"A Fist in the Eye of God"
One of the essays in Barbara Kingsolver's book is titled "A Fist in the Eye of God" - an interesting title for an essay on genetically modified crops. Some years ago a women's group that I belong to had a study group on such issues as bioengineering and genetically modified foods and the (not so) brave new world of the by-products of this rapidly expanding industry. I wish that I had read this essay by Barbara Kingsolver then - I would have understood the key issue better.
The problem in a nutshell with these new crops is that they "don't play by the rules." And what are these "rules"? They are the rules of natural selection that have been going on for millions of years. You can call that Darwin's theory or you can call that "God's plan" if you wish. But when a crop is grown - for example, corn - that is resistant to various diseases it soon spreads its pollen to native crops, which now become contaminated and weakened. One large company sells seeds for a crop that grows abundantly but that produces no viable seeds, meaning, of course, that farmers must buy more seeds the next year. Don't think this industry isn't driven by profit. Interestingly I just read an Associated Press news article dated today, June 29th - Monsanto's third quarter profit jumped seven-fold! Monsanto is the biggie in this business.
Kingsolver is quick to point out that science is science and what it can do is make discoveries, provide knowledge. How the knowledge of science is used becomes a matter of ethics, and is one of the concerns of religion in a broad sense. As a scientist, a biologist, Kingsolver is fully committed to natural selection. In some American schools Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection is still being taught as "one theory" as if there were many of equal weight to choose from. This is providing a disservice to students who should be taught not less, but more, real science.
And yet, she says, we must tread lightly when it comes to modifying seeds. It is wise to treat nature with "the reverence humankind has traditionally summoned for entering places of worship. a temple, a mosque or a cathedral."
I'm enjoying reading a balanced, thoughtful, but passionate writer.
The problem in a nutshell with these new crops is that they "don't play by the rules." And what are these "rules"? They are the rules of natural selection that have been going on for millions of years. You can call that Darwin's theory or you can call that "God's plan" if you wish. But when a crop is grown - for example, corn - that is resistant to various diseases it soon spreads its pollen to native crops, which now become contaminated and weakened. One large company sells seeds for a crop that grows abundantly but that produces no viable seeds, meaning, of course, that farmers must buy more seeds the next year. Don't think this industry isn't driven by profit. Interestingly I just read an Associated Press news article dated today, June 29th - Monsanto's third quarter profit jumped seven-fold! Monsanto is the biggie in this business.
Kingsolver is quick to point out that science is science and what it can do is make discoveries, provide knowledge. How the knowledge of science is used becomes a matter of ethics, and is one of the concerns of religion in a broad sense. As a scientist, a biologist, Kingsolver is fully committed to natural selection. In some American schools Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection is still being taught as "one theory" as if there were many of equal weight to choose from. This is providing a disservice to students who should be taught not less, but more, real science.
And yet, she says, we must tread lightly when it comes to modifying seeds. It is wise to treat nature with "the reverence humankind has traditionally summoned for entering places of worship. a temple, a mosque or a cathedral."
I'm enjoying reading a balanced, thoughtful, but passionate writer.
posted by mamie @ 3:00 PM
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