The Us Without Gmo Essay

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.

A major upside to GMOs is fighting world hunger. People also need to realize that the world population is increasing rapidly (Baragona).The only way that we will be able to support the growing population is to produce more food while still using the same amount or less resources. Farmers can do this by through the use of GMO’s. GMO’s have certain traits that non-GMO organisms don't have that can make crops produce more food and resources while using less water and

“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

Over the past few decades a new controversy has arisen in the scientific community: should Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) be used in modern society. There are generally two sides to this debate: one being in favor of GMO use and the other against it. Pro GMO activists believe that GMOs can help address hunger issues and help reduce use of pesticides/insecticides while Anti-GMO activists state that it is a threat to the agriculture industry, and should be banned. Both sides have several valid points, however GMO’s are even more complicated from initial glance, and may not be as dangerous as some believe.

One of the major reasons for the use of GMOs was stated by Chris Black, a plant science major and owner of Richland Plant Food Company. When Mr. Black was asked the question, “Why do farmers now use GMOs when growing crops”, he said “It really helps the everyday farmer with economics and efficiency. Since the US population is always increasing, GMOs have made a cheaper food source to the American Market.” Mr. Black also stated that “It also helps farmers save thousands of dollars in insecticide and herbicide cost that can become overwhelming, because many of the GMO seeds now have this trait. Plus Genetically Engineered crops are more environmentally friendly than organic crops, because they require less water than organic

Did you know that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) make up about 70 to 80% of

Despite the popular unfavorable side of GMOs, little to be known there could be a good side. Many farmers, scientists, and consumers say GMOs are helpful. Crops that are genetically engineered to fight diseases are saving not only the foods we love, but industries that grow them (Food Dialogues). With GMOs less water or pesticides are needed to grow food on less land. Scientists are working on a variety of genetically modifies seeds to create a hypoallergenic

The good news about GMOs is that they reduce the need for herbicides and pesticides (Smith). By reducing the needs for these contaminates, foods become safer to feed to families. The chemicals that are put on the crops that scientists are modifying to be pest and weed resistant are harmful if consumed; that’s why there is a label on all farm fresh foods that say wash before consumption. Scientists are working to reduce the need for these chemicals so that these crops can be more family friendly and safer for the general public to consume. Also, by eliminating most of the chemicals the farmers spray on their crops, it helps to reduce

Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMO’s, are organisms that have had genes from a different organism implanted into their own genetic code in order to produce a new result (“Genetically engineered foods”). This practice has elicited polar responses across the globe, for a multitude of reasons. Besides the obvious reason, being the morality of changing an organism's DNA for human benefit, one frequently noted problem is the monopolization of GMO’s by the company Monsanto, whose name is nearly synonymous with GMO’s due to their involvement with these crops. Monsanto has been at the center of many controversies regarding GMO’s, and is even considered to be ranked third to last for reputation among all major American companies (Bennett). Most

When it comes to the topic of whether Genetic Modified Organisms (GMOs) are hazardous products for human consumption, some of us will readily agree that GMOs have become an issue since people believe they are a risk to their health. Where this argument usually ends, however, is on the question of are GMOs a risk to our health and if so why are they still out in the market. Whereas some are convinced that GMOs are not a potential risk to our health and they are an improvement to the production of crops, others maintain that GMOs are unsafe and are the cause for several diseases. I agree that GMOs are safe for human consumption because we have been using GMOs for the last twenty years and there is no proof of them being a hazard to humans. Since the day we started using GMOs there has been an improvement on the production of crops and

As many people walk through the grocery store, checking off the grocery list, looking to buy an item, there usually is a product that has a green label that says “GMO Free”. Questions go through his or her mind; Is GMO foods bad? How much better is non-GMO foods compared to GMO foods? Is it worth it? Many think it is not as bad as it sounds, but there is much more to it than just health risks when you consume GMO foods. It makes growing crops much more efficient, therefore benefitting the large corporations who grow and sell crops.

Genetically Modified Organisms are living organisms whose genetic material has been manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering. Tomatoes for example, would normally go bad after a few days, however after being manipulated the tomatoes now have a longer shelf life. Common sense seems to dictate that as humans, we shouldn’t be eating harmful chemicals. We must help educate humans about what GMOs are so that we will have a choice as to whether we want to consume them or not. At the same time that I believe we should have a choice in consuming GMOs, I also believe GMOs could help with world hunger. While they rarely admit as much, Monsanto, the inventor of GMOs often take for granted that people would like to understand more about GMOs. Nevertheless, both followers and critics of GMOs will probably argue that GMO foods are safe. Some argue that GMO foods shouldn’t be labeled. I disagree with Monsanto’s views that GMO products are safe to consume because recent research has shown numerous health problems have increased after GMOs were

Monsanto one of the leading companies of GMOs has recently placed ads on television for people to get educated about GMOs. For many people, GMOs stand in a gray area, as many do not have the background or do not fully understand what constitutes a GMO. According to a Pew survey approximately 88% of scientists believe that GM foods, like corn, soy, canola, and beets, are safe to consume. Although a majority of scientists believe that GM foods are safe for consumption only 37% of the general public believe that GM foods are safe(Lee Raine, Public and Scientists’ Views on Science and Society, Pew Research Center). Creating a gap of more than 50% between the two groups. In a short survey done at San Francisco State, we have found that four out of twelve people believe that GMOs are harmful, with the remaining eight believing that it is either harmless or unsure about its effects (Chen, Eric. “GMO Effects” Survey.). This shows that a lack of education is not the reason why people believe whether or not GMOs are harmful. When asked about their reasoning, answers were mixed. Some believed that GMOs contained chemicals that should not be consumed while other believed that the risk factor is minimal. There are many reasons why people believe what they believe about GMOs. Claire Marris discusses many of these reasons in ``Public Views on GMOs: Deconstructing the Myths.``, One of the points was that some people did not have the knowledge to understand GMOs, but they are aware of their own lack of understanding, ``participants were conscious of this technical ignorance…``. But the main point in Marris’ article is that they are not necessary wrong. Some people showed concerns about the safety of consuming GMOs, ``the principal concern expressed about GMOs were not based on erroneous information…``. Meaning that people that are anti-GMO are so because they believe that there could be any

Much of the public concern surrounding the safety of GMOs stems from the process of actually creating them. This is admittedly not a natural process, which is a surefire way to raise critic’s eyebrows in doubting their safety. However, there is no evidence that supports these myths. The Committee on Genetically Engineered Crops, The National Academy of Science, and the Board on Agriculture and Natural Recourses all agree after extensive testing and observation that there is no additional harm in the consumption of GMO food. The research conducted in animal studies, as well as chemical analysis of the crops, show no indication that GMOs are negatively affecting human health. The next allegation hurled at GMOs is that they may have

If both sides learn to accept the flaws for each argument, it is possible to reach a common consensus on how to handle the GMO situation. For GMO proponents, it is necessary to understand the concerns of those who view GMOs with apprehension. With even the slightest possibility that GMOs cause cancer, the agribusiness industry must take great caution in manufacturing their products. Even though many people are completely convinced that GMOs are necessary and even beneficial to society by aiding in the fight against world hunger, there must be some restraint as to thoroughly this end is pursued by the biotech industry. In contrast, for