RESEARCH ESSAY WRITING — Research Thesis Statement: (50 points)Due: 7/23Submit a thesis statement for your Research Paper. You may find...

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Anon

Anon 1

Anon Ginger Hughes English 1302-2423 13 November 2009

Food for Health and a Greener Earth: Organic

Rising concerns for health and environment have made organic foods a controversial topic among consumers today. This proposal examines the effects of synthetic chemicals used in food and conventional farming to illustrate the benefits of organic food and farming on human health and the environment. Naturally grown foods have been around for generations. The advent of industrialized farming for mass food production during the twentieth century increased the amounts of foods exposed to man-made pesticides, fertilizers, hormones, and preservatives. Recent discoveries indicate the adverse effects of these chemicals on humans, animals, and the environment. The consumption of organic foods will not only promote better health for humanity but also encourage organic farming in order to preserve the planet for future generations.

SUMMARY

Foods made without the use of artificial fertilizers, hormones, and preservatives are defined as organic food. Although agriculture through human history used organic farming methods, industrialized farming and the invention of synthetic fertilizers triggered a chain of events in farming and food manufacturing leading to mass production. Recent research indicates that artificial hormones and antibiotics given to livestock, preservatives and flavors in packaged food, and the use of fertilizer, pesticides, and genetic engineering in produce present numerous health hazards to humans and animals. In humans, long-term exposure to these chemicals including nitrates have been linked with health conditions like cancer, infertility, and autism among many others. Synthetic fertilizers and pest-eliminators disrupt eco-systems and have been reported to create deformities, infertility, and unusual behavior among wild animals. We all inhabit one earth; it is our duty to create a friendly environment for all beings on the planet. Selecting organic foods will encourage more farmers to convert to organic farming methods that maintain the natural balance of the environment. Eliminating the use of pesticides, growth hormones, and antibiotics in food will prevent a multitude of unwanted diseases and illnesses both in human and animal populations. Organic farming will reduce waste, promote recycling of organic matter, minimize landfills, and support eco-systems. Although many argue against the availability and high cost of organic food, they are accessible through organic gardening, local farms, and careful shopping.

QUOTATIONS AND PARAPHRASES:

• “The word ‘organic’ refers to a natural or ‘earth-friendly’ method of farming and producing food” (Dunn-Angelou 10): This quote supports the definition of organic.
• “We suspect that the increase in chemical and medical sensitivities, childhood cancers, infertility rates, learning disabilities, autism and mood disorders may relate in some way to the sea of endocrine disruptors in which we all swim” (Mills par 16): This quote gives evidence for effects of synthetic fertilizers and hormones.
• “Epidemiological studies have linked nitrates in drinking water to reproductive problems and bladder and ovarian cancer. When nitrate-contaminated well water is mixed with infant formula and fed to babies, the infants can suffer from methemoglobinemia, or blue baby syndrome” (Rich par 18): This quote refers to the effects of chemicals in artificial fertilizers.

“Toxic herbicides and insecticides are accumulating in ground and surface waters. Chemical fertilizers are running off the fields into water systems where they generate damaging blooms of oxygen-depleting microorganisms that disrupt ecosystems and kill fish” (“Hidden Costs” 3): This quote provides the effects of harmful chemicals on wildlife and the environment.

“Data gathered since 1981 from the Rodale Institute's experimental farms in east-central Pennsylvania on organically grown corn and soybeans shows that the soil retained 15-28% more carbon than conventionally farmed soil, the equivalent of 1,000 pounds of carbon, or 3,500 pounds of carbon dioxide per acre foot of soil” (“Everything”): This quote gives statistics of the benefits of organic farming.

Dr. Mary Warren, a holistic practitioner and an expert on nutrition claims that Phytonutrients found in organic foods help heal many conditions and diseases: This paraphrase illustrates the benefits of organic food.

BASIC ELEMENTS

The introduction followed by the thesis will provide the reader with a basic understanding of organic food and create curiosity towards the subject in order to gain insight on a currently controversial subject.

The body will define the term, “organic” followed by details of organic farming in human history, the evolution of modern farming methods, the adverse effects of non-organic farming and foods on human health and the environment supported by data, the benefits of organic farming and food with statistics, ending with counterarguments and concessions in order to convince the reader.

The conclusion will integrate a restatement of the thesis while persuading the reader to adopt an organic lifestyle and a sense of awareness and responsibility towards creating a greener earth.

BNEFITS TO THE AUDIENCE

The consumption of organic food is a highly debated issue at present, due to mixed reviews by experts and cost. The research paper will offer eye-opening details about organic food to the reader: why organic food is important to a world filled with increasing maladies, what synthetic chemicals are doing to the environment, how we can help the earth’s eco-system, and how we can overcome the high cost of organic food. The data, statistics, anecdotes, expert opinions, and testimonies will fuel the knowledge of the curious and grant interest to the disinterested consumers in the audience. All consumers, young and old will benefit from the information provided in this research.

TIMELINE

Tuesday 3rd November -Conduct personal interview with Dr. Mary Warren, a nutritional expert (1pm).

Wednesday 4th November –Gather online research (9am to 11am).

Thursday 5th November –Reserve reference books from the library (10am).

Saturday 7th November –Review textbook and videos for research paper and start draft (1pm to 4pm).

Sunday 8th November –Finish writing first draft (3pm to 5pm).

Monday 9th November – Finish revising and start citations page (10am to 12noon)

Wednesday 11th November – Finish writing (2pm to 4 pm).

Friday 13th November –Revise and prepare for submission (1pm to 7pm).

Working Bibliography

Dunn-Georgiou, Elisha. Everything You Need to Know About Organic Foods. New York: Rosen P.G., 2002. Print.

“Everything I Need to Know About Organic Foods.” The World’s Healthiest Foods. Whfoods.org. 2009. Web. 4 Nov. 2009.

Gore, Albert. An Inconvenient Truth. New York: Rodale, 2006. Print.

“Hidden Costs of Industrial Agriculture.” Union of Concerned Scientists. Ucusa.org . 2009. Web. 4 Nov. 2009.

Kimbrell, Andrew. Your Right to Know: Genetic Engineering and the Secret Changes in Your Food . California: Earth Aware, 2007. Print.

Mills, Dixie. “Endocrine disruptors — tipping the hormonal scales.” Womentowomen.com. 17 Aug 2009. Web. 4 Nov. 2009.

“Pesticides and Neurodevelopment.” National Institute of Health Sciences – National Institute of Health. Niehs.nih.gov. 9 Nov. 2007. Web. 4 Nov. 2009.

Warren, Mary. Personal Interview. 3 Nov. 2009.