by According to the lecture, biotechnolgy refers to a sociological system in which some of the elements are active biological process and taking those biological processes and placing them within a human-made system. In other words, what used to be the job of nature is now the job of science and artificial human creration done in labs. There are a lot of questions surrounding the ethicality of a type of biotechnolgy known as GMOs (Gentically Modified Orgainisms), but there are also some positvites that will help our society grow and be more succesful. In this blog post I aim to look upon the positives that GMOs can provide for our society as well as analyze any possible downsides that might come with them.
An Article written by a website called “Inside Battle” details some different ways in which GMOs can have a positive effect on our society and why we should support them. One reason Gentically Modified Orgainisms or GMOs can help our society flourish is because they can make food more nutritious than it is in its natural form. For example, tomaotoes have been “engineered to produce higher levels of nutrients called anthocyanins, which have been shown to be protective against a wide variety of human diseases” (Inside Battle). A second reason GMOs could be a helpful addition to our society is because they can actually help reduce pesticide use on our crops. The GMOs can be enginereed to be more pest resistant than natural crops and thus would require less added pesticides to keep insects and potential diseases at bay. Pesticides are already a concern for people when it comes to health and safety as pesticides can be dangerous for human consumption. Thus, GMOs could make crops healthier in more ways than one. Another big issue facing the United States and the world at large is global warming, and GMOs may be able to help reduce it. Due to climate change, some areas of the world are facing unforeseen droughts that are very damaging to supplying the worlds food. GMOs could be used to modify crops so that they are better adjusted to grow in warmer dryer environments that they were previously unable to grow in. These are just some of the ways in which GMO crops can help our society improve.
On the flip side, there are still some questions surrounding the ethicality of Gentically Modified Orgainisms. Looking to the future, it is unknown what the impact will be of different GMOs decades down the road on our bodies and well being. Even if the GMOs are well tested in a laboratory, we cannot be for sure that these artifical changes to organisms could have adverse effects on our lives. Also, is there something to be said about what is right and wrong when consuming food? Should humans be consuimng plants that are genetically modifed at all, or is it unethical and dangerous to try and change the course of nature. In my opinion, GMOs seem to be a positive tool for our society to take advantage of, but I can seen the negative aspects of them too.
https://inside.battelle.org/blog-details/five-good-reasons-to-support-gmos