TRANSGENICS IN BIOCONTROL: TABLE 5

TRANSGENICS IN BIOCONTROL

Table 5. Issues Involving Controversy Based on Positions Taken and Risk Representation in Popular Press and Newspapers*

Issues**		Positions on Issues***
(No. Out of Total Sources)	Non-Problematic	Problematic	Representation of Substantial Risk

Transgenic Plants
Herbicide resistance (26 0f 33)	51%	37%	29%
Pest resistance to transgenic plants (16 of 21)	21%	64%	54%
Weediness and gene transfer (9 of 15)	52%	27%	18%

Societal
Systems with less chemicals (18 of 26)	61%	17%	06%
Environmental concerns (11 of 16)	53%	37%	23%
Society - benefits & problems (14 of 20)	68%	21%	12%
Business - benefits & problems (22 of 27)	75%	16%	14%
Impact on agriculture & farming (19 of 24)	54%	33%	21%

* Chi-square = 43.6; df = 10; P<0.05.
** For example, there were 33 newspaper and popular press sources for herbicide resistance in transgenic plants, and 26 of the 33 sources included a position(s) and/or discussion(s) of risk. From these 26 sources, 51% of the positions on the issue were non-problematic, 37% indicated there were problems with the issue, and 12% had no opinion. These positions total 100%, and a column for no opinion was not included in the table. Of the total positions, 29% represented "substantial risk" with the issue.
*** The results in bold represent significant interactions.

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