plantsandanimalswerestillgovernedbynature.Nowscientistscandirectlymanipulategenes,cir-
cumventingthelimitationsofnature.Thiscanleadtothecreationofunknownorganismswhichmay
poseanunrestrictedecologicalthreattootherorganisms,suchasmicrobesorvirusesforwhichhu-
manbeingshavenodefense,orfoodsthatwillirreparabledamagehumangenessincetheyarenot
partofthenaturalfoodevolutionprocess.Forallthescienceandexperiments,itisnotknownwhat
effecttheneworganismsorothercreationswillhavewhenrelasedintotheenvironment.However,
the profit motive has led many advocates of genetic engineering to play down the threat.
Antibiotics and Bacterial Resistance
Itisironicthatpriortotheadventofantibioticsandtheirsocalledpotentialtoeradicatediseaseas
miracledrugsinthe1950s,themedicalprofessionwasbasedonplantsandherbs,andnowweare
movingbacktotheplantsandherbs,thatisbacktonature.Nowthereisasteadilygrowingmove
awayfromsyntheticchemicalsandtowardsnaturalmeanstopromotehealingandmaintainhealth.
Manyresearchersanddoctorsinthemedicalestablishmentarefondofblamingveterinariansandoth-
ersfor“overusing”antibioticsandtherebyallowingthebacteriatodevelop“immunities”tothedrug.
However,eveniftherewassomevaluetothisargument,howcantherebeanyproperuseofantibiot-
icsinasocietywhosehygienichabitsandfoodproductionandconsumptionpracticesnecessitatethe
heavyuseoftheantibioticsandpesticides?Thatis,modernwesternsocietywouldnotbeabletosur-
viveandproducesufficientfood(evendenatured)tofeedallthepeopleandsatisfythecravingfor
meatifitwerenotforthecurrentlevelofpesticideandantibioticuse.Sowhatistheoveruse?Are-
ductionintheuseofpesticidesandantibioticscouldonlybepossibleiftherewasareducedneedin
theareaofmeatconsumption.Meatconsumptionrequiresvastquantitiesoflandthatcouldbeused
forfarmingvegetablesandfruits.Also,thediseasesandhealthrelatedproblemscausedbymeatcon-
sumptionwouldbereduced,ifpeopleeliminatedmeatfromthediet.Theanimalswouldnotrequire
antibioticsandpeoplewouldnotdevelopdiseasesrequiringantibiotics.Theresourcesusedtofeed
animalsraisedforhumanconsumptionwouldgotowardsfeedinghumanbeingsinsteadoftheanim-
als,andsincetherewouldbelessanimalsaroundbecausetheyarenolongerbeingbredforthispur-
pose,theywouldnotneedenormousstoresoffood.Inaddition,itmustalsobenotedthatthefood
thatisfedtotheanimalsisunnaturalforthemaswell.Itisnotwhattheywouldbeeatingintheirnat-
uralenvironment,undernaturalconditions.Wherewouldcowsorchickensorfindlargequantitiesof
concentratedgrains,andmostlikelygrainsthathavebeenthemselvesgeneticallyengineeredto
shortenthetimespanoftheirgrowthandmaximizetheirproduction?Nowhereinnature.Allanimal
husbandrypractices(practicesconcernedwiththecareandbreedingofdomesticanimals)inthefood
animalindustryhavedevelopedaroundoneconcern:profit.Duetopressureandscrutinyasaresult
ofvariousanimalrightsorganizations,someofthemoreseveremistreatmentpracticeshavebeendis-
continued,butmanystillexist,suchasthecastrationanddehorningofyoungbullswithoutanes-
thesia,andtheimposedmistreatment 208 andmalnutritionofnewbornbabycowsfortheveal
industry.
Asaresultoftheprofitmotive,theanimalhusbandrypracticesofthefoodanimalindustryhavebe-
comefocusedonpracticestoshortentheintervaloftimeittakesfromthebirthoftheanimaltothe
timetotheycanbecomeslaughteredandsoldtothepublic.Thus,theyhavecreatedsystemsoffood