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摘要
摘要
The well-known veterinarian/bioethicist who spearheaded the US ethical treatment of animals movement discusses the biological, economic, and moral ramifications of what he calls "genetic imperialism." Includes a biotechnology glossary and resources for consumer monitoring. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
评论 (4)
出版社周刊评论
From bioethicist (Eating with Conscience) and animal-rights activist Fox comes an eloquent and scathing indictment of the biotechnology industry that could trigger a national debate. Whereas biotech's supporters welcome pigs bioengineered to produce human hemoglobin, transgenic plants that secrete their own insecticides and "supercrops" that presumably will feed the world's hungry, Fox views the creation of these transgenic animals and plants (made by inserting a gene from a dissimilar organism) as fundamentally unethical, as well as unnecessary. An advocate of traditional husbandry practices and sustainable organic farming, he argues that biotechnologyÄcoupled with industrial, chemical-based agricultureÄwill only accelerate the adverse environmental and consumer-health consequences of factory farming. He also contends that agribiotechnology is a nail in the coffin of Third World and indigenous peoples, as multinational companies use patents on genetically engineered organisms to gain monopolistic control of the world's markets for food and medicine, turning farmers into contract growers under the yoke of corporate feudalism. About 60% of the processed foods we now eatÄcorn, potatoes, salmon, soy, tomatoes, etc.Äcontain some genetically engineered ingredients. Blasting the FDA for its failure to implement labeling requirements, Fox warns that "genetic pollution" is inevitable as bioengineered crops, bacteria, fish and other organisms spread their anomalous transgenes into Earth's life-stream, with utterly unknown consequences for human health and a very real potential for cross-contamination of conventional crops. Pointing to the Clinton White House's ties with the agribiotechnology industry, Fox calls for widespread public involvement in the decision-making process of how this new technology is applied, and he sets forth bioethical criteria, including safety, environmental and animal welfare considerations. Fox's succinct book is the most cogent and persuasive to date on a global issue that, if he is right, has already reached nightmarish proportions. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus评论
A continuation of the author's previous work in Superpigs and Wondercorn (1992), exploring the disturbing ramifications of recent developments in animal cloning, patentable life forms, and genetically engineered crops. Fox, a bioethicist and veterinarian, presents powerful cautions against the widespread use of genetically engineered plants and animals. In the case of engineered plants, Fox argues that we know far too little about how they may adversely affect the ecosystem. Over time, they may destroy beneficial insects or, conversely, transfer their herbicide resistance to harmful weeds. The scope of experimentation is staggering, including crops that produce their own pesticide, virus-resistant strains, and even plants that include a ``terminator'' gene'these crops produce sterile seeds, ensuring that the farmer must purchase seeds from the manufacturer for every planting. More unusual and bizarre still are the animal experiments. Many new animal species are transgenic, meaning that they contain genes from other species spliced into their DNA. Some pigs, for example, contain human genes, the better to provide donor cells. Cows can be bioengineered so that they produce drugs in their milk. One project is even working on a self-shearing sheep. The problem with these manipulations begins with the techniques used to transfer the genetic material, which often involves pieces of viruses. Dolly aside, cloning of animals is a technology still in its infancy, plagued with many problems and unanswered questions. Throughout this volume, Fox asks these tough questions: do we have the right to do what we are doing, and do we know the long-term consequences of our actions? Although he occaisionally hints at a larger conspiracy at work, it's enough of an explanation to recognize the self-serving nature of most large conglomerates. Fox offers a disturbing exploration of the explosion in genetic research, occurring with insufficient safeguards and a lack of ethical consideration.
《书目》(Booklist)书评
The success of Scottish scientists in cloning a sheep has stirred widespread fears about genetic engineering: Will biologists be cloning made-to-order humans next? Fox seeks not to allay but to refocus these anxieties, directing our concern away from a hypothetical future toward a troubling current reality: a mammoth bioengineering industry already recklessly manipulating the genetic codes of numerous plant and animal species without regard for the ethical or ecological implications of their acts. Breaking ranks with scientists who view biotechnology with ebullient confidence, Fox poses the hard questions: What are the hidden dangers of transplanting genes from one species to another? What suffering do animals experience when subjected to genetic engineering--and can such suffering be justified? What happens to the natural dynamics of evolution when genetically altered species are released into the environment? Hardly a Luddite calling for an end to experimentation, Fox writes as a concerned scientist challenging his colleagues to rethink their theoretical and moral premises more carefully: the enormous possibilities of genetic engineering ought not blind its practitioners to the equally enormous dangers. Fox also writes as a citizen summoning the electorate to an overdue public debate over scientific practices that introduce potentially dangerous new foods into our diet and that threaten to disrupt the earth's ecological harmonies. Some readers will resist the call for more government regulation of bioengineering; others will dispute Fox's eight bioethical criteria for making scientific decisions. But few can doubt the profound urgency of the issues he raises. --Bryce Christensen
Choice 评论
With arguments similar to those of activist Jeremy Rifkin, veterinarian and bioethicist Fox disclaims the value of current biotechnology applications and proceeds to enumerate the inherent dangers that can result from the molecular manipulation of the genomic fabric. By going beyond evolution in creating plants and animals with recombinant DNA to achieve desired and immediate outcomes based on human and market values, the long-range effects of these engineered organisms on the environment cannot be assessed. The time-tested process of natural selection would be bypassed and the resulting ramifications could lead to irreparable damage to the natural and necessary interactions among members of communities, cause destruction of ecosystems, and hasten the diminution of biodiversity. Citing the course of the leading agroindustries in developing genetically engineered crops, these new products are seen as misapplied technology because more problems than solutions toward increasing food productivity are anticipated. The bioethics of manufacturing transgenic plants and organisms is examined, as well as the market influx of food and medical products resulting from these chimera. Using recent examples of genetically engineered products, Fox argues that the introduction of human designed genomes poses an environmental risk. This one-sided, emotional plea to restrain biotechnology offers few pragmatic solutions. General readers; undergraduates; two-year technical program students. R. A. Hoots; Woodland Community College