GM Crops Disrupt Animals' Livers & Kidneys, Research Review Finds by: Matthew McDermott

Link:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/04/gm-crops-disrupt-animals-livers-kidneys-research-review.php?campaign=th_rss

Summary: Recently, a paper published in Environmental Sciences Europe shows that certain GM crops can harm animals' livers and kidneys. This report tested 19 studies of mammals being fed GM soy bean and corn to discover shocking results. 43.5% of males had kidney problems, while 30.8% of females were affected in their livers, according to the European report. It is possible that there may also be issues with the heart, spleen or blood cells. However, these tests were unable to prove the long term affect of GM crops. Scientists in the European report have covered 80% of the world's GM crops in these studies, but they are trying to further their research to take account for other possible affects to the organs.

Reflection:

This really worries me about GM crops. We are finding side affects of these crops very quickly, which makes me feel like there are plenty more out there. This time, GM crops are proven to animal liver/kidney problems and that they occur about 1/3 of the time. It makes me wonder that since humans are technically mammals, that we would also have these internal issues. What also worries me is that they reported issues with the heart, spleen and blood cells of some animals. With all of these problems, humans are bound to see some problems very soon.

This reminds me of the 2 other articles on GM crops we blogged about earlier because all three articles deal with the problem of GM crops. They all show different side affects of the same problem.

Questions:

1. What will have to happen in order to convince the government that GM crops are bad?

2. Is this study actually strong enough to support that GM crops are related to kidney/liver problems?

3. What can Environmentalists do to help people see the problems of GMO's?

4. Why should more people be concerned about this debate, instead of other issues?

Weaning the World Off Oil

Summary: Tom Rand speaks to us about why it is important to "kick" the fossil fuel habit. Says that its a dangoruse road to go down and that we've reached the end and we need to turn back. When asked why he belives we should stop using fossil fuels he had many answers. One of which is what we are doing to the Gulf of Mexico. He stats that "We are sticking straws a mile underwater and taking enough oil to destroy the Gulf but couldn't run the economy for a whole day." If this isn't reason enough there are plenty of others including the tar melting in Canada which he says "Is complelty backwards." Right now we are at the bottom of the barrel. We have huge issues what we need right now is a way to slove them not make more issues. Orginally taking the idea that renewable energy was "kids" stuff his changed his mind stating that this renewable engergy stuff is a big deal. A solar power plant as big as a coal plant can prduce power 24 hrs a day. They even keep things powered after the sun goes down. On top of that geothermal energy can do the same. In fact one geothermal energy plant can provide power for an entire civalaztion.

Reflecton- I find it hard to beleive that we have all of these unused resoucres. I didn't even know half the things in this ariticle. If solar power produces the same amount of energy as coal and it is renewable why don't we just use the solar power. It seems a lot less risky and since it works when the the suns down what is stopping us?

Questions-Whats stopping us from using solar power? How much solar power would it take to power the high school?

What other green energys are there that we could use?

How many places in the world use solar power?

How much longer to we have to use coal, if we keep using it at the rate we do?

New Research Finds That Roundup Ready GMO Crops May Cause Animal Miscarriages

Link: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/02/roundup_ready_crops_to_blame_for_animal_miscarriages.php?campaign=th_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29

Author: By Colleen Vanderlinden 2.22.11

Summary: Some people are still disagreeing with the recent approval of Genetically Modified Organisms alfalfa and sugar beets. Researchers are now saying that Roundup Ready GE crops contain an organism that causes miscarriages in farm animals. This new organism was detected after researchers used a 36,000X microscope, it is about the size of a virus. This can cause disease in both plants and animals. Professor Don M. Huber of Purdue University, he penned a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging the dangers of this organism, how it was discovered, and his thoughts about what should be done. Vilsack stated, “We request USDA's participation in a multi-agency investigation, and an immediate moratorium on the deregulation of RR crops until the causal/predisposing relationship with glyphosate and/or RR plants can be ruled out as a threat to crop and animal production and human health.” If it is causing miscarriages in animals then, what is it doing to us?

Response: This is sort of alarming, if this is the effect the GMO alfalfa and sugar beets are having on animals, what is it going to do with us. With this new research we need to do something about it. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack needs to look in greater depth into this new discovery. Not only look into the animal side effects, but the human as well. If we are eating the animals the alfalfa and sugar beets are effecting there has to be something that is getting transferred to us. After learning about GMO’s in class I did not really know my exact opinion of them, but now reading this I am very skeptical of how these GE crops work. There has to be some long term side effect that we haven’t seen, but will come up eventually.

Questions:

1. Does GMO’s have any other effects on animals other than miscarriages?
   
2. How do GMO’s effect humans?
3. Is the use of GE crops being monitored?
4. Who was the first person to discover how to use and engineer GMO's?
5. Why do we need GMO's?

California Court Overturns Order to Destroy GMO Beets

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/03/california-court-overturns-order-to-destroy-gmo-beets.php?campaign=th_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29 




     Last December a federal judge ordered that 258 acres of genetically modifyed sugar beets be destroyed , making it seem like genetically modifyed organisms (GMOs) were losing favor. However, a federal apeals courts has overturned the ruling and the sugar beets will not be destroyed. Some argue that genetically engineered (GE) crops will cause gene contamination. The USDA started relaxing some of it's regulations and let farmers plant GE crops "while it finishes work on a full environmental impact statement on the beets' effect on other crops and the environment." The recent court hearing stated the the plaintiff failed to show any likelyhood of irreparable injury. Organic farmers worry that the winnd could possibly carry genes from GMOs that could contaminate the organic food that was grown without additives.

    Reaction: To be honest I take side with the GMO side and disagree with the article, which is written supporting the ban on GMOs. Sure the GE crops may present a problem by creating resistant pests (even though the article doesn't mention this). however, GMOs are very important to the economy. Not only do they create jobs and supply a lot of tax money, but they are 95% of the USA's crops. I understand that organic farmers don't want their crops contaminated by GE genes, but their crops protection should be in their responsibility, not the responsibility of the GE farms. If GE crops cover 165 million acres they obviously are very important and are the staple of our food supply. We can't stamp out such a great oppertunity just because it has doubters. While there is visible downsides to GMOs, they can be fixed overtime and the benefits are too great to ignore.

Questions:
1. How do plant genes get carried by wind?
2. What is the most effective way of stopping gene contamination?
3. Would America have enough food if we cut GE farms in half?
4. Is GMO food exported by the US to other countries?
5. Why do some people think that organic food is better than GMOs?

U.S. Meat Farmers Brace for Limits on Antibiotics

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/us/15farm.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

By: Erik Eckholm

Summary: The pigs that live in factory farms are kept in tight quarters as shown in the picture above. To maintain their health, they are given antibiotics even when they are not sick. The pigs are also given steroids so they grow faster with less food. The Food And Drug Administration is saying that providing these drugs to the pigs poses a risk to human health. The Factory Farmers disagree and say that there is no direct link to these drugs and human health. The FDA says that there is no noted effects because the type of steroid being fed to the pigs is relatively new. Not using the drug would raise the price of pork by about five cents per pound. Should the FDA ban the antibotic and steroids even though human health has not yet been effected?

Review: I am against the Factory Farm. The only thing that farmers are concerned about is how much money they make. It is animal cruelty to force animals into tight quarters and feed them medicine they do not need. I also think that it is dangerous for humans to consume animals that have been overmedicated. Common sense says that if you eat an animal that had steroids in its system before it was slaughtered, it will have steroids in its system after they were slaughtered. These steroids will most likely end up in your body. It is better to be safe than sorry. What happens if ten years from now, we realize that eating these pigs is dangerous to human health? I think the FDA is correct and these drugs should be banned.

Questions:1. Why are there factory farms?

2. What are some bad effects to the enviorment of factory farms?

3.Do you think that feeding steroids and unnecessary antibiotics to pigs effects human health?

4. Do you think the FDA should ban feeding steroids and unnecessary antibiotics to pigs?

5. Why would meat prices go up if the factory farms stopped giving steroids to animals ?