HW1

= Who cares? =

Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?
Dear Audience, Today, I would like to focus your attention on an important sustainability issue. We have a diverse audience in this class, with different backgrounds and difference age categories. So some of you may already support this subject that I am about to present while others may be against it. I would like to discuss the issue of food shortage and commonly known solution genetically modified (GM) foods. GM foods refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption through molecular biology modification. Plants are modified in a laboratory with the purpose of enhancing desired traits such as increased resistance to bacteria or improved nutritional content[1]. With the growing world population, presently over 6 billion people and with the prediction to double in the next several decades, there is a need to ensure adequate food supply. There are obviously number of pros and cons for the production of GM foods and I would like to highlight some of those that were presented in Deborah Whitman’s paper called “ Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?” So what are the costs and benefits of GM foods? What are the uncertainties involved and how should they be taken into account in public policy? First of all, improved pest resistance of crops will help farmers prevent massive losses due to parasites. For decades the solution was the chemical products that were spread over the field which then in some cases got into your water. However, GM foods can contain a trait that contains a type of protein that is lethal to parasites. Secondly, GM plants can be made disease resistant and cold tolerant. Finally, they can be genetically engineered to contain additional vitamins and minerals with the objective to address nutrient deficiencies and fight malnutrition in the world population. Currently, strong critics against GM foods are environmental activists, religious organizations and some government officials. There are a few most commonly mentioned cons on the subject of GM crops. First, the previously mentioned pest resistance gene not only affects parasites but also kills some other insects that are essential to the ecosystem. There is also a fear that parasites will develop immunity to the gene and it will become a bigger problem but that has not been proved. When it comes to negative effects on a human, introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergic reaction in susceptible individuals. Not that many other health risks are currently known. This subject doesn’t just involve scientific community, it spreads over economic and political aspects as well and this is the reason why it is so hard to get the masses to accept this idea. I encourage you to read about this sustainability problem and decide for yourself whether this can be the solution for food shortages that becomes a bigger problem with each day.

[1] Whitman, Deborah. “Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?” //Csa.com//. Accessed February 1, 2014. http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php.

Indoor air pollution and tuberculosis
This article talks about the relationship between biomass fuels, used in low income counties, and tuberculosis. This type of fuel is currently used by over 3.4 billion people around the world for everyday cooking and heating. Although there is no clear proof to it yet there is a noticeable correlation. The article provides an extended web search results which suggest that 1.5 million of premature deaths, primarily among women and children, are lost each due to indoor air pollution[i].

[i] Sumpter, Colin, and Daniel Chandramohan. “Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Associations between Indoor Air Pollution and Tuberculosis.” //Tropical Medicine & International Health// 18, no. 1 (January 2013): 101–108. doi:10.1111/tmi.12013.

=Works Cited= 1.Whitman, Deborah. “Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?” //Csa.com//. Accessed February 1, 2014. []. 2.Sumpter, Colin, and Daniel Chandramohan. “Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Associations between Indoor Air Pollution and Tuberculosis.” Tropical Medicine & International Health 18, no. 1 (January 2013): 101–108. doi:10.1111/tmi.12013.