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I hate to ask but where did the living cells fly in from?

< sarcasm >

Gaia's sister planets in galaxies far far away....They arrived on meteorites and cam in via the condensate that became "Mother Earth".

< /sarcasm >

I have no trouble with natural selection and evolution due to genetic mistakes (loss of genetic information), but the implied claim here that completely new evolutionary jumps can be made via a random single screwup (which would have to add multiple, self-compatible and mate-compatible screwups simultaneously) to create a new species is still absurd.

As for the rest of this article, aside from it's author, there is much to the statements that we are pushing too fast on putting genetically engineered food products into the mass market.

My little girl has a milk protein allergy, so she drinks "Soy Milk". Will she end up with long term problems due to some unknown proteins that are produced using bio-engineered crops? We just don't know the mechanisms effects of our tinkering with the fundamental building blocks of life.

We can't even cure my wife's MS yet or say what really causes it, yet we think that we understand DNA processes enough to blindly build industries based on hypothesis and ego?

I have worked in biotech at various companies and have spent time with the executives discussing the industry and technology and though there are many dreams of fixing and changing the world for the better, once you set a course and get the investors involved with millions of dollars a month, the ethical concerns take a back seat to Return On Investment. And when the ethical concerns get in the way, you start another company and get more money....:

http://www.megafoundation.org/Ubiquity/West.html

Note that Dr. West's working DNA telomere experience came from his former company that he co-founded:

http://www.geron.com

Given the existence of hysterical biotechnophobia and other weaknesses of human nature, do you think that politicians and medical ethicists are really capable of reaching valid conclusions regarding such matters?

The arrogant implications of the posing of this question in its form is not surprising to me. And neither is this portion of the answer.

Over longer periods of time, I have some confidence that most people sense the right from the wrong.

This is from your Dr. West link.