Author: Catherine

OPINION: Are we on the brink of doing the wrong thing for all the right reasons? I fear that there is an alliance developing, almost by stealth, that will foist genetically modified organisms (GMO) on New Zealand. The impetus appears to be the need to develop solutions for predator control, or for climate change – through the creation of sterile genes to wipe out, say, possums, or of crops that can resist drought conditions or reduce methane emissions. Silver bullets to provide easy solutions, so we can go on our merry way without changing our behaviours too much. This dangerous short-term thinking needs to be challenged. Physics has taught us that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, delicate ecosystem balances should not be toyed with lightly. Look at the damag...

Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, tend to have a poor reputation. Play a word association game with GMOs and people often think along the lines of gross mutations, unhealthy food, and overall garbage stuff. To put it simply, in many people's minds, GMO is just another way to refer to "bad" food. But are GMOs really as evil as we think? When it comes to GMO, there's this idea that you need to be either completely for or completely against them. Problem is, most people don't realize what makes something genetically modified, or just how common GMOs are. Fun fact: Unless you're eating certified organic foods exclusively, you're probably consuming GMOs of some kind. And if you look at the big picture, most of the "domestic" forms of food that we eat — like watermelon — don't look at al...