RJA #9b: Argument

Research Question: Do the benefits of GMOs outweigh the known and unknown risks they pose to human and environmental health?

Claim/Thesis: The ubiquity of raising GMOs for use in the food system is an alarming and looming threat to environmental, which needs to be reevaluated for the future safety of our most basic food staples and current human health as well.

Arguments For: 1) We don't yet know how changing the DNA of a food crop will impact human health and animals for which they are used as feed.

2) It is still not proven if the GMO can cross breed with its wild counterparts and the effect of this out breeding.

3) The natural insecticides and herbicides these GMOs produce could have an unforeseen effect on their surrounding environment and cause unwanted resistance buildup to readily available chemicals.

4) The use of GMOs causes a sever loss of biodiversity of certain land races particularly in Mexico, the birthplace of the modern corn. Without this biodiversity if ever a strain were to fall ill to a virus or bacterium an entire food crop would cease to exist for the forseeable future.

Counter Arguments: 1) We have always consumed DNA and adding some here and there is no different than traditional breeding currently does to plants.

2) In the growing of GMOs we have developed ways of cutting down the risk of out breeding with other non target species, such as hedges and other separating plants.

3) By stacking and altering genes used to produce certain chemicals to fight pests and weeds we can substantially decrease the chance of either one becoming predominately resistant to the chemicals and therefore genes.

RJA #9c: Presentation Plan

I) Introduction

A) GMO definition

B) Arguments and Counter Arguments for GMOs

C) Slight history on market for GMOs

II) Where GMOs Exist Today

A) GMOs in the Economy

1) Farming

2) Medical

III) Existence of GMOs in Farming

A) Food Production

1) Safety of Products in the market

2) Safety of Products in the environment

B) Current Regulations for GMOs in Food Production

1) Existing government regulation

2) Flaws or oversights in this regulation

IV) Consequences of US Regulation

A) Environmental Weaknesses with Current Regulation

B) What should be done to rectify weaknesses

V) Conclusion

A) Sum up arguments and counterarguments

RJA #9a: Thesis Statement

Research Question: Should genetically modified organisms be allowed to be grown and used in the public food system?

Precise Claim: Because of the immense power of GMOs and the associated unknowns not yet known GMOs should be used on a very limited basis.

Reasons/Blueprint: GMOs are grown out in the openness of nature where they can easily and do mingle with other wild plant relatives and other species.

The regulations in place during the inception of GMO use were not strong or stringent enough to thoroughly test the safety to the environment and human health.

Complete Thesis Statement: The ubiquity of raising GMOs for use in the food system is an alarming and looming threat to environmental, which needs to be reevaluated for the future safety of our most basic food staples and current human health as well.

RJA #7b: Field Research Suggestions

http://cbath.blogspot.com/2010/02/rja-6c-field-research-options.html#comment-form

http://kwill12.blogspot.com/2010/03/rja-6c-field-research-options.html#comment-form

RJA #7a: Evaluation of Sources

Book Evaluation:

The book "Seeds For The Future" is in the authors words is written with the intelligent layperson in mind. The book draws from numerous, reputable academic sources, including the National Academy of Sciences and Science. The book is published by Cornell University Press a well respected and known publisher. In the preface the author sets out to say that she tries to approach the issue from both angles of genetically modified organisms. This leads to a text that is well balanced and is not skewed to fit an ideological objective. The text is rather recent, being published in 2007 and seems to include recent data and discoveries.

Thomson, Jennifer A. (2007). Seeds For The Future: The Impact of Genetically Modified Crops on the Environment. New York: Cornell University Press

Reference Evaluation

This reference source is a government paper on drafting procedures on enhancing GMO oversight and tighter controls of their uses. It covers current trends and procedures and includes examples for GMOs currently in use in the food crops. The publishing source is obviously trustworthy and the fact checking has to be thorough considering it is a government document. Although depending on the agency and who may be in charge of drafting this source they may have a tendency to find facts and arguments to fit their political ideology. The text was published in November 2008 so the facts contain within are most definitely up to date.

United States Government Accountability Office (November 2008). Genetically Engineered Crops, GAO-09-60. Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0960.pdf

Website Reference

The website source is a wholly created and self run website by writers. They make no claim to be scientists, only to provide a clear and unbiased argument about GMOs. They say on their website they do not care which side you are for just that you have all the facts before deciding. On the about us page of this site they do not advertise on the site, accept affiliate relationships or endorsements so they can stay unbiased. The site seems to be recently updated and include seemingly up to date information about the subject topic. As a source their is definitely some information that is easily accessible but will definitely need to be verified it seems to be an outlier from the general knowledge I gain as I research my paper.

Marshall, Jane. Genetically Modified Foods. (2010)

Periodical Evaluation

The periodical source I have chosen is from the New York Times newspaper. This source is definitely trustworthy as the article has been edited and fact checked for errors as most major news prints do this. The article was printed in April 2007 and therefore contains recent and up to date information on GMOs. The author may or may not have a bias towards or against GMOs. They may be writing an opinion piece, as writers are not required to be totally unbiased in their work. The article provides for some interesting insight in GMOs and their safety, to be explored more in depth. This can hopefully connect from my other sources.

Caruso, Denise. (April 8, 2007) How to Confine the Plants of the Future?. New York Times

Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2007/04/08/business/yourmoney/08frame.html