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Thursday, January 3, 2013

One moves to the "pro-genetically modified" camp

I'm not an expert in the field of genetically modified organisms, but I've also never seen any evidence that would convince me that there was any danger to be found from those technology-enhanced food sources.  I also come from an ag background (so I tend to lean in favor of advances that could make farmers/ranchers more efficient/profitable) and worked in college for a short time in a lab that was doing genetic research on ways to make crops more resistant to pests and drought.

So I do have a bias coming in ... although, again, I would change my mind quickly if evidence was presented that showed a causal relationship between GMOs and adverse impacts on the environment/human health.

The subject of this article is impressive to me not so much because the guy moved toward my view on the topic (although that does play a small role in its allure to me, as we all like to feel like we're "right" as a way to feed our egos), but more because he was willing to publicly admit that, after reviewing all of the available evidence, he completely changed his mind.

We humans are too often so enamored with our own opinions and conclusions that we never let additional information into our skull, for fear that we may not be able to reconcile that information with the opinion we already hold ... and we'll be damned if we'll ever even consider totally abandoning our original opinion.

So ... kudos to Mr. Lynas.  I'm not sure if you are now right or wrong (although I have my own knee-jerk opinions), but either way, you have the guts to question your own views and admit when you reach a point of deciding that your previous view was flawed.

May more activists and others with strongly held opinions follow your same path of critical introspection.

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