>> POTATOES.
THESE STARCHY DELIGHTS HAVE BEEN THE STAPLE OF OUR FOOD
SINCE THE DAWN OF MAN, BUT NOW SCIENCE IS TRYING TO CHANGE ALL
THAT.
>> THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HAS GIVEN THE GREEN
LIGHT TO A GENETICALLY MODIFIED POTATO.
>> NO, POTATO!
WHY?
AND THIS DEADLY G.M.O. TUBER, DEVELOPED BY EVIL AGRICULTURE
CORPORATIONS HAS MEN LIKE JEFFREY SMITH TERRIFIED.
>> WE BELIEVE THAT GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CROPS MAY BE ONE OF
THE MOST DANGEROUS INTRODUCTIONS OF AN ADDITIVE IN SUPPLY IN OUR
HISTORY.
>> SMITH, FOUNDER OF THE INSTITUTE FOR RESPONSIBLE
TECHNOLOGY AND ONE OF THE LEADING ANTI-G.M.O. VOICES IN
THE WORLD, EXPLAINS EXACTLY HOW G.M.O. POTATOES WILL KILL US.
>> THE PROCESS ITSELF IS DANGEROUS.
THEY CREATE A LITTLE PIECE OF R.N.A., AND PUT IT INTO THE
POTATO SO THAT IT SILENCES SOME GENES.
IF WE EAT THE POTATO, IT MIGHT REGULATE OUR OWN GENE
EXPRESSION, CAUTION SERIOUS PROBLEMS, POSSIBLY DEATH.
>> JESUS.
>> THE TECHNOLOGY ITSELF IT GENERICALLY UNSAFE.
>> ( BLEEP ) MONSANTO, RIGHT?
>> WELL, NOT IN THE CASE OF THIS POTATO.
THIS IS SIMPLOT, J.R. SIMPLOT, THE BIG POTATO PRODUCER.
>> DID YOU SAY SIMPOT? >> I DID.
>> NO ( BLEEP ). SIMPLOT? YOU MAY NOT REMEMBER THEM,
BUT I DO.
A FEW YEARS AGO I WENT TO IDAHO AND UNCOVERED A CONSPIRACY THAT
INVOLVED SIMPLOT, POLUTION, AN E.P.A. COVER-UP, A TWO-HEADED
FISH AND I WAS ALMOST ARRESTED TWICE.
IT COULD HAVE RUINED MY CAREER.
SIMPLOT!
I'M NOT DOING IT.
I'M NOT -- I'M NOT DOING SIMPOT.
OKAY.
I'VE DONE IT.
I'VE DONE THAT.
BEEN THERE. ( BLEEP ).
NO! NO! NO YOU GET THE ( BLEEP )
>> THIS IS YOUR ( BLEEP ) SHOW. >> THIS IS YOU ( BLEEP ) FAULT.
OKAY YOU ( BLEEP ). YOU DIDN'T TELL ME IT WAS ( BLEEP )
SIMPLOT.
I'M NOT GOING TO DO IT.
BENNETT!
FINE!
( BLEEP ) SIMPLOT.
BUT STRANGELY, ACCORDING TO CORNELL'S POTATO MOLECULAR
GENETICIST WALTER DE JONG, SIMPLOT'S DEVIL TATER
IS ACTUALLY AN ANGEL TOT.
>> THE POTATO PRODUCES LESS ACRYLAMIDE WHEN FRIED.
>> RIGHT.
>> ACRYLAMIDE IS A NEUROTOXIN, A POSSIBLE CARCINOGEN.
>> WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THE SIMPOT POTATO CUTS DOWN ON POSSIBLE
CARCINOGENS.
>> YES.
>> BUT WHAT ABOUT LIKE WHEN THE R.N.A. GETS INTO MY BODY AND
CHANGES MY D.N.A.?
IT'S MOVING ( BLEEP ) AROUND.
>> GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS DON'T ALTER HUMAN D.N.A.
>> WHAT IF THEY DID?
>> THEY DON'T.
OUR BODIES HAVE BEEN SLICING AND DICING D.N.A. FOR AS LONG AS
WE'VE BEEN IN EXISTENCE.
>> SO THERE'S NO CHANGE TO THE D.N.A.?
>> THERE'S NO CHANGE TO OUR D.N.A.
>> SOUNDS LIKE SOMEBODY WHO IS WORKING FOR SIMPOT.
>> I DON'T WORK FOR SIMPLOT.
>> THEY PAY FOR YOUR RESEARCH.
>> NO, THEY DON'T FUND MY RESEARCH IN ANY WAY.
>> THEN YOU GO TO THEIR PARTIES AND YOU HANG OUT WITH THEM.
>> NO, I DO NOT.
>> OKAY, OKAY, JUST BECAUSE HE'S NOT ON THE POTATO'S PAYROLL,
DOESN'T MEAN OTHER FRANKEN VEGGIES WON'T KILL US.
THERE'S ALSO CORN THAT PRODUCES ITS OWN TOXIC
INSECTICIDE THAT BREAK OPEN LITTLE HOLES IN HUMAN CELLS AS
WELL.
>> THE BT PROTEIN THAT YOU'RE REFERING TO DOES NOT
CREATE HOLES IN OUR CELLS.
>> NO, LIKE IT LIKE BURNS THROUGH THE CELL AND CREATES
A HOLE IN YOUR CELL.
>> WHAT WOULD MAKE A HOLE IN YOUR CELL?
>> I DON'T KNOW.
NO, NO I HEARD THAT SOMEWHERE.
>> IT'S-- YEAH.
>> SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THESE POTATOES ARE NOT
DANGEROUS.
>> THE POTATO IS JUST AS SAFE AS COCONVENTIONALLY DEVELOPED
POTATOES.
>> PO-TAT-O. >> POTATO.
>> REALLY, IT'S NOT DANGEROUS? THAT'S NOT DANGEROUS.
THAT'S NOT DANGEROUS.
>> PLEASE STOP DOING THAT.
>> THAT'S NOT DANGEROUS. THAT'S NOT DANGEROUS?
PRETTY DANGEROUS TO ME.
TURNS OUT THAT WALTER'S NOT ALONE.
A RECENT PEW POLL SHOWS THAT 88% OF SCIENTISTS BELIEVE G.M.O.s
ARE SAFE, WHILE ONLY 37% OF AMERICANS BELIEVE THEM.
BUT LUCKY FOR US--
>> I'M NOT A SCIENTIST.
I'M NOT A SCIENTIST.
I WORK-- I INTERVIEW SCIENTISTS AND TRANSLATE SCIENCE INTO
ENGLISH SO THAT EVERYONE CAN UNDERSTAND.
SO, YEAH, I'VE INTERVIEWED A LOT OF SCIENTISTS, TOO.
>> SOMETIMES I PURPOSELY PLAY DUMB SO THAT THEY EXPLAIN IT IN
A WAY THAT MAKES IT REALLY CLEAR, AND--
>> I DO THE SAME THING. >> AND I -- YEAH.
>> I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE ).
>> DAVID SUZUKI, A GENETICIST AND TV PERSONALITY SAID IF ANY
SCIENTIST TELLS THAT YOU G.M.O.s ARE SAFE, THEY'RE
EITHER VERY STUPID OR LYING.
>> I SEE, SO SCIENTISTS ARE ALL STUPID LIARS, WHICH I SUPPOSE IS
WHY NONE OF THE ACTUAL SIMPLOT POTATO SCIENTISTS WOULD TALK TO
US.
>> NO, THEY'RE WORRIED THAT THEIR LABS AND FIELDS WILL BE
TARGETED.
>> TARGETED BY WHO?
>> G.M.O. FOES.
>> SO THE ANTI-G.M.O. PEOPLE ARE THE ASSHOLES
AND SIMPLOT ARE THE GOOD GUYS.
>> UNCHARACTERISTIC, BUT YES.
>> OKAY, OKAY, BUT THESE AGRA-BUSINESSES HAVE A MONOPOLY
ON OUR ENTIRE FOOD SUPPLY AND THAT IS A HORRIFYING FACT
THAT EVEN SCIENTISTS CANNOT ARGUE, RIGHT?
>> ACTUALLY, THE GREATEST DAMAGE DONE BY THE ANTI-G.M.O.
LOBBY IS THE THE INCREASED REGULATORY COSTS
THAT ANYONE NOW DEVELOPING A GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROP
HAS TO GO THROUGH MEANS THAT ONLY THE BIG COMPANIES WITH
THE DEEPEST POCKETS CAN PLAY AND IT'S LEADING TO A HAND FULL OF
COMPANIES CONTROLLING SEEDS OF ALL OF OUR MAJOR CROPS.
>> SO YOU'RE SAYING THE ANTI-GMO LOBBY IS ACTUALLY
RESULTING IN A MONOPOLY BY COMPANIES LIKE SIMPLOT AND
MONSTANTO.
>> IT'S AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE, YES.
>> THAT'S LIKE ( BLEEP ).
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT.
IN THIS STORY IT'S NOT SCIENTISTS OR AGRO-BUSINESS
MESSING WITH OUR FOOD SUPPLY.
IT'S PEOPLE WHO HAVE CONVINCED THE WORLD THAT THE SIMPLOT
POTATO WILL TURN THIS INTO THIS.
>> IT'S MR. G.M.O POTATOHEAD.
>> I LOVE YOU G.M.O. POTATOHEAD.
>> I'M GOING TO EAT SOME NOW.
♪ ♪ ♪ ( LAUGHTER )