Neil deGrasse Tyson gets to the bottom of GMOs

[cab67]

24. no.

That's your opinion.

Well - no. That's pretty much an objective fact at this point. Foods made from transgenic crops, by themselves, are just as safe as those made from other kinds of GMO crops (the kind used by farmers before the rise of modern genomic science).

The tobacco companies said the same thing about cigarettes. Monsanto said the same thing about DDT until it was banned in the US as a known carcinogen. Do you think DDT is harmless and safe?

Non sequitur for two reasons:

1. The tobacco companies, and those making DDT, were making their claims in the face of substantial scientific evidence contradicting their positions. In this case, there are no scientific studies showing transgenic crops to be a health hazard. (And for most people, DDT is actually not that bad in small amounts - its primary danger was in environmental damage when used over large areas.)

2. As I said above, transgenic crops are not all made by Monsanto. I don't care for Monsanto's business practices, either - but that doesn't mean the transgenic crops they make are necessarily bad for people, nor does it cast aspersion on the crops made elsewhere.

Poll: Most Americans support mandatory GMO labeling

Poll: most Americans in 2003 supported the invasion of Iraq. Public opinion about something is not necessarily the best gauge of its wisdom.

http://www.pewresearch.org/2008/03/19/public-attitudes-toward-the-war-in-iraq-20032008/