Now Mutating Everywhere Near You

I’m at work right now. I do the graphic design for Nizzibet’s church bulletin. Usually I do this early Sunday morning. Being a heathen I have no trouble working on the Sabbath.

I listened to one of KEXP‘s public service show on the drive over. This one was concerned with the effects of Geneticall Modified Organisms on the environment. I’m not too worried about the effect of GMO’s on the environment – not in a “we’re killing the planet” kind of way. The planetary ecosystem will survive humanity. The problem with GMOs is that, as they currently exist, they are poison to the human diet. Our livestock won’t eat GMO grain. GMO salmon have greater birth defects than wild salmon. GMO plants have less disease and insect resistance than natural plants.

What’s scary from a cultural side is that Monsanto, the company that’s responsible for about 90% of GMO grains out there is using patent laws to destroy its competition. There’s currently a case going through Canadian courts in which Monsanto is suing Percy Schmeiser, a farmer, for patent infringement because he had unlicensed Monsanto GMO canola growing in his ditch.

So far the Canadian courts have been upholding Monsanto’s insanity. Think about it. Monsanto is claiming rights to Schmeiser’s crops and profits because grain Monsanto created was growing on his property. Not being cultivated. Growing in his ditch. If no one planted it that means that it got there as environmental disapora. Which means that Monsanto can’t control it. Which in my book would mean that their rights over it should be limited. In order to have tough rights protection I would expect that Monsanto would have the ability to be responsible for their product. No responsibilty, no rights.

2 thoughts on “Now Mutating Everywhere Near You

  1. What, next you’re going to tell me I shouldn’t be held responsible for your ideas. Like that time you suggested it would better Bush endure a constant state of dyspepsia; this crazy notion appeared on my computer screen — my computer screen, remember — so when the no-naughty-thoughts-about-the-president police showed up at my door and strapped me to a sled I had no call to protest that it wasn’t me who said Bushian dyspepsia was a great idea, not me at all. After all, I almost even have control over what appears on my computer screen. Next it’ll be anarchy, you communist!

  2. There’s an idea that some leach in Congress keeps trying to put into that says that if your ISP hosts or transfers a file it gets copyrights to it.

    But that’s a different rant.

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