vitamins), more plentiful as new crops can withstand droughts better, etc. etc. etc.

            So far the only counter argument to that that I’ve heard here is “nuh uh!”

        • masquenox@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          When well regulated and tested will help produce food for the growing world population.

          No. It won’t.

          The Bill Gates/Monsanto Bootlicker Brigade wants to pretend that it’s (somehow) the actual foodcrops we have at our disposal that is (somehow) “flawed” and therefore requires unnecessary and (thoroughly patentable) meddling to “fix” - but, like all capitalist “solutions” to the problems caused by capitalism, it is merely a disasterous (but profitable) distraction.

          And, of course, this is quite apart from the fact that the right-wing histrionics about “population growth” has turned out like all other right-wing histrionics - false. In a few decades’ time, you’ll see these same capitalist bootlickers peddling the dubious wonders of GMOs now whining about population shrinkage.

          • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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            8 months ago

            You realize that if you cross breed plants and come up with something new, you can patent it? The only point you actually made about GMO is not specific to GMO.

    • masquenox@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      This is what these non GMO types always seem to forget

      This is what these nauseating pro-GMO types always seem to forget - developing a food crop for thousands of years to become useful to humanity is not the same thing as destroying food security through capitalist monocropping with the aid of a few dodgy genes injected into something that never needed it in the first place.

        • masquenox@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          You want to claim that capitalists are (somehow) not the only people that stands to benefit from GMOs?

          Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

          • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            That’s such a stupid statement I don’t even know how to respond. Like I’d probably need to recreate several years of basic education before we could even be in the framework to consider a proper answer to your question. But which point you’d realize what a stupid premise it is.

            Let’s start here: why the hate for GMOs, when your problem is with capitalism?

            • masquenox@lemmy.world
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              8 months ago

              That’s such a stupid statement

              Good lord - I so hate dealing with liberals.

              The only reason we have GMO food crops in the first place is due to capitalist profiteering - nobody else has any need for it, genius. GMO food crops is a “solution” to a “problem” that never existed.

              Is this hard to understand, liberal?

              • areyouevenreal@lemm.ee
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                8 months ago

                This has nothing to do with being a liberal. Scientists have said it’s more sustainable to use GMOs because genetic manipulation is just a tool you can use for good or evil. We have a larger population than ever before and an environmental crisis to deal with. We need every technological advantage we can get. This problem isn’t just about capitalism. Even if we get rid of capitalism and find we have enough food it’s always better to use less land and cause less environmental damage by using pest resistant crops and nutritional crops like golden rice. That’s assuming a revolution solves all food shortages despite the progress of climate change and pollution taking their toll on global food security.

                • masquenox@lemmy.world
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                  8 months ago

                  This has nothing to do with being a liberal.

                  Yes it does, liberal - you swallowing this liberalese hook, line and sinker has everything to do with your shitty liberal politics.

                  Scientists have said it’s more sustainable to use GMOs

                  Oh, really? And where is their evidence?

                  We have a larger population than ever before

                  So your shitty liberal politics have absolutely nothing to do with the right-wing histrionics you are regurgitating here? You do know that shills get paid for shilling, right? Are you getting yours?

                  it’s always better to use less land and cause less environmental damage

                  You mean that exact thing GMO foodcrops have abysmally failed at accomplishing so far?

                  • areyouevenreal@lemm.ee
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                    8 months ago

                    I mean from a quick google search I found:

                    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1360138522000048

                    https://www.news-medical.net/news/20201117/Scientists-reveal-how-genetically-modified-organisms-can-help-mitigate-climate-change.aspx

                    https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2021/08/20/how-gmos-can-help-farmers-tackle-climate-change/

                    So your shitty liberal politics have absolutely nothing to do with the right-wing histrionics you are regurgitating here? You do know that shills get paid for shilling, right? Are you getting yours?

                    You mean facts? It’s a fact that the population has been larger than ever and that’s happened largely over the last century. It’s still growing. I don’t expect that to last forever (check the demographic transition model), but I don’t expect it to shrink much either. Current agriculture and industry destroys the planet and had done since the industrial revolution. We need more than just politics to combat that. I know politics is obviously an important part of stopping the climate crisis and I won’t deny capitalisms role in slowing progress and causing issues to be ignored or exacerbated. Capitalism however didn’t invent the steam engine or monocropping.

                    Also I am not a liberal, you are jumping to insane conclusions. If you stop acting insane people might actually listen.

                    You mean that exact thing GMO foodcrops have abysmally failed at accomplishing so far?

                    As everyone here keeps saying a tool can be used for good or ill. Just like how computer technology is used for organising both left and right wing protests. Maybe try to understand what a tool is.

      • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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        8 months ago

        Yeah, all scientists are evil, all corporations are evil, all people working there are evil, it’s all evil.

      • BreadOven@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Yes, while monocultures aren’t great, GMO crops just speed up the process you mentioned first. Developing a food crop over thousands of years. If we can speed up that process and generate better crops, why wouldn’t anyone want that?

        The whole politics around GMOs and greedy companies is something I wish didn’t exist, but GMOs is the way to go.

    • Bizzle@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Do you think the Native Americans hundreds of years ago were wearing lab coats in clean rooms, CRISPRing fucking maize? Selective breeding is different than genetic modification. If you don’t even know what it is or what you’re talking about about AT ALL, to the point where you’re conflating two completely dissimilar terms, maybe you should keep your opinions to yourself.

      • BreadOven@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Sorry, but it doesn’t seem like you know what you’re talking about. It’s essentially the same process, the GMO process is just faster. Also, it was done well before CRISPR was a big thing.

      • uis@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        Selective breeding is different than genetic modification.

        Nope. Both are genetic modifications.

        CRISPRing fucking maize?

        Also not true. CRISPR is bacteria mechanism and is not used in plants.

      • Doxatek@mander.xyz
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        8 months ago

        I know what you’re saying in a way but with crispr you can change single genes and have specific targets. A cross changes thousands of genes at a time