Genetic Engineering
Biotechnology: Designer Genes for Familiar FoodsThere are many environmental issues surrounding the agricultural, farming, and ecological applications of biotechnology. Objectors to altered crops express concerns wondering how engineered pest and herbicide resistance might affect local ecology. For example, they ask if herbicide resistance would lead to increased use of dangerous herbicides to kill weeds, since farmers would no longer worry about the dangers of their crops' overexposure to these chemicals. In addition, these people express concern that depriving insects of crops for food would, in turn, deprive birds and frogs of insect prey. There are also many objections to the release of genetically engineered organisms into the wild. Environmentalists express misgivings about the effects of introducing new and novel organisms into a given ecological systems. They say that the effects of new organisms - or even ordinary ones with new genes - are too complex to be predicted, and potentially too dangerous to be risked.Some of the well-known transgenic crops on the market today are Roundup Ready Soybean, Roundup Ready com, Bt Corn, IMI corn, etc. Pros and Cons of Genetically Altered Crops
If safely deployed, it could be a tremendous help in meeting the challenge of feeding an additional three billion human beings, 95% of them in the poor developing countries, on the same amount of land and water currently available. Apparently, after eating the corn pollen that was dusted on plants most populated by the Monarch-butterfly caterpillars, many died. · Stocks of original, natural crops and livestock should be maintained and produced for those who have health or personal reasons to avoid eating transgenic foods. These foods are included in many processed products. That can reduce the use of pesticides which can help to protect the environment. · Starlink corn had not yet been approved for human consumption. Many states had legislative activity related to agricultural biotechnology in 2001. In addition, the concern exists that disease resistance could cause relatively harmless diseases to mutate and become more dangerous, perhaps even infecting humans. The addition of any genes into crops could result in these genes' escape into the wild. · There might be environmental impacts. · A few large corporations might control genetic diversity. Some potential cons:· Some people might have allergic reactions. If enough signatures are obtained, it will be on the November 2002 ballot.
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