Genetically modified...

Interesting the nuances of environmentalism in relation to genetically modified organisms.

Environmentalists would not mind if yeast or bacteria were modified in such a way that they could create better biofuels from cellulose or other sugar sources. However, they (maybe I should say "we" here) do mind when crops are engineered to be resistant to pesticides, or genes of one animal are put into another to enhance production, and then fed to us.

The difference here is that one project is entirely contained within an industrial facility, while in the other case, organisms are spread across the open environment and allowed to mingle with natural organisms. It's like the difference between having hydrochloric acid in a laboratory beaker and pouring it on a priceless art object. Some genies are best kept in the bottle !