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They're what's for dinner by Sarah Wash '00 There are tremendous ecological repercussions for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in ecosystems. These sterile crops could, through geneflow, pollinate genetically similar wild plants, thus rendering the succeeding generation sterile. Other GMOs, corn hybrids in particular, have been altered to contain volatile compounds that act as built-in pesticides. While it would decrease worker exposure, it may disperse in ecosystems in a similar manner to the sterile seeds. These pesticide-growing GMO corn hybrids have already proven deadly to several species of lacewings and butterflies, especially the monarch. When questioned, a spokesperson from Monsanto called the aforementioned insects "the Bambis of the insect world." Scientists and public health officials concede that insufficient testing has been done on GMOs that are already on the food market. Some of these foods include soybeans, tomatoes, potatoes, wheat, and corn. The long term effects of frequent or daily consumption of such foods is still unknown! From a genetic standpoint, altering genomes is playing with fire. Darwin warned of negative effects of tampering with nature a century ago, when all he knew was domestication. It is dangerous to tamper with something so delicately balanced and essential to life as genomes with as little knowledge of the consequences as we have. Finally, there are ethical questions to raise. Given prior knowledge of current markets' inability to equitably distribute goods and services, how is it ethical to tamper with life systems, a source of nature capital everyone is entitled to, for the benefit of so few? A prime example of such exploitation is agribusiness's' desire to alter genomes in order to patent them- is it ethical to patent a living thing? How far will businesses go in order to exploit more resources inthe name of progress and free trade?
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