The Environmentalists' Deadly War Against "Frankenfood"

The October 2003 issue of The Atlantic Monthly carries an outstanding article by Jonathan Rauch, "Will Frankenfood Save the Planet? It's required reading for anyone who believes "natural" and "organic" food is somehow superior to "artificial" and "genetically modified" food. More importantly, it's another case study of how environmentalist philosophy poses deadly risks for human beings and--ironically--for the environment itself.
"Frankenfood" is the pejorative environmentalists use to describe genetically modified or engineered crops. It conjures images of mad scientists (are there any other kind?) maniacally manipulating Nature, with apocalyptic results. This plotline is a staple of science fiction and horror stories, with roots that go back to Greek mythology. (See my manifesto on environmentalism for a discussion of this mythology, and its potent influence on our lives.) Rauch's investigation of genetically engineered food, however, presents a very different picture...

The Atlantic Monthly article mentioned in Mr. Bidinotto's commentary can be viewed here.