Just a reminder that, if you're in the UK, tonight sees the last of this year's Royal Institution Christmas lectures for children, which this year have been given by the ardent GM supporter, Professor Sir John Krebs, on the subject of food.
Tonight: Channel 5, 1915-2000hrs
COMMENT FROM SUBSCRIBER: "I watched John Krebs on Five last night, (I don't think he makes the cocoa often in his home) speaking to an audience of extremely over-excited children, and said to my family that he was almost certain to sing the praises of GM crops by the last programme on Friday. So what do I read in today's Telegraph?
HAVE YOUR SAY: If you feel the content of the lectures is misleading, you can express your views here: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
or to the Royal Institution via: http://www.rigb.org/rimain/events/contact.jsp
NB The director of the Royal Institution, Susan Greenfield, is a long time friend and ally of Krebs.
---
Onion experiment shines light on GM food
By Roger Highfield
The Daily Telegraph, 27/12/2005
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/12/27/ngm27.xml
An onion has been genetically altered with jellyfish genes to make it glow green and help children understand GM food.
[picture caption: Tom Ogden, Tashi Chadwick and Jack Ogden (looking suitably mesmerised) with one of the genetically altered onions]
The experiment, a part of the Royal Institution Christmas lectures that started on Channel 5 yesterday, will be seen on Friday and is aimed at informing youngsters that GM crops could help feed the world. Prof Sir John Krebs, who has locked horns with ministers, farmers, green activists, major companies [???] and environmentalists, will be shown conducting experiments that should prove politically explosive.
Sir John, the former Food Standards Agency chairman, said: "Whether we use GM food or not isn't up to the scientists, but up to the children. We have a huge mountain to climb to keep up with population growth and we should not throw any tools out of the toolbox."