05/24/2013 GN
GMO? OMG!
GN, 2013 The following paper will challenge your mind on GMOs. This debate is related to each of us. It is a question of whether or not we should be aware of what we as consumers are consuming. Whether we realize it or not, we have been consuming GM foods. GMOs or GMs are genetically modified organisms. A genetically modified organism is an organism whose genetic materials has been changed or altered. "Lots and lots of people virtually the entire population could be exposed to genetically engineered foods, and yet we have only a handful of studies in the peerreviewed literature
addressing their safety. The question is, do we assume the technology is safe based on an argument that it's just a minor extension of traditional breeding, or do we prove it? The scientist in me wants to prove it's safe." Dr. Margaret Mellon, director of the agricultural and biotechnology program, Union of Concerned Scientists, (PBS). Global warming has altered the balance between ecosystems, resultantly leading us toward genetically modified organisms. GMOs are the results of mass food demands and the increase of the population. Every GM foods had their genetic material changed or altered. All organisms have genes, molecular segments of DNA written in their DNA. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid is an organism’s blueprint. It bears the genetic instructions used in the functioning of living organisms. The first step of creating an genetically engineered organism is the identification process. Once the identification process is complete, isolation the gene is the step, and the amplification of gene to produce many copies while associating the gene with an appropriate and poly A sequence and insertion into plasmids. Afterwards, you multiply the plasmid in bacteria and recover the cloned construction for injection. Then, you have to integrate the gene into recipient genome. The intended purpose of GMOs was to help solve world famine. Now, that purpose has been eradicated. GMOs pose a threat to biodiversity. Genetically modified organisms is a threat to our environment as they are biologically artificial. GMOs has been around for about 19 years and we are unaware of the long term effect of their existence. Some researchers have shown that none of the genetically engineered seeds crucially increases the yield of crops. In more than 8,200 fields trails, GM roundup seeds produced less bushels of soybean, than the natural varieties according to a study by Dr. Charles Benbrook, former director of the Board of Agriculture at the National Academy of sciences, (PBS).
One of the main reasons people use GMOs is because it is a more efficient food production. I opted to show how organic farming can be efficient as well. In this graph, I compared the yield per Fc of organic Soybeans grown in France, to the yield per Fc of genetically engineer Soybean grown in the U.S. As farmer mark said, “ We need to get more involved in organic farming”.
The percent of change for 2002 is : France U.S Year: 2001 Year: 2001 Yield: 27,872 Fc Yield: 25,566 Fc Calculations: Equation: 27,872 25,566/27,872 = 27,872 25,566 = 2,306 2,306/27,872 = 0.082 We move the decimal two times to the right to change the decimal into a percent: 0.082 = 8.2% 8.2% is the percent change. Studies have shown that GMOs or genetically modified organisms has an effect on the soil, and is a threat to the environment. "Centers of [plant] diversity are already eroding under pressure from loss of habitats and the tendency of modern agriculture to rely on a few elite varieties of important crops. Hundreds of thousands of varieties of crop relatives have been lost. The U.S. government, however, shows no inclination to assess risks posed in other parts of the world by crops engineered in the United States." Drs. Jane Rissler and Margaret Mellon, scientists at the Union of Concerned Scientists and authors of The Ecological Risks of Engineered Crops, (PBS). One of the greatest fear is that crops could harm other wildlife. In 1999, an experiment conducted by Cornell University researchers recovered that 56 percent of monarch larvae survived when fed milkweed plants covered in Gm corn pollen, whereas all those fed milkweed leaves with traditional corn pollen lived. Nearly half of monarchs in the United States spend their summers dining on milkweeds, (PBS). Many people feel genetic modification goes against nature. The main question pondering all of us is, what rights do we have to make changes overnight on different organisms? Are we wise enough to replace human for natural selection? Do we really want to play the, “Creator”? Numerous people would say we do not. GMOs technology does not cherish the relationship between nature and humanity. Biotech companies are just being driven by the the profit, but have little concerns for possible risk. “In 1998, the top ten seed companies controlled an estimated 30 to 40 percent of worldwide seed sales, which reach $45 billion a year,” (PBS). In conclusion, genetic engineering should be prohibited and vetoed. GMOs goes against nature and affects the environment. Instead of using GMO seeds, we should use organic seeds. Let us all practice agriculture the old fashioned way. Farmers of monoculture are lacking insurance, therefore making them vulnerable to lethal attacks by diseases and pests.
References: Eat Your Genes (Zed Books, 1998), p. 162. "FAOSTAT." FAOSTAT. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2013. <http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=567>. "Genetic Modification and the Environment Scientific Certainties and Uncertainties." Nerc.ac.uk. National Environmental Research Council, n.d. Web. 25 May 2013. <http://www.nerc.ac.uk/publications/other/documents/gmo.pdf>. PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 24 May 2013. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/harvest/exist/yes2.html>. PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 29 May 2013. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/harvest/exist/yes3.html>. 8:9: The Ecological Risks of Engineered Crops (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1996), p. 127. 7: "Why Genetically Altered Food Won't Conquer Hunger," oped piece in The New York Times, 9/1/99.