GMO's: Assignment 1

1)Remember when you were a tour guide for an Alien? The Alien is back and wants to understand what a GMO is. Explain this information to the Alien. 
 
A GMO is a Genetically Modified Organism. What that means essentially is that it is an organism whose genetic structure (DNA) is changed for a wide variety of reasons. An organism is a life form.  DNA is the building block for every organism. Within our DNA is all the information for our genetic make up that gets passed down to our offspring (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/DNA). Now how GMO works is that it takes DNA from multiple organisms and combines them together for a new organism. For example in this article by the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/18/AR2010091803808.html) they discuss AquAdvantage salmon, which was given genes from other fish in order to make it grow twice as fast as normal salmon. DNA strands were used from other fishes and put in the salmon to achieve a certain product.

2) State the controversy associated with GMO’s. 

From reading these articles, the main controversy associated with GMO’s is health concerns. All the articles reference a possible health issue with GMO’s. In the Guardian UK’s article (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jul/06/europe-gm-crop-bans) the author discusses how members of European Parliament are trying to ban the cultivation of GM crops in their locations. They don’t want GM products cultivated in their locations because of the severe environmental and socio-economical implications. Another one of the articles from the Institute for Responsible Technology (http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-basics) has a wide variety of information pertaining to potential health risks from GMO’s. The website discussed how animals fed GM crops had severe health issues including everything from disabled reproduction to death.

3) Are people’s reactions to GMO’s different in various regions of the world?
Explain with references.

Yes, people’s reactions to GMO’s do differ around the world. In the Washington Post article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/18/AR2010091803808_2.html) the article discusses how difficult it is to find GM food in the European Union and Japan. The reason for this is primarily based on the requirement of GMO labels on food. However, in the same article, it is discussed that there is no label in the US to determine if food is genetically modified or not.
In another article from the Guardian UK (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jul/06/europe-gm-crop-bans), the author discusses that the European Parliament is attempting to ban GM food from being cultivated in its territories. It seems that genetically modified food is both accepted for consumption and cultivation in our country, but being banned in other parts of the world for various environmental and health issues.


4) What’s your reaction to this topic?
Explain with references.

As I complete this assignment, I am currently eating Cheez-its and drinking an Arizona tea. Reading these articles is making think twice on the ingredient lists of those two products. I am very disturbed the United States hasn’t developed (or chooses not to develop) a labeling system for GMO’s. However based on the benefits listed in the Human Genome Project Information article (http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/gmfood.shtml), it seems like genetically modifying foods can be beneficial in a big way. Genetically modifying food can allow food to be grown in areas of the world that it usually cannot. This could assist impoverished nations with cultivating food in areas that they could not previously.
However, my mind is torn on this topic. While HMO’s seem very harmful given the information listed on the Institute for Responsible Technology website (http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-basics), it seems like there can still be benefits to genetically modifying food.

5) Can GMO’s be changed? Should they be changed?
Explain with references.

Going based off what was stated in the previous question, GMO’s can be changed for the better given information from the Human Genome Project Information article (http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/gmfood.shtml). They should be changed to exclude all the harmful modifications listed in the Institute for Responsible Technology article (http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-basics). The crops that have been created that killed a wide variety of animals who have consumed them need to have their genetic components altered.


6) While reading "Institute for Responsible Technology. GMO Basics (Also explore at least two of the other tabs on this page:http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-basics
" What were the two tabs that you explored? How did the information presented affect what you thought about GMO's?

The two tabs I explored on that website were the Fraud and GMO Dangers tabs. I already had some knowledge on this topic before this assignment, but didn’t look into the extensive damage caused by consuming GMO’s.
Under the GMO Dangers tab I found a list of extensive consequences that scientists had discovered based on their research of animals being fed GM products. This list, which includes a variety of issues with animal infants and birth problems/defects, made me think that there needs to be some sort of GMO labeling. If people are eating this food, they have a right to know what is going into it.
The Fraud tab on the website discusses how GMO companies had given a bias toward their product to look successful in a study being conducted. Implying that the non- GMO corn had been “wormy” because it didn’t have any alterations to its genetic make up is manipulation used towards a consumer. This makes me think that if GMO companies need to use such manipulative ways to prove their product is better, their might be some skeletons buried in their closet.

7) Typing out the exact quote from any of the readings (and referencing it) list one powerful statement that you read.
Put the statement in context and explain why this statement was powerful enough to remember. (What made you react to this information?)

From the Institute of Responsible Technology article (http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-basics), I found this quote:
“The plants themselves are toxic, and not just to insects. Farmers in India, who let their sheep graze on Bt cotton plants after the harvest, saw thousands of sheep die!”
This article was discussing how some crops have been genetically altered (like the Bt cotton plants) to produce their own pesticide. As a result of this, animals who have eaten or grazed the genetically modified plant have died. This made me react more than any of the other lines in any of the other articles because of the sever implications GMO’s can have on animals. What does that mean for us? How will our health be affected from eating genetically modified crops or animals? This quote was powerful because it raises those kind of questions.