• Question: What are your thoughts on genetic modification? Ethically, many people believe that it is wrong or ‘against god’ but what do you think genetic modification could allow us, as a species, to become?

    Asked by rhooper821 to Ben, Dave, Ed, Sam, Susana on 18 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Benjamin Hall

      Benjamin Hall answered on 18 Jun 2013:

      There is absolutely nothing wrong with the technology, ethically. It is simply a very targeted, efficient method of doing what humans have been doing since the dawn of agriculture, which is to manipulate plants and animals to suit our needs.

      We’re getting to the stage now where we can even ‘edit’ genomes in plants and animals, without the need to introduce transgenes from other organisms.

      I don’t see why people should think its wrong. It will eventually lead to a world where we can use less chemical sprays, less fossil fuels, less water and less nitrogenous fertiliser on our crops, which can only be a good thing. I don’t personally believe in god, so that issue doesn’t come into it for me.

      The only ethical issues associated with genetic modification are the power of huge biotech companies. I won’t name any of them on here but some of their business practices are fairly unpleasant and ruthless. I’d like to see GM technology placed firmly into the hands of scientists whose goals are to improve people’s lives, not line the pockets of shareholders.

    • Photo: David Briggs

      David Briggs answered on 18 Jun 2013:

      As long as it is done for the right reasons, is it fine.

      If we use it responsibly, we could use genetic modification to prevent diseases, help us lead longer, more productive lives. We can make more food to feed people who are staving in the third world. This has got to be good 😀

    • Photo: Sam Horrell

      Sam Horrell answered on 18 Jun 2013:

      I’m all for it. It has great potential to do a lot of good in the world and as an atheist going against god isn’t too much of an issue for me.

      Genetic modifcation could alow us to devlop anti-virals that we can implant to fight disease, taylor make crops and livestock to have optimal characteristics. They have even geneticaly modified wheat so it can produce Insulin for treating diabetes!

      That being said, nature is a complex web of dependent interactions, changing one thing and releasing it into the wild could have a knock on effect. It is definitely not a technique to be taken lightly.

    • Photo: Ed Lowe

      Ed Lowe answered on 19 Jun 2013:

      The way I look at it, you might as well argue that language is ethically wrong because some people use it to say or write bad things (as an aside, people sometimes make a pretty similar argument about any new way of spreading information – currently the internet but TV, radio and the printing press have all had their turn in the dock).

      So no, I don’t think that genetic modification is wrong in itself. It is being used to do a great deal of good in the world, but it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to think of uses of it that would be ethically wrong, just like any other technology. To date no gods have let me know their opinions on the issue.

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