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Why biodiversity is important essay
Why biodiversity is important essay
Is the use of genetically modified organisms safe
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Biotechnology and Genetically Modified Foods
Are genetically modified foods safe? Genetically modified foods are crop plants created for human or animal consumption using molecular biological techniques. These plants have been modified to enhance certain traits like increased resistance to herbicides or improve nutritional content. This process traditionally has been done through breeding, but is not very accurate. Scientists have been using biotechnology to implant the gene that makes the plants act the way they want them to. Genetically modified foods have advantages and disadvantages on the environment and advantages and disadvantages on society. We have to weigh the positives and negatives to see if genetically modified foods are healthy for us and if we really need them.
Genetically modified foods have a huge impact on our environment. One way that genetically modified foods are hurting our environment is that process can involve the exchange of genes between two totally different species. People are actually putting scorpion toxin into corn and fish antifreeze into tomatoes (De Greef). These changes in the plants make the plant able to with stand the attack of pests and weather, but it is still possible that the plant’s DNA will cross and make bad toxins. If a farmer plants a crop that has the resistance to herbicides, drought, cold, and pests those plants can eventually cross with weeds and then the farmer will end up with weeds that are resistant to everything too. Then the scientists will end up having to make the plants stronger to fight off the weeds, then the weeds will get stronger, and the cycle will keep on going. Another argument for the ban of...
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...ng-term testing being done on the effects they have on human beings or warnings on the products that they do contain genetically modified ingredients. The only solution that can be done is to continue testing all the genetically modified products, so that when they do get into our stores they are safe for everyone.
Bibliography:
Becker, Hank. Revolutionizing Hybrid Corn Production. Copyright Economist Newspaper, 1996.
Clinton Urged to Protect Consumers From Bio-Corn Contamination. November 25, 2000. 10 November 2000. http://www.consumerunion.org/food/gef2cpi1000.htm.
De Greef, Willy. A Moral Maize. Copyright Economist Newspaper, 1996.
Genetically Modified Foods. November 25, 2000. 10 November 2000. http://www.csa.com/hottopics/gmfood/oview.html.
Kimbrell, Andrew. "Seeds of Conflict." PerAds-Ecologist 29 no.4. (Jul 1999): 249-250
In the New York Times article “When a Crop Becomes a King”, author Michael Pollan argues there is an overproduction of corn that does more harm than it does good. He writes this in response to a farm bill signed by then President Bush to increase the budget for corn production which caused much controversy. Pollan uses an infuriated and frustrated tone in order to convince American consumers that corn has taken over their environment and economy. Michael Pollan uses rhetorical strategies to challenge conventional views of corn and to argue against additional corn production.
Genetically modified? That alone should be a cause for alarm, and have you wondering, what exactly is in this that I am eating? Yet every day millions of American’s choose to load up on food filled with GMO’s, and not even know it. First we must understand what GMO’s are. GMO’s are any organism whose genetics has been altered using genetic engineering. We should not be tampering with nature, and should try to grow organically as much as possible. There has not been enough research on GMO’s to know the potential long term effects it can have on us, so this is why GMO’s should be banned.
...nergy from an acre of Iowa farmland. Unfortunately, for more than fifty years, farm policies is designed to encourage the overproduction of this crop and hardly any other. It simply because the government subsidize high-fructose corn syrup in this country. While the surgeon general is warning the epidemic of obesity, our government is still signing bills encouraging the river of cheap corn flowing. It is clearly shown that food production in America is partly a mixture of politic, economic and morality.
In addition, the USDA is exposed for promoting products such as cheese, milk, and high fructose corn syrup in a fictional way. They provided no information that they were unhealthy in the
During the 2008 campaign trail, president Obama was quite instrumental in condemning agricultural corporations and their various regulatory bodies. More specifically, Obama was quoted saying that, once he assumed office, his administration would tell ConAgra that their main area of operation is not Agribusiness but rather Agriculture. However, upon election, Obama changed his tone, possibly due to influence by the biotech industry. The appointment of Tom Vilsack, who was a pro-biotech former Iowa governor, into the position of the USDA Secretary signaled to the bio-tech conglomerates that they could influence regulatory frameworks. Following this appointment, other Monsanto executives were poached into the administration, including Michael Taylor, who was the Vice President of Monsanto, Roger Beachy, who was a former director of Danforth Plant Science Center that was ...
Biello, David. "Genetically Modified Crop on the Loose and Evolving in U.S. Midwest." Scientific American Global RSS. Scientific American, 06 Aug. 2010. Web. 08 May 2014. .
Should you worry about GMOs? (2013). Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, 31(9), 4-5. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1458270646?accountid=39340
Genetically modified foods are developed by combining genes from two different organisms which alters it's DNA and do not occur naturally. Biotechnology is relatively new so like most people, I turned to research to argue this issue with facts. In my opinion, genetically modifying foods have more harmful effects than they do beneficial. I am against their use because it creates safety risks for our health and animals, it can damage the environment and we have to deal with the total costs.
Fast food consumption is taking America by a storm and it is for the sake of our lives. Fast food relies heavily on industrialized corn because of how cheap and easy to grow it is. With that being said, animals are being fed with corn rather than being fed with grass. In the Omnivore’s Dilemma, Rich Blair who runs a “cow-calf” operation s...
“Civilization rests on people’s ability to modify plants to make them more suitable as food, feed and fiber plants and all of these modifications are genetic” (American Association 1). This quote from the article “Statement by the AAAS Board of Directors On Labeling of Genetically Modified Foods” expresses that fact that humans have used the favorable genes of plants since the days of Gregor Mendel, the father of genetics. When plants exhibited a desirable trait, they were bred together so that more of the offspring would have that trait. Genetic Modification is manipulating the genome of the plant, but humans have been doing that for years. Modifying the genes is a more precise way to do this. Genetic Modification improves food and is safe.
Aaron Woolf is the director/producer of the documentary King Corn. In the documentary Woolf followed Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis a yearlong to understand where their food comes from by growing it. While filming the documentary Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis tried to go corn free for a month they discovered that it was not feasible to do. They released the documentary for us to see what happens to the food that we eat and the process it goes though before we buy it at the supermarket. By doing the research to write this paper it made me realize that the food industry and the government are not protecting humans or the animals. If the government are the ones that are “protecting us”, then who is? I am disturbed by all the things that I read and it seems that government is okay by it are they trying to control the life span of the human race? It brings too many questions to my head now I know why I can’t lose the weight I need to lose.
Jalonick has said, “Genetically modified foods are plants or animals that have had genes copied from other plants or animals inserted into their DNA.” These genetics have been efficient, but have also bothered many individuals. According to an article titled “Ask Natural Life” by Wendy Priesnitz, she has explained that infants and children are very vulnerable to the health risks of consuming genetically modified foods. Infants and children are not very strong, and having them consume genetically modified foods can be quite dangerous.
Many people wonder if genetically modified foods are good for you and the environment, Research has shown that there are many positives and negatives to genetically modified organisms. There is no way to be absolutely sure if they are good or bad.
From the Flavr Savr ™ tomato to the more recent genetically modified corn, genetic engineering has been around for about 20 years. Now, do you really know what GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are? Do you understand both the pros and the cons are? Are you positive that GMOs mat or may not affect your health or the enviroment? If you answered no to any of these questions I strongly suggest you continue reading.
One of the important things that they talked about in the documentary was the lack of safety inspections being performed by the U.S.D.A and because of that, cases of salmonella have increased exponentially. Based on the documentary “Food Inc” “in 1972, the FDA conducted 50,000 food safety inspections, in 2006 they conducted 9,164.” Another thing that was talked about in the the video was that the animals are forced to wade around through ankle high manure for days on end until they are brought to slaughter. They are also forced to subsist on a corn only diet. This is due to the fact corn is subsidized by the US government and it is cheaper to feed animals while also fattening them up at the same time. Cows are not biologically designed to live off corn; their diet should consist of only grass. Research shows this change of diet is causing a mutated strain of e.coli to form in the cow’s stomach that is acid resistant. This strain of E.coli is known as 0157:H7 that was stated in the movie (Food