Genetic Engineering Project

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Harms

Ecological organizations from all over the world, such as Greenpeace, are against many of the achievements reached through genetic engineering.

About transgenic food, ecologists have lots of fears. First of all, they see as a possible consequence the impoverishment of biodiversity, as there the risk that genetically modified plants interact with natural varieties. There is also the possibility that insects and beneficial microorganisms be extinct, as well as the possibility of an increased contamination of the soil and underground water because of the intensification of herbicide use, and also the development of harmful plants resistant to those herbicides.

In an article published in Nature magazine, three scientists talk about their investigation done on transgenic corn's pollen and caterpillars of monarch butterflies. For four days they have fed the caterpillars. One group has been fed with the natural plants, the other one with pollen of organic corn, and a third group has been fed with transgenic corn's pollen. On the first two cases 100% of the caterpillars have survived, on the third group 44% have died. Accordingly to one of the scientists nobody on biotechnology industry has considered the effects of this transgenic corn in insects that weren't the target.

When talking about the possible harms about the application engineering in animals prospects are even worse for many people, as it  recalls a Nazi principle: a pure race. Some scientists have already shown their intentions of using genetic engineering to create a race of "super human beings", which would be more resistant to diseases and other improvements. This fear has already been shown on the movie Gattaca, on which genes determined the person's curriculum and babies inclined to have short-sighted or become bald were considered second class citizens. A nightmare that may become true.

Hitler had talked his intentions in using genetics (genetic engineering was "born" only in 1975) to make clones for Germany army and to purify German race, so that his soldiers as well as German people wouldn't be vulnerable to ordinary diseases. It would allow him and his race to dominate the world.

Religious organizations are also against  transgenic food and animals. However for most scientists their allegations have no logical, as they have no scietific basis. These organizations say that men doesn't have the right to create or modify beings, as God have created them and only Him can interfere on them.