Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yep, totally agree Rupe.

They're not making hybrids, they're making something new by combining things that could not combine in nature.

We humans are pretty arrogant and think we understand nature than we actually do. We certainly have a pretty poor record with creating/understanding new things and a pretty poor record when we start thinking we're improving nature;

Thalidomide
DDT
Mosquito fish introduction
Cane Toad introduction
Signal crayfish introduction (Europe)

and that's without giving the subject any thought.

We understand a tiny fraction of how nature works - not how most of it works, which is what we believe.

Oh no what have i started?
I can see all of your point of views and agree with some of them.
Like for example i would be against say genetically modifying a dog with a cat to get a half dog half cat, a dat or a cog if you will
But if there is a species of potato that resists a certain disease, but doesn't produce as well as a more susceptible variety then rather than spending years out in the field trying to get a the best of both plants, why can't we spend less time in the lab doing the same thing, just on the molecular scale rather than on a huge trial and error basis that you would in the field?

Jono,
Because we can't trust the developers of this technology to be altruistic and share the results, without charging for it . . . whether you want it or not!

Case: Monsanto assuring Agriculture that their GE canola and the like, would not cross contaminate "natural" crops in adjacent fields.
Result: Cross contamination, whether you wanted it or not! Not only can't the Farmers sell these contaminated crops (a lot of Countries that had contracts for the supply of "uncontaminated" products have cancelled them!) but Monsanto is charging them a "royalty" for growing "their" genetically altered bastardised plants!

Case: Monsanto (and other GM entities) trialling GE cropped products in 3rd world countries, giving it away for free in fact, and using the same transport shipping for non-GE products which become contaminated and so the cycle continues.
Result: "organic" producers being left out of "normal" transportation costs because of the need to have no contamination in transit.

If we could do away with the avarice, greed and envy of the GE producers, then perhaps it would have huge benefits to the world. As it stands, greed begats
mistrust, lies begat cynisism and at the moment, we are being treated to both!!

Cheers IanK

I think I can make this conversation come full circle and be completed.

If we take my point above about not really understanding how things work, then I pose the following question;

Given what a fantastic range of beer varieties the poms have, why the hell do they drink Fosters ?

Which I think brings us back to where we started !!

The answer to your last question ... is simply.... they're Pommies....