[extropy-chat] Biotech tide turns

[Giu1i0 Pri5c0]

California farmers woke up Wednesday to a possible high-tech future -
and more battles ahead over genetically engineered crops.
Voters in Butte, San Luis Obispo and Humboldt counties rejected bans
on biotech crops, a serious setback for a national movement that wants
to stop genetic engineering over safety and social concerns. Only
Marin County adopted a ban in Tuesday's election.
Using biotechnology, scientists can cut and paste DNA in ways not
possible in nature. They can engineer plants to withstand weedkillers
or to grow medicinal compounds. Proponents say genetic engineering
reduces reliance on toxic chemicals and makes farming easier.
"(Tuesday's results) certainly suggest that ag biotechnology is not
really threatened in the United States," said Gregory Conko, director
of food safety policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a
Libertarian-leaning think tank in Washington, D.C.
http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseaction=news&doc_id=9021&start=1&control=231&page_start=1&page_nr=101&pg=1