Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's)

[Ken Medlin <dev-plan@moscow.com>]

Dear Visionaries:  You are no doubt aware of the rapid growth of GMO 
products now being created and disseminated thru our higher education 
research engines, departments of agriculture and commercial outlets. You 
may also know that  enormouns efforts are being exerted by major chemical 
corprorations and their agribusiness associates to control and propagate 
the GMO's throughout the nation and the world. Information availaable to 
us, the paying public, is quite scant, fragmentary and sometimes 
misleading. We have no idea  how much testing has been done for each GMO 
'species' nor what results have come out of any previous research. One 
has to read the scientific literature to garner this information. Some of 
the information I have at hand indicates that GMO's can be very risky, 
both to the natural environments which they impact on, and to human 
beings. It seems that we "just don't know". Of course, their supporters 
point to genetically modified seeds that have been in use for decades, 
maybe even centuries, with no visible effects injurious to other biotic 
systems. Again, where is the scientific evidence? Will the New U of I 
bio-technical research unit have any role in this?
   If any of you are following this issue, I would appreciate having any 
references to reliable data. I would be glad to share  what I have, to 
date. Inasmuch as our publicly supported universities here :"owe" us,the 
public, information on what they're doing and have found out about GMO's, 
perhaps some kind of forum sponsored by one of them is in order. 
Ultimately,it appears, a few huge corporate entitites will gain control 
over the production and dissemination of these creatures, and we will 
have  lost any useful opportunity to influence public policy. Any ideas?  
Ken M.

------------------------
William K. Medlin
Dev-plan associates
930 Kenneth Street
Moscow ID 83843
208/892-0148
dev-plan@moscow.com