Blane White wrote:
....

> NOEL = No Observed Effects Level  the dose at which no measurable toxic effects can be observed.  It of course takes several tests both acute and chronic to determine this level but if one does a single test and finds no observable effects the NOEL is greater than the dose given in the test.  Now it probably should have been said " acute NOEL is greater than 20 ppm" but elsewhere it noted that only a single short term test was done.

Shouldn't the NOEL (short term) be 20 ppm. The lowest adverse effect level would be somewhat higher.

> My own concern about the BT corn and other crops is a little different and has been touched on by others already.  By using the BT toxin in large acreage of crops we are selecting very rapidly for resistance to the toxin in the pest population.  By doing this we will select for and see pests that are resistant to BT which is one of the mainstays of the organic and alternative pest control methods and has been for many years.  The result will be that the organic folks and those who use low impact pest controls like IPM will loose one of the best and lowest environmental impact controls for caterpillars.

If I was a manufacturer of pesticides and could see Bt sprays making an impact on my business, what better strategy could there be than to deliberately create bugs resistant to the competition -- all in the name of progress. It is patently obvious that resistance to Bt Corn is only a matter of time -- hardly enough to recoup the costs of developing the GE corn. The profit will surely be a return to use of chemical sprays.