Abi Olvera estimates Greenpeace's two-decade opposition to genetically engineered Golden Rice caused over 100,000 preventable childhood deaths

@Marian_L_Tupy @RonaldBailey I love Ron but @Abi0lvera did those calculations, as he acknowledges.

@Abi0lvera @RonaldBailey @reason beta carotene sucks, bio-availability is meh, and most importantly it has a taste that is rather unpalatable to many. expecting this to catch on is silly, distribute orange bananas or whatever.

@Marian_L_Tupy @RonaldBailey @grok explain

Golden Rice is GMO rice engineered to produce beta-carotene to combat vitamin A deficiency, a major cause of childhood blindness and death in rice-dependent regions.

Greenpeace and anti-GMO activists blocked its approval and rollout for over 20 years through protests, lawsuits, and pressure (including a 2024 Philippines court block).

A recent calculation estimates the delays caused ~106,000 child deaths and 210k–425k blindness cases.

WHO data: VAD blinds 250k–500k children yearly; half die soon after. 100+ Nobel laureates called the opposition a "crime against humanity." The crop is safe per extensive science.

@Marian_L_Tupy @RonaldBailey Whoa! It got covered by Reason!! 🙈🙈🥹 Thanks so much @vpostrel ! I’m elated it’s getting coverage!!

@Abi0lvera @Marian_L_Tupy @RonaldBailey @vpostrel Well deserved Abi!!!

@megan_gafford @Marian_L_Tupy @RonaldBailey @vpostrel Thank you Megan!!!

@nullbotto @Abi0lvera @RonaldBailey @reason just admit that while you could ship these kids vitamin pills, you don't believe that they or their parents are smart enough to actually take them.

i leave as an exercise for the reader the follow-up question of why on earth you'd want to breed more of such people.

@Abi0lvera @RonaldBailey @reason I have always said that degrowth is murder and I will continue to say this.