Risks and Concerns of Transgenic

Crop Use

Core 218 Spring

2007
The GMO Argument

 Origin
 Why Scientists Can’t Win
 Tactics
 Origins of Controversy
 Slow Reaction of the Government to the
appearance of the Mad Cow Disease
 Scientists were surprised at the public reaction
 Demands of the public
– Safe to eat
– Cheap to buy
– Available at all times
The GMO debate surfaced around
1996 and became a heated issue in
1997 - 1998
By 1999, the debate had become one of the
hottest issue in the news.
 The
Controversy
Has
Continued

Run by professionals
Personal health and safety
concerns
Attractive to the media
The First Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of
speech, or of the press; or the right of the people
peaceably to assemble, and to petition the

 
government for a redress of grievances.
           
Luddites - scientifically ill-informed,
irrational, emotionally overwrought,
or even subversive
Tactics

Enlistpublic sympathy
Use the media, speak in common
terms
Children
Symbolism
Use your creativity
Enlist public
sympathy
Effectively use the media
 “Genetic engineering is about
scientists altering the 'recipes' for
making life - the genes which you
find in all living things. Doing this
is very clever and could be very
useful. But it's all happening
much too fast and nobody knows
what the effects of making and
eating such living things will be.
Many kinds of life could be
damaged. And suppose people
eat 'genetic' food for many years?
Will they be harmed by it? Nobody
knows for sure. So why the rush?
Scroll down to find out more…”
http://www.oneworld.net/penguin/genetics/home.html
Have Involved Children
EDGE – Ending
Destructive Genetic
Engineering

Genetic Engineering: A
Guide for Kids - Guide
features Tiki the Penguin's
explanations of the
potential dangers involved
with GMOs and
information on how kids
can protest. (
http://tiki.oneworld.net/genetics/hom
)
Why Scientist Can Never Win a
GMO Argument

 Why was there concern over GMO foods

but not other products like insulin,
cheese, vinegar.
 You can’t recall an accidental spread of a
GMO.
 All scientists don’t agree that GMO’s are
100% safe.
Why Scientist Can Never Win a
GMO Argument

Rule of Caution: Assume not safe

until proven otherwise.
Freedom of choice.
Are there alternatives?
The GMO argument is a personal
argument, it is what we and our
children are eating.
Discussion Questions

1. Are GMO crops safe to eat?

2. Will GMO crops hurt small
farmers?
3. Will GMO crops hurt the
environment?
Discussion Questions

4. Are GMO crops going against

nature?
5. Are big businesses investing GMO
crops solely for the profit?
6. Is there sufficient oversight and
regulation of GMO crops?