World Changing Response 2

Lily Porter

9/24

 

Reading “This Steer’s Life” really sparked my interest in genetically modified animals.  The article definitely made me not want to eat genetically modified meat, but rather only grass fed animals.  It seemed to me that genetically modifying things was tampering with nature and it was all unhealthy and harmful.  So I read “The Benefits of Bioengineered Crops”.  Turns out, scientists seem to have a better handle on controlling plants than animals, yet it is still risky.

            Genetically modified crops may have dangerous results (on human health and the environment) in the future, which we simply haven’t had enough time to learn from.  Still, these crops do have positive outcomes, such as New Rice for Africa (NERICA).  NERICA is “a strain of rice that may succeed in bettering health in West and Central Africa, restoring agricultural sustainability there, and improving the economics of food importation in the regions” (Steffen 68).  Bioengineers have the ability to make crops specific to a region’s needs.  For instance, they can take two very different plants and mix them together into one to create a more sustainable and useful crop.  This fairly new idea of genetically modified crops has so much potential to improve, and since no major problems are arising from it, it seems to be a much better process then genetically modified animals. 

            Because I think genetically modifying animals has mainly negative effects, I was expecting to think the same of genetically modifying plants.  The opposite happened.  I think genetically modified crops have great potential.  This proves how that it is important to educate people on where their food/stuff comes from and the new ideas that are changing our world. 

 

Steffen, Alex. World Changing: A User's Guide For the 21^st

 Century. New York, NY: Abrams, 2008. Print.