Recoding Nature

The book addresses some fundamental and profound questions such as: Are GM foods safe to eat? What do consumers think about GM foods and, alternatively, organic produce? What are the real risks of genetic pollution? And is it appropriate to delete a supposed gene for sadness? 'Recoding Nature' challenges the assumptions of those preparing the world for a 'recoded' DNA future. Recoding Nature is at the cutting edge of critical reflection about the 'biotechnology revolution', the redesign of nature through genetically modified plants, animals and even designer humans. The book addresses some fundamental and profound questions: Are GM foods safe to eat? What do consumers think about GM foods and, alternatively, organic produce? What are the real risks of genetic pollution? Is it appropriate to delete a supposed gene for sadness? Where did the idea of the DNA code come from, and how is it shaping thought for a genetics future? Why has commercial release of GM canola been approved when all canola-growing States have declared moratoriums? Does the biomedical approach really offer the way forward in health care? Are there genes for crime, or is this just an illusion? What about the prospects of corporate bioprospecting among Indigenous peoples? And why have large grass-roots movements in Asia surfaced to contest the notion that GM foods will feed the hungry? In fourteen essays by Australian and New Zealand writers critiquing the new biology, and with a stimulating foreword by Mae-Wan Ho - the UK scientist leading a global attack on genetic engineering as 'bad science' - Recoding Nature challenges the assumptions of those preparing the world for a 'recoded' DNA future.