Prince Charles warns GM crops risk causing the biggest-ever environmental disaster.

The mass development of genetically modified crops risks causing the world's worst environmental disaster, The Prince of Wales has warned.

Prince Charles warns GM crops risk causing the biggest-ever environmental disaster
Listen: The Prince of Wales speaks out

In his most outspoken intervention on the issue of GM food, the Prince said that multi-national companies were conducting an experiment with nature which had gone "seriously wrong".

The Prince, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Telegraph, also expressed the fear that food would run out because of the damage being wreaked on the earth's soil by scientists' research. (see article here) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/08/12/eacharles112.xml

Not the greatest advertisement for the anti-GM movement, unfortunately. Personally, I'd imagine the cause would be better served if the good ol' PoW was vehemently in favour.

Think of it this way.

Here's someone who is effectively unemployed - in fact, unemployable - who nevertheless does not have to lift a finger in order to survive. So the only outlet for his intellectual workings, such as they are, is to latch on to "causes".

Unfortunately, given his heritage and disposition, he does not actually have to work through the ideas he comes up with to their logical conclusion. Hence, he does not have to consider how his idealism might efect, say, the millions that are starving in Africa.

In fact, he is a perfect example of the cafe latte, chardonnay set idealist, who agonize over the realities of industrialism, capitalism and progress in general from the security of their leafy suburbs.

Or, in the PoW's case, one or the other of his stately homes.

For an additional insight into the stature of this royal sponsor, check out some of his other utterances, ranging from "modern" architecture" through to tampons.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/feb/01/design.architecture

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2294/is_54/ai_n27052712

Educational stuff.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article4525870.ece

Choose your friends wisely, eftfnc.

Pericles, your silly claims regarding Prince Charles being an unemployable bludger are just that; silly and misinformed. You obviously know nothing about Prince Charles except what you read "and believe" in daily gossip newspapers. His work ethic and skills, intelligence and commitment to duty, country and it's people would put many people to shame (what are "your" qualifications, "your" work ethics, "your" achievements compared to Prince Charles? Could "you" command a Royal Navy battleship? How much could "you" earn in the free market compared to the earning capacity of the multi talented and multi qualified Prince Charles? I think we know the answer to that don't we Pericles.

You're just another Aussie who hates "tall poppies"; that is, people who are better than "you". Sad!

Prince Charles, just like anyone else in the public eye, is entitled to express an opinion.

Pericles,

How do you know whether the Prince or anyone else for that matter speaks the truth? Isn't it clear that one looks at least at their actions and NOT their advertising, which BTW uses film stars,actors and people of importance, to make their products more appealing to the masses. The question that advertisers and manufacturers of dangerous goods are concerned about people's and animal's is hogwash, their pockets is of their only interest.The question remains,have you ever tasted the difference between Organic and mass produced (factory farming) food? Probably not! Raw milk straight from the cow or goat compared with this supermarket bought, almost white stuff and nutritional depleted, called milk, I guess not! The list is long.

It's a fair cop, samsung.

>>You obviously know nothing about Prince Charles except what you read "and believe" in daily gossip newspapers.<<

So please enlighten me. Where do you get your information from? And what leads you to believe that he is intelligent, or even smart, come to that?

Was it his brilliant scholastic achievements, perhaps?

Is it maybe his understanding of poverty and hardship, gained from his intimate knowledge of organic farming? No doubt Home Farm's Oaten biscuits are even now feeding the starving millions of Africa.

Or his dedication to the re-introduction of rare native breeds into British farms, because... because... they are not suited to intensive farming, and must therefore be "better".

He's a nice lad. I'd hate to have his life, and I genuinely feel sorry for him. But he really is the last person on this planet you would want to support your worthy cause.

He is the classic dilettante, with the added disadvantage that he has fads. There is no evidence - inside our outside the "daily gossip newspapers" - that he has the mental capacity to come to grips with any significant issue.

Hence, I am certain, his faddish disdain for GM food.

samsung is right. Please stop Pericles. Our Federal sports minister and AOC official have already made us look like obnoxious retards and pathetic....this wouldn't apply so much if the the jokes weren't witless.

Given that eftfnc's original premise is that Prince Charles' public support is somehow beneficial to the anti-GM movement, I'd suggest that his popular persona - i.e. how he is depicted in the masses of mass media by which most people 'know' him - is actually far more relevant than whatever actual intelligence and knowledge he may possess privately.

I've always found Charlie to be something of an anachronistic buffoon, as do most people with whom I'm acquainted. As someone who is a GMO "sceptic" (so to speak), the fact that the hapless heir apparent is apparently anti-GM does nothing to sway me further in that direction.

On the other hand, I bet there's more than a few monarchist farmers (not to mention their wives) out there who might think his views are relevant, so it's probably a good thing on balance that he's weighed in the way he has.

I am constantly impressed by the assumptions made in this forum when responding to someone else's opinion.

I don't usually bother to comment, but in such a short thread they are quite noticeable.

>>You're just another Aussie who hates "tall poppies"; that is, people who are better than "you". Sad!<<

I have never made any secret of the fact that I emigrated here from England some twenty-odd years ago. I therefore by definition cannot be “just another Aussie”.

On a side note, the tall poppy label has been applied to so many wonderful Australians over the years – Alan Bond, Brian Burke, John Elliott, Rodney Adler, Rene Rivkin to name but a few – it is hardly surprising that cutting them down should have become a national sport.

But I digress.

>>have you ever tasted the difference between Organic and mass produced (factory farming) food? Probably not! <<

Of course I have, eftfnc, you goose. I am staggered that you should assume otherwise. Mind you, the fact that whether I have or whether I haven't is immaterial to the point I was making, must have somehow escaped you.

But this is my favourite assumption so far.

>>You obviously know nothing about Prince Charles except what you read "and believe" in daily gossip newspapers.<<

My most recent information comes from a friend who was a guest at Highgrove last year. Protocol unfortunately forbids her from providing details of the conversation, but her opinion on the narrowness of the PoW's views on the topic eerily coincide with mine.

And of course, the thread would be incomplete without the obligatory non sequitur.

>>Our Federal sports minister and AOC official have already made us look like obnoxious retards and pathetic....this wouldn't apply so much if the the jokes weren't witless.<<

¿Qué?

Oh Pericles, Pericles, Pericles. You're absolutely HILARIOUS.....I just love it: I'm still having trouble wiping the smile off my face!

Yes folks, the formidable Pericles "JUST HAPPENS" to have an "inside contact" at Highgrove (which "just happens" to be the residence of HRH The Prince Of Wales). This "inside contact" just happens to have had personal "conversations" directly with Prince Charles at Highgrove, and has then divulged her opinion of the content to .........wait for it........none other than our very own..........Pericles. What a "coincidence". Amazing.

"Of Course" her opinion of , as Pericles puts it, "the narrowness of the POW'S views" (resulting from her intimate conversation) "JUST HAPPENS" to be EXACTLY the same as the opinion of Pericles. Funny about that.

"NATURALLY", protocol forbids her or Pericles from providing details of this "convenient" conversation.

And poor ol' Pericles didn't even start the topic; he just stumbled across it, and by SHEER COINCIDENCE we were lucky enough to get all this inside information straight from the mouth of the Prince Of Wales, via the well connected personal friend of our formidable Pericles.

Thanks for the "inside information" Pericles.

Got any more good..................... "stories"?

Was that perhaps.... sarcasm, philips?

Oooooh, how hurtful.

You wish what you say to be true, because somehow it makes you feel better.

Admit it, you know nothing about me, so everything you say is simply a sad reflection of yourself.

Have a great day.

I read that earlier post by Pericles, and I too thought it sounded like a made up story.

Philips, you'd get your point across better by dropping the sarcasm. It's OBVIOUS Pericles is not telling the truth, so it's best just to say that outright, minus the sarcasm. It also leaves less room for people to come back and personally attack you, although I have noticed you dispose of those types quite well on this forum. But hey, drop that constant sarcasm in your posts, it gets irritating.

So in your opinion, JW, calling someone a liar directly is somehow more acceptable than employing sarcasm.

>>It's OBVIOUS Pericles is not telling the truth<<

What warped values you have.

As I pointed out to philips, for you to decide that I am not truthful does not worry me in the slightest.

But it does rather suggest that for some reason you would prefer to think that I am not telling the truth.

What would that reason be, do you think?

It must be something to do with being Australian.

Settle down people.

I think that those of you who accuse Pericles of being untruthful here are overstepping the mark somewhat. While we only have Pericles' word for the veracity of his claim, over the years I have come to respect the intelligence and internal consistency of his posts to OLO. Indeed, he and I share a predilection for showing up other people's porkies, so it'd be pretty silly for him to start telling lies, wouldn't it?

While some newer members may be unaware of Pericles' worthy contributions to this forum over quite some time, they might be well advised to check out his posting history before making false and insulting imputations about him.

Like the rest of the royal family, Prince Charles has made a career of sucking at the teat of the UK while achieveing very little else. If Pericles is an ex-Pom, it's very understandable that he holds the attitude he does about the hapless royal buffoon.

Thanks CJ.

To me, nothing more is required than normal, cocktail party politeness. "Oh, really, you know someone who spoke to HRH, how interesting. Do tell"

Or even pub banter makes the grade. "Garn, bullsh!t, yer kidding, right?"

But the knee-jerk "you're a liar" speaks volumes about the speaker, doesn't it?

They want so bad for it to not be true, it's a form of cultural cringe.

CJMorgan, your descriptions of the prince are not equitable to those appealing to his "public image". No one is talking about his appearance and manner, which your descriptions are laden with, they are talking about the fact that he holds a respected position in the monarchy that usually bites it's tongue on public matters of debate. That's why it's so interesting and impressive. They care enough about this to speak out on it, when they usually say nothing publicly.

CJMorgan>"Like the rest of the royal family, Prince Charles has made a career of ...achieveing very little else."

Politically? That is by design. You can't blame the royal family for ceding their power.

It seems to me that the subject at hand does not really interest people on this board that much as bickering does, how unfortunate.

Yes, Pericles, I am a goose and an organic one at that!

I've often wondered...

>>Yes, Pericles, I am a goose and an organic one at that!<<

...what would an inorganic goose look like?