Following the "debate" on GM crops, which is more like a slanging match, what strikes me most is how much the Prince of Wales is misunderstood. This is because he is speaking from the heart rather than the head, while his critics' hearts are more-or-less closed, which makes them blind to the wisdom he is speaking.

 The fact is that man, despite his name (Homo Sapiens), his great intelligence, and the phenomenal amount of recently acquired knowledge and understanding at his disposal, is not half as wise or knowing as Prof Jones and many others believe. Prince Charles, on the other hand, realises this, and the need for man to defer to a "higher authority". Thus, he argues for a far more precautionary approach to the development and introduction of new technologies.

 If technological developments were driven by wise, rational and benign forces we would have nothing to worry about, but they are not. They are driven largely by self-interested economic 'necessity' (profits, jobs etc.), which forces the rapid development and introduction of new technologies and marginalises questions relating to sustainability and potential risks. 

When a scientist argues that Prince Charles's attitude is blocking progress in the developing world, he neglects to mention, and perhaps does not realise himself, that he is also defending his own interests - his livelihood and social standing.