Here is the proposal! Please use this!
Why are GMOs not so scary?
Are GMOs bad? Genetically modified organisms or GMOs are crops that have been altered in a lab to have better traits. Even though they aren’t much different from normal crops, there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about GMOs. People think genetic engineering is new. People think GMOs are everywhere and they think GMOs are inherently harmful. These are only a few misconceptions of what GMOs are really about. The truth is there isn’t really any scientific evidence against GMOs.
I have credibility around this topic because I have been interested in GMO’s for many years. I have done lots of research on GMOs for my own knowledge as well as written a paper for my Critical thinking class on the myths of GMOs. My son and I also have had many great debates and good laughs on the subject. Therefore, I feel knowledgeable on the subject and am confident that I can write a highly persuasive speech on why GMOs are not so scary and why having the knowledge takes away the fear to make quality decisions.
My audience will be anyone that eats and makes decisions of what they eat in life. Genetically modified organisms or GMOs is a subject that is of interest to everyone as it concerns what people eat and the effects that follow after eating the product. Since this affects everyone and not everyone understands what GMOS are. It is my persuasive argument that everyone that listens to my speech gets a better understanding on why GMOs are not that scary. This paper is a discussion concerning why GMOs are not scary today and gives insight into the argument.
Here is an essay I wrote on GMOs. Please use this essay to write your speech!!!!
Myths and Misconceptions of GMOs
Are GMOs bad? Genetically modified organisms or GMOs are crops that have been altered in a lab to have better traits. Even though they aren’t much different from normal crops, there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about GMOs. People think genetic engineering is new. People think GMOs are everywhere and they think GMOs are inherently harmful. These are only a few misconceptions of what GMOs are really about. The truth is there isn’t really any scientific evidence against GMOs.
One of the biggest myths about GMOs is that people think they’re everywhere. The reality is that there are only 10 crops that have been approved for genetic editing. Four of the approved crops, alfalfa, sugar beets, field corn, and canola aren’t usually given to humans, but are used for feeding livestock and other animals. Almost all of the current approved crops are used in animal feed with only a few uses for humans. The rest of the approved crops are squash, cotton, soybeans, corn, papayas, canola, potatoes, and apples. A lot of people pay extra for things like GMO free pastas and other products even though there aren’t any GMO crops for those food items. Dr. Kevin Folta a molecular, horticulture, and agricultural scientist stated “With so much talk of GMOs and GM foods, you may be surprised to know there are currently only eight genetically modified crops available in the United States and Canada. Three more have been approved but are not yet available in the market”(Dr. Kevin Folta). This proves that GMOs aren’t everywhere and there are only a few crops approved that are used for people.
Another GMO myth is that they aren’t regulated or tested enough to be safe for the public. Part of the reason why there are so few approved crops is because on average it takes 13 years to go through the research process. Joe Lauer, a biology professor at Agronomy college of agriculture and life science stated in an article it “Usually it takes about 10 years to modify a crop, or to incorporate a transgene and develop a hybrid for release to commercial farmers”(Lauer). It also takes $130 million to pay for the research costs. The research also takes multiple steps and has to go through a few organizations to be approved. First the seed has to go through the USDA to tell if it is safe to grow and doesn’t harm the environment in any way. Then the seed has to go through a review by the EPA to test whether or not the seed is herbicide and insect resistant to assess if it will harm the environment. Finally the seed has to go through a review from the FDA to tell if the seed is safe for people to eat. This proves that GMOs take a long time to get approved for commercial use.
A lot of people believe that GMOs are in some way harmful and overwhelmingly different from normal crops. When genes are taken from one animal and put into a plant, they only change specific traits. In 1991 there was an attempt to make cold resistant tomatoes by using a gene from northern halibut. Even though these tomatoes were no different that regular tomatoes other than being more resistant to cold weather, the majority of the public opposed the idea of them being introduced into the food supply. Situations like this show that most people don’t know that GMOs are in no way harmful on their own. GMOs are the exact same nutritionally and physically as any normal crop. The only changes made in GMOs are a select few genes, usually 1-3, that make the plant produce more, handle the weather better, resist bugs and insects more effectively, and anything else that could only improve the plant.“We looked at a lot of evidence and found no apparent health risk,” says Timothy Griffin, an associate professor at Tufts’ Friedman School and director of the Agriculture, Food and Environment program. He was among 20 scientists who spent two years reviewing 900 research publications at the behest of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine”(Griffin). This is a statement from Tufts University’s Health & Nutrition Letter. This proves that there is no evidence that suggest GMOs are not safe to eat.
GMOs are not really as bad as they are made out to be. Those who are opposed or anti GMO misunderstand the truth about GMO. They are not everywhere in our grocery stores or pantries. There are very few GMO crops around the world and they are researched extensively. There is also not any scientific evidence that suggest GMOs are harmful or cause cancer. If there was do you think the Food and Drug administration would allow farmers to grow GMO crops?
Works cited
Folta, Dr. Kevin, “What Foods are Genetically Modified?” Time, 15 Aug. 2016, https://www.bestfoodfacts.org/what-foods-are-gmo/ . Accessed 15 Oct. 2018
Lauer, Joe, “Blue Sky Science: How Long Does it take a GMO Product to Grow?”
Time, 10 Jul. 2018, https://morgridge.org/blue-sky/how-long-does-it-take-a-gmo-product-to-grow/.
Accessed 15 Oct. 2018.
Griffin,Timothy, “The Verdict on GMO Foods: Safe to Eat?” Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Vol 71, no. 2, Feb, 2017, pp.71-71. http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=d22afa0c-1052-4786-a0dd-95468946a3cd%40pdc-v-sessmgr02&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=120227503&db=buh.
Accessed 15, Oct. 2018
