News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on We’re Scientists, Moms, And We Avoid Non-GMO Products. Parent comment

Re:We’re Scientists, Moms, And We Avoid Non-GMO Products by tropo on Monday November 07, 2016 @05:08PM (#12895669)
Example: some GMO crops are more tolerant of compacted soil and weed competition, reducing the need to till the soil. Tilling the soil requires enormous amounts of diesel fuel, with obvious bad environmental implications. By reducing the use of diesel, the GMO crops help the environment.

Oh, you don't even have to accept global warming to see how using diesel to till the soil can cause harm. Particulate matter in the air is really harmful. (both the diesel exhaust and the soil getting churned up into the air) Disturbed soil runs off into streams, leading to dead zones. Competition for crude oil seems to support war, which has lots of bad effects on the environment.

So... eat GMO to save the environment.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:We’re Scientists, Moms, And We Avoid Non-GMO Products by MustrumRidcully on Monday November 07, 2016 @06:45PM (#12896354)
Tilling the soil is not needed if you practice organic permaculture farming.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:We’re Scientists, Moms, And We Avoid Non-GMO Products by tropo on Monday November 07, 2016 @07:03PM (#12896452)
That way we get reduced productivity, meaning we need to devote more land to crops and less to wilderness or whatever. Also, what you can do in a labor-intensive garden is not going to produce affordable food for billions.
[ Parent | on HN ]