Please respond to the following: The discussion questions given please produce 200 words about each numbered question. please place answers under each bullet point. In Addition a response must be given back (100 words) to the other students Michael Brown and Barbara Tallent. offering a substantive comment on that classmate’s position on the issue(s).
Benefits and Consequences of Technology
As Hite and Seitz (2016) discuss in Chapter 8: Technology, technological advancements and changes may affect how we can work to find solutions for the global threats discussed so far. Technological advances can and do affect development in positive and negative ways.
Besides biotechnology, identify one technology that seems to have the greatest potential positive effect on food security. Discuss any potential negative uses of that technology.
Do the benefits of these technologies outweigh the potential negative consequences they have on food security? Why or why not?
Michael Brown
Hello class, most of the world’s hungry people live in Sub-Saharan Africa. Poverty and conflict are the biggest reasons for hunger in Africa, but there are water shortages, no or little government support, soil erosion and deforestation in some areas. Undernourishment, death, stunted growth are a few results from hunger. Currently, much of the food we consume is made from biotechnology. The crops that have been genetically modified can withstand climate changes, less nutrients to grow, no pesticides against bugs, and are either modified through modern techniques or artificially selected. Manufacturing uses biomaterials for soap, laundry detergent, plastics, fuels, and cosmetics. Most of your cotton clothes use some form of biotechnology. But, the most significant area that biotechnology is utilized is in the science/medical fields. Whether the biotechnology is helping cure diseases, slow down Alzheimer’s, or altering genes that cause disease, this technology improved the life expectancy of people. Finally, while benefits seem endless, biotechnology has risks too that could pose health issues and others related to enhancing biotechnology for evil.
The risks to biotechnology include unintended consequences like scientists at the CDC being exposed to Anthrax, Ebola, and the flu. Another unintended consequence is that any of the deadly things mentioned previously gets released into the public. With the possible release to the public, that leads us to the most significant risk and that is weaponizing biotechnology. Creating a biohazard or dirty bomb with any of the major diseases to release over the enemy or people in general. Some of the diseases include: anthrax, botulism, hemorrhagic fever, black plague, smallpox, typhoid, and yellow fever. With new gene editing technique, the risk for bio weapons is increasing at an alarming rate. Furthermore, the release of research material has raised a risk because people may star building bioweapons in their home since some forms do not need a special lab.
I believe that developing countries should continue to expand their biotechnology fields, but there must be some layers of protection. For instance, the CDC works with the deadliest bugs on the planet, but cures and other research performed on them should be classified or protected so the research does not get into the public hands. Biotechnology for medicine and food should continue because that may help with hunger and find cures for different diseases and birth defects. Finally, with biotechnology, people who need transplants for organs may receive a bioengineered one which may eliminate the waiting list if scientists can create a suitable match to human organs.
Barbara Tallent
Hello Class,
Week 6 | Discussion SOC450
Where do most of the world’s hungry live? In countries facing political instability, the resulting decline in the economy produces higher food prices and lacks nutrition an example is in these areas Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Yemen, and Venezuela. The largest number live in areas such as Yemen 17million, South Sudan 6.1 million North Eastern Nigeria 8.9 million. The missing variable of the chart no more than 60% of the population analyzed; therefore, this information is a probability higher(worldhunger.org).
The two principal areas causing hunger are broad climate change and everyday corporate and personal impacts. The political economics the hyphen is meant to correlate both issues in one. The political leads to government then government is relevant to trade and tariffs.
Climate change drives agricultural areas, especially in parts of Africa (Somalia, southeastern Ethiopia, and countries in West Africa); while drought has driven economic, food production and political stability crises. Climate change worldwide unstable weather patterns such as drought, hurricane seasons damage to livelihoods, agricultural production, and local market prices, in countries in the Caribbean and Asia. In agricultural-driven areas, especially in parts of Africa, Somalia, southeastern Ethiopia, and countries in West Africa.
What are some potential consequences and benefits to using biotechnologies in developing countries? Based on the research currently available, should developing countries pursue the use of biotechnologies? The past agricultural practices implemented to increase crop yield have unintended consequences in the form of land and soil degradation and using up or polluting the available groundwater.
This affects future ability for food production, as these resources have been permanently depleted. The conservation agriculture, where various strategies used to prevent the rapid depletion of scarce natural resources. The definition of conservation agriculture is Minimum soil disturbance, Maintenance of permanent soil covers, Cropping system diversity, crop rotations( worldhunger.org).
https://www.worldhunger.org/world-hunger-and-pover…
http://www.ecaf.org/ca-in-europe/what-is-ca
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/diet-and-nutrition_…
