PAPER MERGING (KIMWOODS ONLY)

Running Head: GMOS

GMOS 9

Genetically Modified Organisms

Dustin Hunt

DeVry University

Professor Maxon

Introduction

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) have been known to have various implications on humans and the environment at large. GMOs generally involves the alteration or changing of an organism’s cell structure in order to come up with a wanted trait. The impacts in which GMOs have on people and the environment can be classified into various classes. For instance we have social, cultural, political, economic and environmental effects. The following essay will therefore focus upon the effects in which GMOs have on these five major categories.

Social Comment by Maxon3: Social How has this technology been received, accepted, rejected? Why? Is it feared or favored? What is the attitude toward change? How are the developers trying to “sell” the technology to the general public? Look at attitudes, feelings (emotions), behaviors, personality, and the ways humans change as a result of this technology. What is being thought and why? Is the human mind impacted? How? Are interactions between people changing as a result? Who is included or excluded and why? Use Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Piaget or some other theorist. What psychological needs are met by the technology (e.g., cell phones once granted status and now promote a sense of belonging or connectedness) or created by the technology? Consumerism? Look at groups and organizations that have arisen and prospered because of this technology. Are these groups supportive or antagonist, and why? (An example is genetically modified foods [GMOs] and the backlash against the Monsanto Corporation. Another is cochlear implants which allow the deaf to hear, yet reduce the deaf population that calls itself a community.) How does the technology change society, or how does society change in response to the technology? What factors in society led to the development in the first place? What do class, gender roles, race, norms, etc. mean in this context? Who will benefit from the technology, and who might be harmed (this might also belong in ethics/morals section)? For example, prosthetics enable people to participate more fully and actively in society (some persons are competing in triatholons and marathons), and the “war” has brought about the need for advances in prosthetic technology as casualties with missing limbs return home to the United States. Look at the workplace, new companies and/or jobs created, jobs lost (or save this for economics?). Look at roles—subgroups, people’s interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships. Consider crime, healthcare, schools. Surveillance cameras, for example, have recently been installed in New York City, and the result has been a decrease in the amount of crime, purse-snatching, pickpocketing, etc. Yet some fear the “big brother” effect of always being watched and tracked and concerns over “Who will guard the guards?”

Genetic modification on organisms has had various impacts on people. The emergence of GMOs has improved food security within nations of the world. Food security is a very important requirement from the fact that people need food for survival. Food is required for energy in order to perform other activities. Many nations especially in the Sub Saharan region currently face food shortages due to climatic factors as well as poor agricultural techniques. GM crops have the ability to grow faster to maturation and thus spend less time in farms. These crops also have the ability to withstand harsh climatic conditions and thus make them grow in such conditions. Due to these traits therefore, GMOs are expected to improve food security which is a very positive social aspect. Another major social aspect is the fact that foods can be modified in a way that they contain more nutrients as required by the humans. GM crops and animals can be induced traits which ensure they result the specific types of nutrients required. Tastes can also be altered with in order to come up with tastes needed by the humans. Health risks are also major social factors associated with GMOs. Up to date, there are various unknown health issues associated with GMOs. Some have however been identified with other mitigation issues coming into board (Marmiroli, 2008).

The above graph shows an example of improved rice through genetic engineering that supplies vitamins to the consumers despite the fact that rice is known to only provide carbohydrates in the body.

Political Comment by Maxon3: Political Look at government policy, government intervention, government involvement (support or lack of support, funding), both nationally and internationally. Consider Congress, the President, the Supreme Court (decisions), the rate of change, liberalism, conservatism, legislation, litigation, etc. What political factors are at work in the progression or regression of the technology (e.g. lobbyists, special interest groups, partisan views, vocal advocates or spokespersons)? For example: The Americans with Disabilities Act was designed to prevent discrimination and encourage accessibility to public facilities; it impacted architects, companies, organizations and persons with disabilities through the installation of ramps (wider doors, lower knobs/handles, larger restroom stalls), the use of assistive devices in schools and in the workplace, hiring practices and lawsuits against employers, etc.

Governments have a role to play concerning GMOs. One major factor in which most governments have been associated with is the issue of labelling. Various debates have risen up with reference to whether GMOs should be labelled or not. Due to the different health impacts in which people have known concerning GMOs, some individuals are currently trying their best to avoid GM products. On the other hand, manufacturers and proponents of GMO are much concerned with profits made. Due to this, they end up opposing the idea of labelling GMOs within markets and other selling points with an aim of maintaining their customer bases. This has also made governments to be in great dilemmas concerning this issue. Some governments have however supported the idea of GMOs and mainly in the developing nations whereby there is a lot of food insecurity. Other nations whereby health is a major priority GMOs have been put aside which various health and environmental organizations gathering their claims against these organisms.

The above graph shows the gap that is expected between supply and demand of food as years go by. It is very evident that GMOs can be a solution to the anticipated food insecurity in the coming years and thus governments address the negative impacts of GMOs to ensure it only benefits them.

Economic Comment by Maxon3: Economic Consider production, consumption, costs, variables of supply-demand, corporations, private enterprise, impact on the nation’s economy (employment, displacement, outsourcing). Are certain industries impacted more than others? Look up financial projections—expectations for growth, startup companies, the stock exchange, etc.—anything related to business and the U.S. and global economy. Who are the chief players in the business environment, and what is their role? How much has been invested in research and development? How will the price fluctuate? What economic trends are to be observed? Who will make money from the technology? Who is funding the research and development? Who controls the purse strings, and why? Look at foundations and charitable organizations, the outcomes and the nature of consumers. Be sure to use charts and tables and quantitative data in this section. Tables, figures, and data and statistics must be current, valid and used appropriately.

GMOs have had both positive and negative implications on the economy. To begin with positive effects, it is important to note that GMOs are generally cost effective. From the fact that they are able to survive in very harsh conditions, this automatically translates to fewer resources required for farming. For instance, GM crops can survive under less amounts of water and also demand less use of fertilizers. In this way, they prove to be very economic and cost effective to the farmers. The use of organic crops may prove to be costly, as they are easily affected by climatic factors and also susceptible to infestation by pests and diseases. For farmers therefore, GM products are a way of saving money from resources as they obtain more profits. It is important to note that GMOs are yet to result into hazardous economic impacts. First of all, a lot of funds are currently being used in research in order to come up with solutions to the problems in which GMOs have shown in countries where they are widely used. In some nations such as India, it has been reported that GMOs have resulted into the emergence of other weeds and pests that have become resistance to some of the pesticides designed to kill such pests. As a result of this, they have led into farmers experiencing various losses. A lot of funds are therefore being used by various governments to come up with solutions for these problems and thus being a very negative economic impact associated with GMOs. With various customers also shifting from the consumption of genetic modified products it is projected that the market share may reduce in the coming years and thus result into losses to the farmers and the general economy of the nation.

Cultural Comment by Maxon3: Cultural This is a really important section. Consider the elements that comprise the culture and subcultures. Compare the United States use of the technology with that of other nations around the world. What is about Americans that brings about innovation, or has America declined in terms of technical innovation, scientific research and development? Look at advertising for the technology, the use of celebrities or stars or heroes, the applications (e.g. sports and nanotechnology) and the values represented by the culture. What has priority and why? An example: IBM was spelled out in xenon atoms. Why were these letters chosen instead of something else? What new words have been added to our vocabulary from this technology? “Horseless carriage” was used long before the term “automobile.” “Wireless” preceded Wi-Fi, and webcasting preceded podcasting. “Broadcast” was a term adapted from agriculture long before it was used for radio and television. How do musicians and artists react to the technology or use the technology or incorporate the technology in their artistic productions? For example, fiber optic lighting has been used on the stage and in parades (Disney) for costuming. The drama term “In the limelight,” for example, was derived from a lens/lighting system used in lighthouses. Look at literature—perhaps science fiction or fantasy stories—that predate the technology (Jules Verne, for example, wrote about submarines before they were actually invented and used—though Leonardo da Vinci had sketched the idea centuries before Verne). Are there any songs, short stories, poems, plays, TV shows, or films that directly make reference to the technology? Are there any “related” literary works that apply? Is the artifact in a museum or will it be? Why? How does the technology relate to concepts of beauty and novelty and human creativity? How can people express their humanity through this technology? An example: scientists experimenting with nano made a “nano guitar” that actually played a tune, though it was subthreshold human hearing.

The use of GMOs have had significant implications to the cultures of people around the world. There is a diversity of culture in the entire world; these cultures are associated with various beliefs and values. GMOs have negatively impacted on of these cultural values and beliefs. For instance, India one of the developing nations in the world has had incidences of farmers committing suicide as a result of crop failures. Committing suicide is actually a taboo to many nations. Failure of crops has led into farmers remaining depressed concerning their economic status and ways of survival in case of the peasant farmers. Due to this, some of them therefore end up into breaking cultural values by committing suicide. Within United States of America, anti-science protesters have made people to completely believe that GMOs are poisonous and thus should not be consumed. Generally, the American culture is based upon science with many people believing the wonders that science has done to our universe. With people therefore having increasing doubts concerning GMOs, it leads to the rising tide of beliefs which are anti-science in nature and thus against the American Culture. With various conflicts also arising due to the use of GMOs, social unrest has become the end result which is against the European culture.

Environmental Impacts Comment by Maxon3: Environmental Impact Consider such things as dangers to humans, the depletion of resources, air and water pollution, discovery before inventions, impact on wildlife and humans (health and safety), long-term and short-term effects, waste disposal, aesthetic considerations (how the technology changes the landscape). Look also at the positive effects (savings of raw materials or fossil fuels, low environmental impact, enhancement to the environment). For example, some thought the Alaskan Pipeline would impact the caribou population and its ability to migrate; the scientists discovered that the population actually increased and was healthier because they had “shade” from the above-the-ground pipe, fewer biting flies, and less physically stressed females. Other negative examples: the spotted owl and deforestation in Washington State; the snail darter and the dam, endangered species and loss of habitats, extinction, over-mining, overproduction, pollution of ground water, landfills, toxic wastes, stripping the soil of nutrients, over fishing, over hunting, over harvesting.

GMOs have majorly been associated with very negative environmental implications. To begin with is toxicity within the environment. GM plants are usually pre-injected with chemicals that are meant to protect them against pests and diseases. In this way therefore, they are able to inject toxic compounds into the environment. With this in mind, other non-target organisms also become subjects to the toxic compounds and thus reduce biodiversity within the environment. Some of the non-target organisms that may be affected include bees and butterflies which are very important for pollination purposes. Large ecological shifts have also been witnessed in some regions as a result of using GMOs. This is due to the fact that some GM products have resulted into the emergence of weeds and pests that are resistant to pesticides. The environment is therefore under jeopardy as a result of the use of GM products. To protect the environment which is a very critical factor of production it is necessary to focus on research that would ensure such impacts are mitigated (Holst-Jensen, 2009).

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is important to note that GMOs have significant effects on the environment. Despite the fact that it is a good option for food security in the world, its short term and long term effects cannot be underestimated. It is therefore upon governments and institutions dealing with GM products to continue carrying out research in order to come up with answers for the problems currently being experienced by farmers.

References

Marmiroli, N., (2008). Methods for detection of GMOs in food and feed. Analytical and bio analytical chemistry, 392(3), 369-384.

Holst-Jensen, A. (2009). Testing for genetically modified organisms (GMOs): Past, present and future perspectives. Biotechnology advances, 27(6), 1071-1082.

Week 4: Analysis of Impact draft. Roughly 4-5 pages long. (90 possible points)

This section should include:

1. All of the required sections listed above

1. At least two statistical graphs/visual aids that supports more than one section of the analysis

1. In-text APA formatted citations with a reference page

The assessment should be well-written and incorporate proper grammar and no spelling errors.  It should incorporate an introduction, body, and a conclusion paragraph.

Content	Points	Earned
All required topics are included in the analysis	50 (10 points for each)
Two statistical graphs/visual aids are used	10 (5 points for each)
Use of introduction and conclusion paragraphs	10 (5 points for each)
In-text references are used and a reference page (in APA format) is included	10 (5 points for each)
Editing; spelling, punctuation, grammar, sentence meaning is clear	10
Total	90	90-thank you for all of the effort you put into this paper, it is appreciated!