FREE ESSAY ON BIOTECHNOLOGY: PROS AND CONS

BIOTECHNOLOGY: PROS AND CONS

Biotechnology: Pros and Cons
Throughout this past semester many important ecological dilemmas have come to my
attention. The most striking environmental issue that I have noted this semester has been
agricultural Biotechnology. A reputable definition of Biotechnology would be "the means
or way of manipulating life forms (organisms) to provide desirable products for man's
use"(www.biotechknowledge.com). Scientists are pleased due to the arrival of
biotechnology, believing that it will replace original, conventional breeding methods.
After all, it seems like it is a smarter, less expensive way to grow our world's food
supply. But let's note that this scientific practice is really not that new. The word
biotechnology was introduced in 1919 by a scientist by the name of Karl Ereky in showing
mans interaction with biology using modern technology. But, Biotechnology in its
agricultural aspects is only one of the many fields of this study. Some other areas in
this study are: recombinant DNA, rDNA or gene splicing, enzyme systems, meristem culture,
mammalian cell culture, immunology, molecular biology, fermentation, and others. But,
humans are beginning to see the not so perfect traits of biotechnology, and even
recognizing it as a type of "biological pollution"(Nill, 03). 
" Biological pollution", as viewed by Michael Pollan, can even be seen as a
"disease"(Pollan, 186). There are many reasons why we should stick to our conventional
ways of growing food, these reasons are because biotechnology is producing effects that
are unfavorable to the health of humans and of our ecosystems. Using the biotech way, we
could be putting ourselves at risk of numerous health problems. With conventional
breeding methods, pesticides were sprayed on the outside of the fruit, where they can be
easily washed off. But, biotech foods are not that easily rid of chemicals. When the
pesticide is placed inside a fruit's DNA makeup, it literally becomes part of the fruit.
You cannot wash this away. Potato grower Pollan reported that "...in the Grower Guide
also brought news that my potato plants were themselves a pesticide, registered with the
Environmental Protection Agency"(Pollan, 184). Would you honestly eat a piece of fruit or
a vegetable that can kill all insects on contact? We are not talking about something with
just a waxy film on the outside; it is actually containing a chemical that itself can
kill life. Conventional breeding methods would allow washing the fruit four times to be
safe, but this is not an option for Biotechnology.
Biotechnology is not only bad for our health, but it is also capable of really messing up
our ecosystems. We are ready to plant fields of vegetables that can wipe out an entire
species of insect in a designated area. Insect-fighting capabilities of Biotechnology are
even seen to be futile in the future. The insects will have built a resistance in time
and this is only money out of farmers' pockets. It cannot completely wipe out all the
bugs anyway, because bugs are really responsible for the process of pollination. No
pollination would mean no flowers, no flowers would lead to fruit, that would bear seeds
to start off a whole new generation of plants. It also brings up another issue. Just what
if some bugs managed to make it, and then started spreading around pollen from plants
that are resistant to bugs. We will end up crossing the wrong bugs together, and they
could soon develop a resistance to the Bt chemical. " The theory is that when a
Bt-resistant bug does show up, it can be induced to mate with a susceptible bug from the
refuge, thus diluting the new gene for resistance," (Pollan, 187). This means that if we
have a bunch of 'super bugs' flying around, they will be immune to even crops that don't
use biotechnology, they will be immune to the organic ones that just use Bt sprays.
Besides all the immediate, obvious threats, let us not forget the fact that the
government is and has been trying to hide the fact that Bt products are already being
sold. You would figure that in the 'land of the free' we would have the freedom of
choice. How do we know if this Bt stuff is safe, and if it is so safe, then why aren't we
told which are Bt products and which ones aren't?
But one should not be biased in their convictions, so let us consider the views of
Biotechnology. Many people in the world today hold this optimistic view of Biotechnology.
With our world growing rapidly and the populations rising to unimaginable heights, new
ideas of ways to accommodate our needs should be thought of. However, we should, at the
same time, not use up all of our earth's resources. "With the advent of biotechnology,
agriculture is entering the information age..." (Pollan, 183). So, we have started
recycling programs, ways of preserving energy, and now we have pretty much tackled this
endeavor called Biotechnology. It allows us to grow foods that are able to protect
themselves from pesky bugs, while at the same time producing more and better-qualified
food. With biotechnology, the possibilities and its benefits over rule anything that is
considered negative about it. It may be the method of farming that can save our world
from starvation in future.
Instead of using this costly and inefficient way of farming involving the saturation of
plants, daily, with loads of pesticides and herbicides, these Bt plants are designed to
be a lot smarter than that. These plants have the actual pesticide genetically inserted
into their DNA makeup. This way, plants can defend themselves from beetles and other
destructive bugs that have wiped out complete crops in the past. Biotechnology has been
described by professionals as "part of a 'new agricultural paradigm' that will make
farming more sustainable, feed the world and improve health and nutrition..." (Pollan,
183). Most farmers know how expensive continual sprayings of chemicals become, and also
how bad they can be for our environment. Pesticides eventually leach into our soils and
contaminate water supplies with nitrates and other chemicals that are harmful to any
living thing's health. Insects have been ruining crops for hundreds of years, and
continue to in our century as being a really big problem in crop production. Bt fruits
and vegetables are able to fight off these insects, and stay healthy right down to the
day that they are served on your dinner table.
I know what you must be thinking, if Bt pesticides are so detrimental to health when
sprayed, then how are pesticides any better when they are inside the vegetable or fruit?
The answer is that these biologically engineered foods are in fact, very safe. "EPA
designates Messenger [a type of biologically engineered chemical] as a Toxicity Category
IV product, a designation reserved for materials with the lowest hazard potential,"
(www.edenbio.com). The EPA declared them safe to eat, so Bt products are not labeled as
products using a Bt pesticide in them. Anyway, this toxin made in the genetically
engineered potatoes, and many other biotech plants, is the same insecticide farmers have
relied on for years, only externally. Tests have been prepared and this research has
shown that on humans, Bt products have no evidence of any sort of allergy or
hypersensitivity.
Another reason why we should continue using biotechnology is because we have actually
been consuming these products all along. Food utilizing this method of farming has been
on our grocery shelves for quite some time now. The EPA doesn't consider these products
as actual pesticides, but simply as "additives" to the original food. Additives are not
harmful, so why should we worry? If the agency that is designed to find inconsistencies
in food is supporting biotechnology, then it should definitely be considered safe.
As you can see, we have a lot of thinking to do when it considers our future environment.
We simply cannot use up all the nutrients in our soil until it all goes sour, and we
certainly cannot pollute our earth's resources with pesticides and other chemicals that
we use to grow our food. After all, the earth is the one place that provides us with
food, so we really cannot harm it for the sake of growing food. We might wake up one day
with an earth that is too polluted to grow food in. So I really believe that
biotechnology is good for many reasons. We will no longer be polluting our soil and
water, and in the end, we will have stronger and healthier plants. We will also have a
much more abundant supply of food that we can share with many third world countries that
cannot even yield as much food as we do now already. So, when planning the future, we
should consider the benefits of biotechnology!
Bibliography
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Nill, Kimball. (2000). Glossary of Biotechnology Terms. New York: Technomic
Publishing, Inc.
2. Online. Biotechnology. Http//www.biotechknowledge.com
3. Online. Eden's Harpin Technology. Http//www.edenbio.com
4. Pollan, Michael. (2000). "Fried, Mashed or Zapped with DNA." Perspectives on
Agriculture and the Environment, 183-196.