RE: [pf] Risks, imposed or chosen

by David A

18 December 2000 12:30 UTC

Betsy Barnum wrote:
> Do you think people who are leery of GMOs are dupes being?
> manipulated by Greenpeace?

Not everyone, no, and I'm not claiming that about any individual person, 
and not you. But on the whole, I think, yes, it's very probable. Most 
people don't understand the issues well enough to make an informed 
choice:

"Only 40% of respondents in the UK correctly recognize that ordinary, 
non-GM tomatoes contain genes." (McHughen, p. 9)

"Only 17% of Americans who responded to an NSF survey described 
themselves as well informed about scientific discoveries and the use of 
new inventions and technologies." (NSF Science and Engineering 
Indicators 2000, http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/seind00/access/c8/c8h.htm.

In 1999, only 29% of the respondents could define DNA. Only 13% could 
define a molecule.
http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/seind00/access/c8/c8s1.htm#c8s1l4.

How can we trust so many people being against GM food if they don't even 
know what it is?

David