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Overview
Genetically modified plants are currently causing controversy worldwide; a great deal has been written about their supposed environmental effects. However, the newspaper headlines and public debates often provide a level of reasoning akin to "this is your brain on genetically modified corn," which is to say, they exclude or exaggerate the actual scientific research on the impacts of these plants. Genetically Modified Planet goes beyond the rhetoric to investigate for concerned consumers the actual state of scientific research on genetically modified plants. Stewart argues that while there are indeed real and potential risks of growing engineered crops, there are also real and overwhelmingly positive environmental benefits.
Synopsis
Although there are real environmental risks associated with genetically modified (GM) plants, Stewart (plant molecular genetics, U. of Tennessee) argues that many of the perceived risks are unnecessarily elevated in stature. Writing for a general audience, he addresses the various risks—although not those associated with GM food safety—in the context of a cost-benefit analysis of using GM plants. He examines such questions as pest resistance to plant- produced pesticides, controllability of GM plant diffusion, increased weed tolerance to herbicides, and gene flows from crops to other plants. For the most part, he finds the perceived risks to be scientifically unlikely and outweighed by real environmental benefits. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR