Modern, Marvelous Maine

Katherine Mangu-Ward | July 31, 2007

Maine limps to the finish line, officially becoming the last state in the union to allow genetically modified insect resistant corn. Why did Maine finally cave--biotech environmentalism beat out organic environmentalism:

Organic growers have been concerned their that crops will be contaminated by cross-pollination with the genetically modified corn.

But the Board of Pesticides Control said Friday that its mandate of reducing pesticide use and its concern about state farmers being at a competitive disadvantage without the genetically altered feed trumped those concerns.

More corn from reason here, here, and here.

Comments

phalkor|7.31.07 @ 9:57AM|#

Hooray for the future! I wonder what made people assume/decide that genetically modified foods would be in any way destructive/bad/evil.

|7.31.07 @ 10:42AM|#

Hooray for the future! I wonder what made people assume/decide that genetically modified foods would be in any way destructive/bad/evil.

This.

|7.31.07 @ 10:46AM|#

Ignorance, just pure ignorance and a large dose of neo luddite sensibilities thrown in for good measure.

|7.31.07 @ 10:49AM|#

It's simple logic. GM foods haven't been proven not to be be dangerous, therefore, they are dangerous.

uncle sam|7.31.07 @ 10:52AM|#

It's simple logic. GM foods haven't been proven not to be be dangerous, therefore, they are dangerous.

By the same logic, neither have organic foods.

|7.31.07 @ 10:56AM|#

Fascinating to find "libertarians" cheering for a state agency with the name Board of Pesticides Control.

So rather than a massive tax cut, or the complete elimination of farm subsidies, the State gives them this minor deregulation and the lifestyle libertarians cheer like trained seals? Leviathan is having a hearty chuckle.

|7.31.07 @ 11:01AM|#

C. Bowen: I'll take massive tax cuts and elimination of farm subsidies any time but nevertheless am willing to cheer this small triumph of reason over ignorance.

|7.31.07 @ 11:01AM|#

Fascinating to find "libertarians" cheering for a state agency with the name Board of Pesticides Control.

Drink!

|7.31.07 @ 11:06AM|#

If we didn't cheer minor deregulation, we'd never get to cheer at all. At least not until RON PAUL takes the oath of office :^D

I'd feel better about this if it was something besides HFCS

phalkor|7.31.07 @ 11:06AM|#

forgot about the tomatoes...but somehow mutant corn isn't very threatening to me. Flamethrower attack = popcorn.

When reason triumphs over ignorance, hooray, but it is true there is still far too much waste and ignorance to go around.

|7.31.07 @ 12:43PM|#

There is a point where Leviathan gets so big that it has to feed on itself.

Robert|7.31.07 @ 12:59PM|#

I'm very disturbed to learn this sort of thing was already illegal in each of 50 damn states! It's not as if the technology's been around for a century, so those prohibitions must've all been enacted recently, and then repealed even more recently.

|7.31.07 @ 1:18PM|#

Two Cheers for the State! from this corner of "libertarianism." Please, Sir, can I have another!

Glad to see all those Dow Chemical bribes err--contributions and lobbyists paid off-- a triumph of the free (sic) market.

Sure, left organic types fail to see that as a marketing opportunity this aids their cause, and they are annoying, but it's simply a joke to see lifestyle "libertarians" reveal their Imperial tendency and take time out of their day to cheer on the State.

|7.31.07 @ 1:26PM|#

becoming the last state in the union to allow genetically modified insect resistant corn.

Am I the only one who thought this meant that all the other states did not allow it, and Maine was the only remaining one that did?

Or do I just not know how to read?

|7.31.07 @ 2:02PM|#

They grow corn in Maine?

dhex|7.31.07 @ 2:02PM|#

C Bowen your underwear is too tight.

let the free market loosen it.

free your drawers and your keyboard will follow.

cgee|7.31.07 @ 3:25PM|#

A quick look at the headline made me think that this was an article about the Mets young starting pitcher, the throw-in in the Kris Benson trade. One of the best Mets deals in years, even taking the loss of Anna Benson into account.

|7.31.07 @ 3:25PM|#

Brandybuck -- they grow corn in Alaska too -- in fact, in all 50 states.

BTW, virtually everything we eat is GMO, in the sense of selective breeding to produce foodcrops that barely resemble their wild ancestors. The greenies are upset that it's being done scientifically and efficiently, rather than through trial and error over long periods of time. Because if there's anything progressives hate, it's economic progress, yeah?

|7.31.07 @ 3:43PM|#

The greenies are upset that it's being done scientifically and efficiently, rather than through trial and error over long periods of time. Because if there's anything progressives hate, it's economic progress, yeah?

jh,

I think you may projecting here a little. To be fair to them, I would imagine that most Greens make an "unintended consequences" argument.