A Peculiar Solution

EFFECTS ON HEALTH

Fatal or Extreme Allergic Reactions

Cancer (direct and indirect)

Viral and Bacterial Infections due to immunity to antibiotics through milk and plants, which may lead to outbreaks

Increased Development of Food Allergies in Next Generation

Birth Defects, Shorter Life Span, Toxic Chemicals being Transfered, and Lowered Nutrition

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT?

ADVANTAGES

PROTECT SOILS/ CONSERVE DRINKING WATER

Since GMFs reduce the need for herbicides and pesticides, which can be quite toxic to soils, this greatly reduces any potential agricultural waste run-off. Less farm soil is destroyed and there is little chance that harmful, possibly even lethal, chemicals normally used in crop harvests will leak into drinking water.

CONTROVERSIES

POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP NEW ALLERGENS

GM foods can be “contaminated” with allergens from the plant or animal sources the DNA comes from. The GM process results in unpredictable results as scientists only know so much. The inserted gene may not react well with the host cell and could develop toxic components. For example, if someone were to insert the DNA of a peanut into a soy bean, the person could now be allergic to soybeans.

INSECT RESISTANCE TO PESTICIDES/HERBICIDES

Just as insects eventually develop resistance towards pesticides and herbicides, they too can become resistant to GM crops. And in the end we would simply be furthering the problem we initially sought to solve. Scientists would just have to come up with even stronger, and therefore more dangerous, pesticides.

For example, the natural pesticide, bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin would no longer be effective. This is because GM crops such as corn and potatoes all secrete this natural pesticide, and if insects develop immunity towards it, stronger pesticides would have to be created to combat it.

UNINTENDED HARM TO OTHER ASPECTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT

In one study, pollen from a genetically modified corn crop was transported by wind to milkweed plants in neighboring fields. The monarch butterfly caterpillar depends on these plants as a major source of their diet. However, with this additional transgenic pollen, these milkweed plants are lethal to these caterpillars and cause them to die. Unfortunately, these B.t. toxins kill many species of insect larvae. On top of that, no B.t. toxin has been created that will only kill damaging insects, yet spare all other harmless insects at the same time.

CROSS CONTAMINATION BETWEEN DIFFERENT ORGANISMS

Insects can pollinate organic plants and other non-target species with transgenic elements. This is called “cross-breeding.” Furthermore, unlike chemical pollution, which naturally breaks down in the ecosystem, genetic pollution will continue to reproduce infinitely.

SOLUTIONS TO CONTAMINATION

1) Develop new GM plants that only produce pollen that do not contain the new inserted gene

2) Develop new GM plants that do not produce any pollen at all, completely eliminating the problem.

3) Create buffer zones around GM crops.

For example, non-GM crops would be planted around GM crops. All season, the non-GM crops would not be harvested, leaving insects to roam and pests to consume these non-GM crops. Therefore, they would not develop any resistance to pesticides.

Pollen could be not be wind blown because the buffer of crops would prevent it from going far.

ECOSYSTEM IMBALANCE

In one situation, GM fish grew several times their size and wiped out their marine counterparts in the wild. Because there is no way of containment, it can often result in an ecological imbalance, where there exists much more of a particular species. Up to a certain degree, the ecosystem can collapse.

RESIDUE

In one case, a genetically modified bacterium, known as Klebsiella planticola, meant to break down wood chips, corn stalks, and lumber wastes ended up killing nutrients in the soil. Additionally, this residue, although not lethal, is left on the crop, which humans end up rather unpleasantly ingesting.

Random fact:

Over 50% processed foods has been genetically modified



	EFFECTS ON HEALTH Fatal or Extreme Allergic Reactions Cancer (direct and indirect) Viral and Bacterial Infections due to immunity to antibiotics through milk and plants, which may lead to outbreaks Increased Development of Food Allergies in Next Generation Birth Defects, Shorter Life Span, Toxic Chemicals being Transfered, and Lowered Nutrition WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT? ADVANTAGES PROTECT SOILS/ CONSERVE DRINKING WATER Since GMFs reduce the need for herbicides and pesticides, which can be quite toxic to soils, this greatly reduces any potential agricultural waste run-off. Less farm soil is destroyed and there is little chance that harmful, possibly even lethal, chemicals normally used in crop harvests will leak into drinking water. *CONTROVERSIES* POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP NEW ALLERGENS GM foods can be “contaminated” with allergens from the plant or animal sources the DNA comes from. The GM process results in unpredictable results as scientists only know so much. The inserted gene may not react well with the host cell and could develop toxic components. For example, if someone were to insert the DNA of a peanut into a soy bean, the person could now be allergic to soybeans. INSECT RESISTANCE TO PESTICIDES/HERBICIDES Just as insects eventually develop resistance towards pesticides and herbicides, they too can become resistant to GM crops. And in the end we would simply be furthering the problem we initially sought to solve. Scientists would just have to come up with even stronger, and therefore more dangerous, pesticides. For example, the natural pesticide, bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin would no longer be effective. This is because GM crops such as corn and potatoes all secrete this natural pesticide, and if insects develop immunity towards it, stronger pesticides would have to be created to combat it. UNINTENDED HARM TO OTHER ASPECTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT In one study, pollen from a genetically modified corn crop was transported by wind to milkweed plants in neighboring fields. The monarch butterfly caterpillar depends on these plants as a major source of their diet. However, with this additional transgenic pollen, these milkweed plants are lethal to these caterpillars and cause them to die. Unfortunately, these B.t. toxins kill many species of insect larvae. On top of that, no B.t. toxin has been created that will only kill damaging insects, yet spare all other harmless insects at the same time. CROSS CONTAMINATION BETWEEN DIFFERENT ORGANISMS Insects can pollinate organic plants and other non-target species with transgenic elements. This is called “cross-breeding.” Furthermore, unlike chemical pollution, which naturally breaks down in the ecosystem, genetic pollution will continue to reproduce infinitely. SOLUTIONS TO CONTAMINATION 1) Develop new GM plants that only produce pollen that do not contain the new inserted gene 2) Develop new GM plants that do not produce any pollen at all, completely eliminating the problem. 3) Create buffer zones around GM crops. For example, non-GM crops would be planted around GM crops. All season, the non-GM crops would not be harvested, leaving insects to roam and pests to consume these non-GM crops. Therefore, they would not develop any resistance to pesticides. Pollen could be not be wind blown because the buffer of crops would prevent it from going far. ECOSYSTEM IMBALANCE In one situation, GM fish grew several times their size and wiped out their marine counterparts in the wild. Because there is no way of containment, it can often result in an ecological imbalance, where there exists much more of a particular species. Up to a certain degree, the ecosystem can collapse. RESIDUE In one case, a genetically modified bacterium, known as Klebsiella planticola, meant to break down wood chips, corn stalks, and lumber wastes ended up killing nutrients in the soil. Additionally, this residue, although not lethal, is left on the crop, which humans end up rather unpleasantly ingesting. Random fact: Over 50% processed foods has been genetically modified
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