The Debate About Gmo Safety

GMOs are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering. The GMO debate has a huge gap just like the climate change’s ambiguous debate. Some people are for the consumption of it and have as arguments that GMOs will feed the future population of the world that is expected to double in the few years to come, or that scientists can build stronger crops that resist to pests, therefore less use of pesticides. Some are against these ideas because they think that GMOs represent a threat to the environment and that they can cause a lot of health problems. The goal of this paper is to look at two articles “The GMO Debate is Over Again” by Mark Lynas and" Seeds of Evil: Monsanto and Genetic Engineering" by Dr. Joseph Mercola, and see where the use rhetorical strategies are effective and where they are not.

One may argue that GMOS are not safe, but they are almost inevitable in our everyday consumption. In order to support this argument a person must prove that our bodies are showing signs of rejecting genetically modified organisms and specific diseases are linked back to GMO food consumption. According to the Non- GMO

The controversy surrounding GMO. 's and the food industry has been a very hard fought battle for the past couple of decades and it has even become more so in recent times, particularly on the opposing side. Many groups against genetically modified organisms in food have been on the rise. As the trend towards "non-gmo" foods is becoming more popular, companies ranging from cereal producers to fast food restaurants are quickly updating their products to "Non-GMO" standards in order to meet the growing demand. But a disease affecting Florida oranges may begin to shift the view towards a possible "Pro-GMO" future.

In this unit, the two periods of biology studied and learned more about GMO’s. We looked into things such as breeding and eugenics and how exactly it relates to the overall action of genetically modifying organisms. A genetically modified organism is the result of a gene from one organism, purposefully being changed to improve another organism. According to americanradioworks, organisms were being manipulated dating all the way back to prehistoric times to the 1900s. Farmers and naturalists began to notice “hybrid” plants, being produced through natural breeding. In 1900, European plant scientist began using Gregor Mendel's genetic theory to manipulate plants to produce a more desirable outcome. This means that Organisms have been getting genetically modified for years. Although the event of this action dates back for years, controversies are still shared in classrooms and homes, about whether GMOs are a necessary part of today’s life.

In December 2014, a Harvard professor wrote an article outlining the many benefits of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and why it is a good idea to use them. This professor is now surrounded by controversy because he failed to note his connection to the largest producer of GM seeds, Monsanto, who not only told him to write the article but also gave him the major points he was to address. Why was this such a huge deal, and why did Monsanto want a pro-GMO article out there so badly? The GMO debate is largely controversial, but largely misunderstood because of the misinformation given by biased writers, such as John Hibma, a nutritionist and author who wrote the article “More Pros Than Cons.” What many people do not realize is that genetic modification is a serious issue and that articles like Hibma’s fail to disclose the truth about the numerous health, crop, and environmental concerns surrounding GMOs.

GMO stands for genetically modified organism. It is a organism that has had changes introduced into its DNA by using techniques of genetic engineering. Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods that are produced by this method. Genetically modified crops were first introduced to the marketplace in the 1990s. Various different companies started emerging and began to grow many different modified crops including tomatoes and corn. Livestock is fed GM feed, and recently a genetically modified salmon was approved for human consumption. Our society and other nations should limit the consumption of GM foods until their safety can be proven and their disadvantages are corrected.

Should people be worried about genetically engineered food? Many people are starting to question what it is exactly that they are eating and how it could possibly harm them. Specifically, the harm that could befall them from GM food. A genetically modified organism is something that received one or more genes from another organism. There are three arguments that the people worried about GM food put on the table; those arguments being: GM food should be labeled, GM foods are not safe to eat, and GM crops won’t end world hunger and feed the whole world.

“When you light a candle, you also cast a shadow.” – Ursula K. Le Guin. No matter what good some people believe they are doing, everything seems to come with a consequence, and the question is whether or not the good overpowers the bad. Many experts argue that Genetically Modified foods are actually beneficial to, not only people, but animals, plants, and the world overall. Some experts even state that, not only are they beneficial, but that they also protect the environment and aid food productivity. Most farmers actually recommend GMO’s because they are easier to grow, maintain, and tend to be more profitable; however, countless other experts have come to realize that GMO foods are untested, unsafe, and unhealthy. Studies indicate that

In todays society, people are more concerned about what they put into their body. They eat healthy and maintain a stable diet, but unknown to a number of these people is their food may have been tampered with in the form of Genetically Modified Organisms or, for short, GMO's. Genetically Modified Organisms are plants or animals whose DNA has been altered to favor a certain characteristic or trait which is already in the DNA. This includes enhancing the DNA in plants to make them bigger, invincible to pests, or invincible towards weeds. Although, the reason why GMO's are a controversial topic is because of lack of knowledge. Genetically Modified Organisms are risky and potentially to dangerous to be handling because of the unknown side effects

While these are valid concerns, they are entirely wrong. According to the World Health Organization in 2005, “GM foods currently traded on the international market have passed risk assessments in several countries and are not likely to present risks for human health” (Novella). Many of those who are anti-GMO claim that GMOs are not safe because they do not know enough about them or they have heard far too many conflicting reports. While there are many reports that claim that GMOs are detrimental to the environment, the three agencies that oversee GM crops, the FDA, USDA, and EDA, have ruled that these crops do not pose any real threat. Since the beginning of the GM crop in 1996, there have been 2,497 approvals of the safety of GMOs in the environment and 1,129 of these approvals have been for the food safety of the products (Monsanto). This further disproves the claim that GMOs are unsafe for humans and the environment and reassures that there is no risk involved in either the consumption or the planting of GM

After reading this week’s reading essay Virtue Theory and Genetically Modified Crops by Joshua Colt Gambrel my option on GM Crops have changed completely. When I first heard about GM Crops I thought that no good could from it, and we should not start using them in order to produce food. After reading Joshua Colt article I can see the good that can from using GM Corps. Using GM Crops allowed for the creation of golden rice that has health benefits that can help better the lives of people. At the beginning of the essay the author Joshua Colt on page 622 in our text book says this which I believe to be the main put of the article “ In this article, I hope to provide an answer to the question, are we morally justified in utilizing GM crops?” Which I believe this question asked by Joshua Colt is the main point to his article Virtue Theory and Genetically Modified Crops. In answering this question Joshua Colt talks about all the negative things that could happen if we start to use these GM Crops but he also talks about the possible positive out comes that can come from using them if we do it in the right way. The question that comes to mind after reading Virtue Theory and Genetically Modified Crops the question that comes to mind is what would be the proper way to use these crops in a

Before we start to talk about this visual image we should talk about the article I created. My editorial titled “The Beginning of the GMO Era” discusses the misconceptions that the general public have about GMOs—like it causes cancer, death, and a few others. I then argue that none of those have been proven and point out some benefit of GMOS, like how they can save lives producing bigger harvests, and improving the lives of people who currently live in poverty. Transforming this verbal claim from my editorial into a visual argument was an intriguing experience—I had an idea of what I wanted to do, but I had a rather difficult time bringing it into existence. Having said that, I am pleased with the way my visual turned

Genetically modified foods can cause harm to our environment by harming species, many of which are important to the stability of humans. An online article from the Institute for Responsible Technology, 10 Reasons to Avoid GMO’s, states, “GM crops and their associated herbicides can harm birds, insects, amphibians, marine ecosystems, and soil organisms.” The methods which GM foods are being produced is taking a drastic toll on our environment. Several species face danger when they are exposed to herbicides which are contained in GMOs. The article further states, “GM crops are eliminating habitat for monarch butterflies, whose populations are down 50% in

Genetically modifying food has caused many controversy around the world for the way foods are modified. Most of the food we eat are canned, fresh, and ready to be eaten. Most of the food has also been genetically modified. Although modifying food has been used for many years, many countries have not adapted or want to genetically modify their foods. Genetically modifying food is a good and bad thing but there will always be different opinions about genetically modifying food, but one thing is for sure, genetically modifying food will increase more and more.

A Genetically Modified Organism or GMO is an organism whose genome has been altered by the process of genetic engineering so that its DNA contains one or more genes not normally found within. These genetically modified organisms are a relatively new phenomenon in the United States, introduced in 1994. However, beginning in 2014 these chemicals could be found in 90% of corn, cotton, and soybeans produced in the United States. The looks and taste of genetically modified organisms may seem inviting but are the health risks really worth it? In my opinion, I believe that while genetically modified organisms do have positive feel and comfort they pose a large health risk to all who choose to consume them.