Judge Rejects Approval of Engineered Sugar Beets 427
countertrolling writes "A federal judge has ruled that the government failed to adequately assess the environmental impacts of genetically engineered sugar beets before approving the crop for cultivation in the United States. The decision could lead to a ban on the planting of the beets, which have been widely adopted by farmers. Beets supply about half the nation's sugar, with the rest coming from sugar cane. The Agriculture Department did conduct an environmental assessment before approving the genetically engineered beets in 2005 for widespread planting. But the department concluded there would be no significant impact, so a fuller environmental impact statement was not needed. But Judge White said that the pollen from the genetically engineered crops might spread to non-engineered beets. He said that the 'potential elimination of farmer's choice to grow non-genetically engineered crops, or a consumer's choice to eat non-genetically engineered food' constituted a significant effect on the environment that necessitated an environmental impact statement. There's still hope, isn't there? That we can at least get this stuff labeled properly?"
Those Judges! (Score:1, Funny)
They're always after my frosted Lucky Charms!
I was disappointed (Score:2, Funny)
Comment removed (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Most food we eat is genetically modified (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Those Judges! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Most food we eat is genetically modified (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Why do you care? (Score:1, Funny)
You do realize that GMO foods contain dihydrogen monoxide [dhmo.org], a chemical compound found in cancer cells, and is used by the big oil companies and the big tobacco companies, don't you?
Re:Of course you can get it labeled (Score:3, Funny)
The biggest black market in the United States is the sale of unpasteurized milk.
Little known fact- you know all that gang violence on the US-Mexican border? Milk smuggling.