Giddings on Monarchs

Charles Benbrook (benbrook@hillnet.com)
Fri, 21 May 1999 07:49:19 -0700

Striking another blow for sound science in the ongoing debate over
Bt-corn and GMOs, Val Giddings, vice president for the Biotechnology
Industry Organization, had this to say in response to the flurry of coverage
on the impacts of Bt-transgenic corn pollen on Monarch butterflies, in a May
21 AP story:

``Whatever the threat to monarch butterflies that is posed by Bt
corn pollen, we know it's less than the threat of drifting pesticide sprays.''

Dr. Giddings forgot to point out that very, very few farmers spray
insecticdes for control of the European corn borer because treatments are
generally ineffective and cause so much havoc to any one, or any organism in
the area. No sprays = no drift. Undeterred by the facts, this comment,
like so many others, will not help restore public confidence in the
industry, its commitment to sound science, or its concern for minimizing
environemntal impacts.


Charles Benbrook 208-263-5236 (voice)
Benbrook Consulting Services 208-263-7342 (fax)
5085 Upper Pack River Road benbrook@hillnet.com [e-mail]
Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 http://www.pmac.net

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