Genetic pollution

into the apple. Upon learning this, I vowed to never again eat a genetically modified apple. However, eating foods that are not genetically altered may be easier said than done. At present, manufacturers are not required to label their products as containing GMOs. According to the Food and Drug Administration, “foods developed using recombinant DNA (or rDNA) techniques would not be required to have special labeling to reveal that fact to consumers (Le Trent).” While this may seem like a harmless practice to many consumers, it can often lead a person to feel deceived and misinformed. According to a January 2012 lawsuit against Frito-Lay filed by Chris Shake, “modified organisms are created artificially in a laboratory by swapping genetic material across species to exhibit traits not naturally theirs (Dye)." The lawsuit also argues that the labeling of snack foods such as Tostitos and Sun Chips as “all-natural” should not be permitted sine they are made from genetically engineered corn and oils. In my opinion, “all-natural” means the ingredients can be found in nature, not in a Petri dish. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) proposes that a myriad of health problems including infertility, immune system problems, accelerated aging, disruption of insulin and cholesterol regulation, gastrointestinal problems, and organ damage are all associated with the ingestion of genetically modified organisms (Smith, M.). On top of these ailments, there is also…

Wildlife Trafficking: the Elephant in the Room, But Without the Elephants Many people think it is cool and unique to have an exotic pet and stand out among their peers. But for every animal that is transported from its native country for sale, 90% will not survive the journey (“Inside”). That means that only 10% of animals are likely to last just the trip, which does not include the dozens of animals that are canceled orders, abandoned, or starving because of inadequate care and lack of a…

GMO is created by manipulating the plant or animal’s DNA so that it holds certain desirable traits. The process of gene splicing allows the desirable genetic material to become part of the organism’s DNA, thus giving it the name, a genetically modified organism. These organisms are created for both agricultural purposes as well as scientific research. What are the most common types of GMOs? The two main genetically modified crops seen in the United States are Roundup Ready crops and Bt crops.…

Over the span of 35 years, our society has developed research towards Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).These organisms have provided many benefits to the society through nutritional value and over the years of being developed, there have been negative theories that have arisen in the eyes of skeptics. Although there are many legitimate concerns toward GMOs, labeling and regulating Genetically Modified Organisms can alert customers of the dangers and decrease negativity by informing them of…

Tree Of Heaven Thomas Hairston, Laura Drake, Will Young, Joanna Sanford, Skyler de Regt, Boyd Anderson PSS 3133 Introduction Ailanthus altissma or more commonly known as the Tree of Heaven was introduced to the United States as an ornamental. The Tree of Heaven originated in Northeastern and Central China and Taiwan. It was introduced to the U.S. in 1748 by a Pennsylvania gardener. The Tree of Heaven is a deciduous tree that can reach 80 ft. and 6 ft. in diameter. It has smooth pale gray…

supermarkets which on average stock close to fifty thousand food items and these items is estimated to have traveled on average 2000 miles or 3200km before consumption. This increase of movement adds risks of contamination, every time it is transferred, from a boat, to a dock, to a warehouse, to a truck, all these steps add another chance for contamination to occur. In the United States individuals arriving from developing countries and taking on jobs as food handlers may have intestinal…

When looking at the data provided, the trends of native-species increase in the restored area and the abundance of exotic species seen in the degraded areas provides an idea of how effective the restoration efforts where at restoring them to the reference site. To begin, the data provided in table 5 gives an idea of the distribution of the number of species found at each site, and how much of a contrast is shown between the restored and degraded areas and how they compare to the reference site.…

Is this natures way of saying that we shouldn 't be doing this? Or is it only one simple downfall to the many pros? Unfortunately, there isn 't much research to back nor defeat GMO 's, which raises another question. Do we really know what were handling? The genetic code and DNA sequencing of an organism is very gentle and delicate, one base off and situations such as Cystic Fibrosis occurs. Yet, we 're able to handle it carefully and with enough care to create apples that will never bruise, or…

SKUNKS: HOW TO GET RID OF THEM AND THEIR SMELL Skunks are some of the most famous among wild animals that all have a love-hate relationship with. While most of us dread encountering them, some have learned to domesticate them to use as pets. Their iconic black and white body is synonymous with an incredibly unpleasant smell they are famous for, skunks nonetheless love to be close to humans and are known for serial invasions of people’s garages and storage facilities. This has pushed many to go…

Invasive Species: The Raccoon The Raccoons are omnivorous(Plants and Animals) predatory mammals that can weight over 10 kilograms.(Reference 6) They are known for their intelligence, even a 4 year old raccoon has been able to dance clap and sweep the floor.(Reference 5) For my invasive species I chose the Raccoon (Sometimes spelled Racoon), it’s originally from North America and it escaped to Germany in 1934 and 1945. The Raccoon was introduced into Germany 2 times, in 1934 when a poultry…