One problem with Shiva’s argument: terminator genes have never been
developed; they are a fiction of the anti-GMO movement, perpetuated by
Shiva and her followers and the journalists that enable her. As Lynas has written,
“You don’t need the intelligence of a Richard Dawkins or indeed a
Charles Darwin to understand that sterility is not a great selective
advantage when it comes to reproduction, hence the regular observed
failure of sterile couples to breed large numbers of children. As
Shiva’s case so clearly shows, if we reject data-driven empiricism and
evidence as the basis for identifying and solving problems, we have
nothing left but vacuous ideology and self-referential myth-making.”
Vandana Shiva’s influence in the world of agriculture, technology and development shows no signs of waning. She continues to receive accolades in the media, collects humanitarian awards and is regularly bestowed with honorary degrees from universities across North America (most recently an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Victoria in Canada).
Shiva says Golden Rice can’t work but published studies show that it does work. She claims Indian farmers commit suicide because of Bt cotton while careful academic studies show that Indian farmers who plant Bt cotton earn more money per hectare and are no more likely to commit suicide than organic farmers. She claims that seed companies are distributing ‘terminator genes’ that will will bankrupt them when no such seeds exist. She claims that no famine existed in India before the Green Revolution when the Indian government itself has published the data on lives lost to starvation.
- More here on her dissonance and bull shit
Vandana Shiva’s influence in the world of agriculture, technology and development shows no signs of waning. She continues to receive accolades in the media, collects humanitarian awards and is regularly bestowed with honorary degrees from universities across North America (most recently an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Victoria in Canada).
Shiva says Golden Rice can’t work but published studies show that it does work. She claims Indian farmers commit suicide because of Bt cotton while careful academic studies show that Indian farmers who plant Bt cotton earn more money per hectare and are no more likely to commit suicide than organic farmers. She claims that seed companies are distributing ‘terminator genes’ that will will bankrupt them when no such seeds exist. She claims that no famine existed in India before the Green Revolution when the Indian government itself has published the data on lives lost to starvation.
- More here on her dissonance and bull shit
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