– Life Science
Environmental Ethics 2 – GMOs, Round Up, and Cancer
Objectives:
The overarching objectives of this course include promoting an effective understanding of:
- the living world;
- environmental ethics and environmental stewardship;
- the scientific method; and
- how critical thinking skills are important to being effective citizens.
This assignment calls for you to apply the content of this course as you develop responses to questions addressing contemporary issues concerning GMOs, pesticides, and their role in the global agricultural economy. Certainly, the implications of GMOs and pesticides to human health and the environment are folded into this as well.
Overview:
The global human population will likely reach ~11B by 2200. With the present population at about 7.5B, that means that by the middle of this century we will likely add another 2B or 3B people. Our global agricultural system has been able to produce sufficient food for our growing population, but there is a growing concern that we may not be able to provide for the more than 30% increase in global human population that is projected, particularly in view of declining irrigation water supplies; challenges to soil fertility; and global climate change.
Agronomists are actively promoting crop species that are Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) as the technological approach we must take to ensure that our food system can keep up with future demands. Some GMOs require the increased use of pesticides, such as glyphosate (Round Up). Opponents of GMOs argue that pesticides cause or promote cancer and other health problems, and furthermore that the additional pesticides required by GMO crops are harmful to human health and the environment. Some European nations have banned GMOs, and efforts in various states within the US to require GMO containing foods to be labeled as such have met with overwhelming resistance from the agricultural industry. In fact, regulations are in place in many areas to prohibit state or local rules requiring GMOs to be labeled.
So, the issues are complex and cut across science, politics, religion, and ethics. In this assignment, you are asked to review a number of sources and provide your assessment of the issue by responding to the specific topics listed below.
Assignment:
1. Listen to or read the sources listed below.
2. Respond in writing to the major points listed with each source.
3. Submit your written products to the SEPARATE assignment portals posted in BB in WORD FORMAT. Note that each written product should be complete – there is no set page limit – but incomplete or ineffective responses and products reflecting a minimal effort will be graded accordingly.
Here’s how to do well (or not):
A. Provide a well written, well organized, and well thought out product that is in YOUR OWN WORDS and that CONVINCES ME that you understand what you are writing about. Plagiarism; Cut/Paste; careless grammatical errors; or obvious overlap with classmates’ submittals will result in serious point reductions. Plagiarism or copying from a classmates’ product will result in a ZERO and a report to the administration for academic dishonesty (see syllabus).
B. Follow instructions and provide products in WORD format. By doing so I will be better able to understand what you have written and provide feedback through the BB grading feature.
C. DO NOT PUT THIS OFF! This assignment will require substantial effort. If you put this off until the night before it is due, your product will reflect a hurried attempt, and your grade will suffer accordingly. The due dates are set far enough out that you should be able to fit this into your schedule.
Sources and Issues:
I recommend that you complete the assignment in the following order:
1. NPR Podcast – The Race To Feed A Crowded World (50 points)
Listen to this podcast and make note of the history of the Green Revolution and the prospects for future advancements in agricultural production.
Program Description: “In his new book, ‘The End of Plenty,’ journalist Joel Bourne says humanity is facing a major problem: The world is running out of food. There are promising developments to meet the threat, he says, but time is running out.”
Issues for Your Write Up:
A. Assess the qualifications of the author to address the issues he talks about. Does he have the necessary experience to be writing about this topic? Be sure to explain your answer with specific references to how he describes his experiences.
B. What is the “Green Revolution?” What have been it’s accomplishments and why are its advancements insufficient to sustain continued growth in agricultural productivity? The father of the Green Revolution is ________. What are his connections to Texas?
C. Summarize the major points, solutions, and challenges the author highlights in the book he is promoting. Is he optimistic, or pessimistic? Explain your answers with sufficient details to convince me that you listened carefully to the podcast.
2. Round Up and Cancer (50 points)
Glyphosate (Round Up) is produced by the agricultural giant Monsanto and is the most widely used herbicide worldwide. Monsanto also holds the patent to several crop varieties that are resistant to Round Up, meaning that both the seeds and the herbicide must be purchased from them. Not unexpectedly, the widespread use of Round Up has selected for “Superweeds” – species of nuisance plants that previously were eliminated by Round Up, but now thrive in fields where it is applied. Of perhaps greater interest, an international organization has recently categorized Round Up as a “probable human carcinogen.” The paper below is from the very reputable journal Nature and summarizes the issue.
Round up report (Nature)
Issues for Your Write Up:
A. What is glyphosate (Round Up) and what is it used for? Who makes it and why is it so critical to agriculture? (You will need to do some additional research to answer this.)
B. Identify the organization declaring glyphosate as a “probable” human carcinogen. Describe why they should or should not be considered a credible source for making this assessment.
C. What does the term “probable” carcinogen mean? Should we be taking immediate steps to curb the use of Round Up based on this this report? Explain your answer.
D. Round Up sale for household use has been banned in France, and maybe elsewhere. See what you can find about that. Would you support a ban in the US? Explain why or why not.
3. God and GMOs (50 points)
Accepting a creator God, as we do at Wayland, raises some very important ethical issues that cut across all aspects of this topic. Are we playing God by engineering crop varieties to carry novel genes that are not natural to a crop variety? Is this just another technology that humankind has been able to harness because of God given talents? Do we have the authority to unleash these novel genes into the biosphere – in other words, do the potential environmental consequences justify the risk? And how does all of this fold into our obligation to feed our neighbors?
The reading below touches very briefly on some of the ethical issues from several faith traditions. You may need to go beyond the posted reading to develop your thoughts on this one. This part of the assignment really asks you to articulate your personal viewpoints – but I expect them to be well informed and well thought out – not just rambling!
Review of Religion & GMOs
Issues for Your Write Up:
A. Integrate your thoughts on this topic overall, cutting across the previous three topic areas and evaluating whether you feel that we are doing the right thing by increasing our reliance on GMOs given the various problems alluded to in your readings. Bring in information from the “Our Father’s World” video also.
B. What about the labeling issue à if GMOs are so safe, why is there such a massive effort funded by “Big Agriculture” to quell labeling efforts? Are the sources of information you have seen (posted in this course or elsewhere) credible? How do you assess the credibility of the sources you use to make decisions like this?
C. Finally – How does your faith commitment inform your standing on this issue?
Grading:
This assignment is worth a total of 150 points to your Assignment Grade! That’s a BIG DEAL! Each topic area will be worth 50 points, with points assigned based on adherence to instructions (5 pts); timely submittal (10 pts); style and organization (15 pts); and content (20 pts). Minimal effort that just marginally meets the objectives of the assignment will receive no better than a “C.”
DUE DATES:
SEE Chapter 16 Part 1 Checklist (Week 6)
