Confessions of a Greenpeace Dropout: The Making of a Sensible Environmentalist

by Patrick Moore

  In 2003 I traveled to Porto Alegre in southern Brazil, where I addressed a large group of soybean farmers at their union meeting. I encouraged them to continue to defy the edict against GM soy and to take their message directly to the government. Many members of the media attended the meeting and my presentation received extensive coverage. I like to think I had some small role to play in the fact that in 2004 the government of then president Lula de Silva finally lifted the ban. As of 2009 more than two-thirds of the Brazilian soybean area was planted with GM varieties. In Argentina, 95 percent of the soybean area is GM, while in the U.S. 85 percent is GM. Between them, the U.S., Brazil, and Argentina produce nearly 90 percent of the world’s soybeans.

  By the end of 2008 there were 25 countries growing GM crops on 125 million hectares (312 million acres), about the same area as the total annual harvested cropland in the United States.[58] [59] This is an incredible accomplishment given that the first commercial GM crops were established only 15 years ago. There is every indication this trend will continue.[60] It is likely that long before the end of this century virtually every food crop will have one or more genetically modified traits built into it. GM technology is so powerful in its potential to improve growth, yield, efficiency, disease resistance, and nutrition that it almost certainly will become universally adopted around the world.

  Why then do anti-GM forces continue to make a concerted effort to drown out this good news story with misinformation and propaganda? I believe it is because they do not care about human welfare or the environment for that matter, but are determined to strike a blow against the globalization of agriculture, multinational corporations, and capitalism in general. This campaign works for them because they are able to scare a large segment of the public who do not have an understanding of this relatively new science, which is both invisible and complicated. Despite the fact that there is not one iota of truth to their campaign of fear, they succeed with many people who are afraid of the unknown.

  There is also a growing trend among environmental activists to take on campaigns they will never win in the foreseeable future. They will never stop the growth of GM technology; they will never stop nuclear energy or fossil fuel energy; they will never stop the sustainable management of forests for timber production; and they will never stop salmon aquaculture. This creates an opportunity for an endless campaign of propaganda, supporting an endless fundraising campaign to support even more propaganda. As a political strategy it is quite brilliant, except they didn’t actually devise it themselves, it just happened that way. It happened that way because the campaigns they won are now over, and as they gradually abandoned science and logic in favor of zero-tolerance policies, they inevitably ended up with unwinnable campaigns. Unfortunately we will have to put up with these campaigns for a long, long time.

  One very bright sign for the advancement of agriculture and the eradication of poverty, malnutrition, and disease in the developing countries is the emergence of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on the international aid scene. With billions of dollars from Bill and Melinda Gates as well as from Warren Buffet, the foundation is bringing a new level of professionalism to the business of helping others. As a clear sign that the foundation is serious about bringing the most advanced agricultural practices to bear on the problems in Africa and other developing regions, it has hired Sam Dryden as head of agriculture development.[61] Mr. Dryden has a long career in genetic engineering and seed development. The company he developed, Emergent Genetics, was sold to Monsanto Co. in 2005. He serves on the U.S. board of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, which works to ensure crop diversity for food security. He also serves on the National Academies Roundtable on Science and Technology for Global Sustainability. His qualifications ensure that the foundation’s work will make use of intensive agricultural practices and advances in genetic science, for the benefit of countries that do not yet share the benefits enjoyed by the developed countries. Three cheers for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation!

  [1]. “Maize,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maize

  [2]. As an illustration of the plasticity of genetic material consider the dog. All 200-plus breeds from the Chihuahua to the Great Dane were bred from the grey wolf, Canis lupis. See: “Dog,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog

  [3]. “Cruciferous Vegetables,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruciferous_vegetables

  [4]. “Cattle,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle

  [5]. “Earth’s Land Resources,” The Habitable Planet, http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/unit/text.php?unit=7&secNum=2

  [6]. “Declaration in Support of Protecting Nature With High-yield Farming and Forestry,” Center for Global Food Issues, http://www.highyieldconservation.org/declaration.html

  [7]. “Plant Nutrient Needs,” North Carolina State University, March 15, 1999, http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/cumberland/fertpage/plantnutri.html

  [8]. “Guano,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guano

  [9]. “Pesticides Used in Organic Farming,” European Crop Protection Association, March 23, 2009, http://www.ecpa.be/en/newsroom/press-releases/_doc/18563/

  [10]. “Synthetic Substances Allowed for Use in Organic Crop Production,” vLex, http://cfr.vlex.com/vid/205-601-synthetic-allowed-organic-crop-19902860

  [11]. “Greenpeace Activists Paint ‘HP US HQ Hazardous,’” CRN, July 29, 2009, http://mobile.crn.com.au/Article.aspx?CIID=151426&type=News

  [12]. “Butorphanol,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butorphanol

  [13]. “Oxytocin,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxytocin

  [14]. “Ammonia,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonia

  [15]. “Norman Borlaug,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug

  [16]. Personal communication, April 2002.

  [17]. “Organic Food Not Nutritionally Better Than Conventionally-Produced Food, Review Of Literature Shows,” Science Daily, July 30, 2009, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729103728.htm

  [18]. “Black Death,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death

  [19]. “Pesticide,” Online Etymology Dictionary, http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=pesticide

  [20]. Len Ritter et al., “Report of a Panel on the Relationship between Public Exposure to Pesticides and Cancer,” Cancer 80 (1997): 2019–33.

  [21]. “The President’s National Medal of Science: Recipient Details,” National Science Foundation, http://www.nsf.gov/od/nms/recip_details.cfm?recip_id=15

  [22]. Virginia Postrel, “Of Mice and Men,” Reason, November 1994, http://www.reason.com/news/show/32261.html

  [23]. Gina Kolata, “Scientists Question Methods Used in Animal Cancer Tests,” New York Times, August 31, 1990, http://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/31/us/scientists-question-methods-used-in-animal-cancer-tests.html

  [24]. Bruce N. Ames, “The Causes and Prevention of Cancer,” National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Center, March 15, 1997, http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/A/Ames_Causes.html

  [25]. Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, (Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1962).

  [26]. J. Gordon Edwards and Steven Malloy, “ “100 Things You Should Know About DDT,” JunkScience.com, http://www.junkscience.com/ddtfaq.html

  [27]. Paul K. Driessen, “The Truth About Malaria and DDT,” The Progressive Conservative, USA, July 17, 2006, http://www.proconservative.net/PCVol8Is129DriessenMalariaDDT.shtml

  [28]. “WHO Follows SA Lead on DDT,” SouthAfrica.info, September 20, 2006, http://www.southafrica.info/about/health/malaria-190906.htm

  [29]. “Reversing Its Policy, UN Agency Promotes DDT to Combat the Scourge of Malaria,” UN News Center, September 15, 2006, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=19855&Cr=malaria&Cr1

  [30]. “Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants,” Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention, April 14, 2010, http://chm.pops.int

  [31]. James Hoare, “Greenpea
ce, WWF Repudiate Anti-DDT Agenda,” Heartland Institute, April 1, 2005, http://www.heartland.org/policybot/results/16803/Greenpeace_WWF_Repudiate_AntiDDT_Agenda.html

  [32]. Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, (Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1962). ,

  [33]. “Bacillus thuringiensis,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis

  [34]. A. T. Natarajan, “Chemical Mutagenesis: From Plants to Humans,” Current Science 89, no. 2 (25 July 2005), http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/jul252005/312.pdf

  [35]. Henry I. Miller, “All the News That Fits,” Forbes, May 19, 2010, http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/19/science-new-york-times-agriculture-opinions-columnists-henry-i-miller.html

  [36]. Andrew Pollack, “Study Says Overuse Threatens Gains From Modified Crops,” New York Times, April 13, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/business/energy-environment/14crop.html

  [37]. Pamela C. Ronald and James E. McWilliams, “Genetically Engineered Distortions,” New York Times, May 14, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/15/opinion/15ronald.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

  [38]. J. H. Humphrey, K. P. West Jr, and A. Sommer, “Vitamin A Deficiency and Attributable Mortality Among Under-5-Year-Olds,” World Health Organization Bulletin 70, no. 2, (1992), ...... http://whqlibdoc.who.int/bulletin/1992/Vol70-No2/bulletin_1992_70(2)_225-232.pdf

  [39]. “Genetic Engineering,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_engineering

  [40]. The term genetic engineering was first used by Jack Williamson in the science fiction novel Dragon’s Island, published in 1952, two years before the discovery of DNA. See: “Jack Williamson,” Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Williamson

  [41]. “Prof Ingo Potrykus,” goldenrice.org, http://www.goldenrice.org/Content1-Who/who_Ingo.html

  [42]. “Prof Peter Beyer,” goldenrice.org, http://www.goldenrice.org/Content1-Who/who_Peter.html

  [43]. “Beta-Carotene,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta-Carotene

  [44]. “Golden Rice: All Glitter, No Gold,” Greenpeace International, March 15, 2005, http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/failures-of-golden-rice

  [45]. Michael Fumento, “Golden Rice: A Golden Chance for the Underdeveloped World,” American Outlook, July–August 2001, http://www.fumento.com/goldenrice.html

  [46]. Ingo Potrykus, “ ‘Golden Rice and the Greenpeace Dilemma’ Second Response to Greenpeace from Prof. Ingo Potrykus,” February 15, 2001, http://www.biotech-info.net/2_IP_response.html

  [47]. “Golden Rice: All Glitter, No Gold,” Greenpeace International, March 15, 2005, http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/failures-of-golden-rice

  [48]. Ingo Potrykus, “The Golden Rice ‘Tale’,”AgBioView, 2001 http://www.goldenrice.org/PDFs/The_GR_Tale.pdf (This account of the early development of Golden Rice by Dr. Potrykus is well worth reading. It is quite technical but provides a fascinating insight into the nature of scientific invention and the frustration of confronting irrational opposition.)

  [49]. “Golden Rice Is Part of the Solution,” goldenrice.org, http://www.goldenrice.org/

  [50]. “Almost Everything You Wanted to Know About Golden Rice,” goldenrice.com http://www.goldenrice.org/Content3-Why/why3_FAQ.html

  (Here you will find the complete story of Golden Rice plus the answers to many questions about it)

  [51]. “Golden Rice: First Field Tests in the Philippines,” GMO Compass, April 19, 2008, http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/news/358.golden_rice_first_field_tests_philippines.html

  [52]. “Micronutrient Deficiencies: Vitamin A Deficiency,” World Health Organization, 2010, http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/vad/en/index.html

  [53]. Bob Grant, “Where’s the Super Food?” Meridian Institute, September 22, 2009, http://www.merid.org/NDN/more.php?id=2154

  [54]. “Cultivation of Bt Poplars in China: Seeing Once Is Better Than Studying a Thousand Times,” GMO Safety, July 6, 2005, http://www.gmo-safety.eu/science/woody-plants/316.seeing-once-studying-thousand-times.html

  [55]. “ArborGen Approved to Test GM Trees,” Environmental Leader, June 10, 2010, http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/06/10/arborgen-approved-to-test-gm-trees/

  [56]. “India’s GM Cotton Plantation Seen Rising,” Reuters, February 18, 2009, http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-38083820090218

  [57]. Prakash Sadashivappa, “Bt Cotton in India: Development of Benefits and the Role of Government Seed Price Interventions,” AbBioForum, 2009, http://www.agbioforum.org/v12n2/v12n2a03-sadashivappa.htm

  [58]. “Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2009,” ISAAA, 2010, http://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/briefs/41/executivesummary/default.asp

  [59]. Marlow Vesterby, Kenneth S. Krupa, Ruben N. Lubowski, “Estimating U.S. Cropland Area,” Amber Waves, July 2006, http://www.ers.usda.gov/Amberwaves/July06SpecialIssue/Indicators/BehindData.htm

  [60]. Alexander J. Stein and Emilio Rodríguez-Cerezo, “The Global Pipeline of New GM Crops,” JRC European Commission, 2009, http://ftp.jrc.es/EURdoc/report_GMOpipeline_online_preprint.pdf

  [61]. “Gates Foundation Names New Agricultural Director,” Kristi Heim, The Seattle Times, January 8, 2010, http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010747556_gatesag09.html

  Chapter 17 -

  Biodiversity, Endangered Species, and Extinction

  The term biodiversity was first popularized by Edward O. Wilson in his book of the same title published in 1988.[1] The phrases living nature or all of life capture the meaning of this term. The emphasis on diversity highlights the number of distinct species of life. For example, arctic climates tend to have relatively low biodiversity while tropical climates have high biodiversity (because life thrives in warm climates more than in freezing ones). In any given ecosystem there tends to be a minority of species that are quite common and a majority of species that are comparatively uncommon. This gives rise to the bio-ditty, “Species here, species there; few abundant, many rare.” You might get the impression that a species is endangered when it is normal for it to exist in low numbers in a particular ecosystem. These species tend to be more vulnerable to displacement or local extinction when circumstances change, that is, when new competing species evolve or invade, or when the climate changes more rapidly than usual.

  In any given location there are often a number of species at the extreme extent of their geographical distribution. Every species has a preferred climate where it is most abundant. It will taper off in areas where it can’t survive due to the climate or the presence of a species it can’t compete with. At the fringes of their range these species become endangered because relatively small changes in climate and species composition could eliminate them from that region. When their elimination involves humans the word extirpation is used, as in the sentence “Grizzly bears have been extirpated from California.” As a reminder of this extirpation, the grizzly remains prominently displayed on the state flag.

  As the climate has constantly changed during the comings and goings of ice sheets, ice ages, greenhouse ages, and cataclysmic events of various types and proportions, species have migrated to more suitable climes or evolved to adapt to the change. When they fail to do so, they become extinct. To this extent extinction is an entirely natural phenomenon, as natural as the evolution of new species replacing the extinct ones.

  Because humans are part of nature, one can argue that it is natural when we cause species to become extinct. But that doesn’t mean it is a good or a positive thing to do. Most people feel happy that the smallpox virus is now extinct in nature; and there are many other species of vermin, parasites, and disease-causing bacteria and viruses that would not be missed if they happened to disappear—HIV-AIDS and malaria, for example. Yet most people do not want to be responsible for the extinction of anything cuddly or useful.

  Until very recently humans were not concerned about the extinction of other species, even though we were clearly responsible for many of them. A few naturalists and philosophers lamented the passing of the dodo bird but
most people thought, That’s life. And the dodo birds fed a lot of sailors.

  Beginning with the concern for preserving wilderness landscapes that emerged during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency and John Muir’s founding of the Sierra Club, it became popular to care about the survival of species. The extinction of the passenger pigeon in the U.S. and Canada in the 1920s elevated this concern, and people started doing something about it. Starting in around 1930, concern for species such as the California condor, wolves, birds of prey, whales, and large cats resulted in programs and policies to reverse trends toward extinction. Not all these species have been saved, but the record is a good one, proving we can prevent species from becoming extinct if we act to prevent it. There are grounds for considerable optimism that even as the human population grows larger, it will be possible to keep most of the other species that share this earth with us.

  Search the Internet for “mass extinction” and you will find hundreds of websites devoted to the idea that we are in the midst of the Sixth Great Extinction, as humans drive more species into oblivion than at any other time since the era when dinosaurs disappeared. These websites contend that 50,000 species are going extinct each year and that half of all species on earth will be gone before the end of this century. This is not the result of an asteroid impact or massive volcanic eruptions; it is our doing, they claim. We humans are accused of driving the mass extinction. Here is a sample of the headlines on these web pages:[2]