Olyvia Poelvoorde
ENST 480
GMO Pro
Genetically modified organisms (GMO) are organisms that have their genetic material altered artificially using genetic engineering. GMOs are a subject that a lot of people have an opinion about, both good and bad. Plant genetic engineering methods were developed over 30 years ago, and since then, genetically modified crops have become commercially available and widely adopted. In 2009, GM crops were being grown on 10 percent of the Earth’s arable land.1 From personal experience, when most people think of genetically modified organisms, images swirl their minds of syringes sticking out of food, or some scary variation of a mad scientist injecting them poisons. These misconceptions, I believe are why a large …show more content…
Pest-resistant plants would cut down the pollution of industrial growing as well as significantly decrease or even eliminate exposure to toxic chemicals in both our households and the fields. In the United States alone, the Department of Agriculture found residue of no less than thirty-five pesticides on non-GMO tomatoes that were destined for supermarket shelves.3 This fact alone is alarming to me, we buy these fruits and vegetables in the store and they are littered with pesticides. In the United states alone we use five-hundred-thousand tonnes of pesticides, that come in six-hundred different forms, annually.4 Along with these horrifying numbers, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Environmental Program has reported that an estimated one-million pesticide poisonings are reported annually around the world and twenty-thousand deaths.5 With genetically modified foods we can reduce those numbers significantly. The United States alone contributes sixty-seven-thousand of those non-fatal pesticide poisonings.6 The number of pesticides and fertilizers farmers have to put on their crops in order to create larger yields, or to ensure their survival is not only harmful to us, but also the environment around them. Domestic and non-domestic wildlife are also at risk when it comes to pesticide use. Since these animals often wander freely, it is easy for them to be exposed to these harmful chemicals. Pesticides harm more than just animals, they also contaminate ground water. According to Holmes et al. Nearly half of the ground and well water in the United States is or has the potential to be contaminated.7 Genetically modified pest-resistant crops would never pose this kind of threat to human and animal
ENST 480
GMO Pro
Genetically modified organisms (GMO) are organisms that have their genetic material altered artificially using genetic engineering. GMOs are a subject that a lot of people have an opinion about, both good and bad. Plant genetic engineering methods were developed over 30 years ago, and since then, genetically modified crops have become commercially available and widely adopted. In 2009, GM crops were being grown on 10 percent of the Earth’s arable land.1 From personal experience, when most people think of genetically modified organisms, images swirl their minds of syringes sticking out of food, or some scary variation of a mad scientist injecting them poisons. These misconceptions, I believe are why a large …show more content…
Pest-resistant plants would cut down the pollution of industrial growing as well as significantly decrease or even eliminate exposure to toxic chemicals in both our households and the fields. In the United States alone, the Department of Agriculture found residue of no less than thirty-five pesticides on non-GMO tomatoes that were destined for supermarket shelves.3 This fact alone is alarming to me, we buy these fruits and vegetables in the store and they are littered with pesticides. In the United states alone we use five-hundred-thousand tonnes of pesticides, that come in six-hundred different forms, annually.4 Along with these horrifying numbers, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Environmental Program has reported that an estimated one-million pesticide poisonings are reported annually around the world and twenty-thousand deaths.5 With genetically modified foods we can reduce those numbers significantly. The United States alone contributes sixty-seven-thousand of those non-fatal pesticide poisonings.6 The number of pesticides and fertilizers farmers have to put on their crops in order to create larger yields, or to ensure their survival is not only harmful to us, but also the environment around them. Domestic and non-domestic wildlife are also at risk when it comes to pesticide use. Since these animals often wander freely, it is easy for them to be exposed to these harmful chemicals. Pesticides harm more than just animals, they also contaminate ground water. According to Holmes et al. Nearly half of the ground and well water in the United States is or has the potential to be contaminated.7 Genetically modified pest-resistant crops would never pose this kind of threat to human and animal