The Hidden Cost of Convenience Essay Sample free essay sample

Human existences have had a relationship with the Earth through farming since 10. 000 B. C. . and to this twenty-four hours humans remain dependent on that really relationship. The development in farming techniques has exploded since the early 1900’s with the development of chemical pesticides and Genetic Engineering ( GE ) . GE harvests treated with pesticides produce larger measures of nutrient at an immensely faster rate. Approximately 70 per centum of processed nutrient semen from GE seeds and are treated with chemical pesticides. Because of the monolithic sums of nutrient that are being produced. the dollar disbursal is decreased for these abundant merchandises. This may look to be an astonishing disclosure in nutrient engineering. but what if the very processes which make nutrient available. low-cost. and convenient are what is doing modern Americans ill? What are you truly giving for convenience? Pesticides are substances used to destruct insects or any other beings ( plagues ) that are harmful to cultivated workss or animate beings. There are many fluctuations of natural pesticides and chemical pesticides. The usage of chemical pesticides raises a contention about the safety of our nutrient. and our environment. A figure of surveies conducted by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Environment Program suggest that the usage of pesticides is highly unsafe. These surveies conclude that about three million agricultural workers suffer unwellnesss such as malignant neoplastic disease from terrible poisoning due to pesticide exposure. Of this figure. 18. 000 dice every twelvemonth ( Drake ) . However. Mr. Rick Melnicoe. Director of the Western Integrated Pest Management Center and the UC Statewide Pesticide Coordinator claims. â€Å"it is the dosage that makes the toxicant and that there is virtually no unwellness associated with modern pesticide residue on nutrients. Illnesss that do occur are caused by abuse. exposure to concentrated degrees by workers. and basic stupidity† ( Safe Pesticides? ) . Overall. it is more or less of import ground why pesticides cause unwellness but instead that they do. and everyone should be cognizant of what is on or in their nutrient before they feed themselves or their loved 1s. We can merely be every bit healthy as the merchandises we put into our organic structures and our environment let us to be. Pesticides have been used by assorted husbandmans since 2. 500 B. C. . but these pesticides consisted of natural substances such as honey. salt. and S. In today’s universe. the most abundant types of pesticides are 1s dwelling of man-made chemicals. After World War II the agricultural effects of the chemical dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane ( DDT ) was discovered by Dr. Paul Muller. and was commercially produced worldwide. DDT seemed to be the perfect pesticide. it was easy to utilize. it seemed to hold low toxicity to mammals. and decreased insect-originated diseases. like xanthous febrility. malaria. and typhus. But a few old ages subsequently. insects and other plagues were found to develop a opposition to DDT. so it was deemed no longer as effectual. It was subsequently discovered that DDT was really toxic to the environment. caused malignant neoplastic disease and caused familial harm in animate beings. Rachel Carson. an American Marine Biologist. contended in her book Silent Spring that DDT entirely has irreversibly harmed animate beings and contaminated the world’s full nutrient supply. DDT is now much less abundant and is used chiefly to battle malaria. Many pesticides are still in usage to this twenty-four hours that have similar toxic effects of DDT and because of the of all time present chemical opposition in plagues more new pesticides are being developed. We are now in changeless demand of chemical development to combat natures version. To disrupt the balance of nature is to set many lives in harm’s manner. There is no argument that chemical pesticides harm the environment. The most unsafe types of pesticides are insect powders. antifungals. and weedkillers. These substances have contaminated H2O. poisoned and mutated wildlife. and disrupted natural growing forms in countries of contaminated dirt. Harmonizing to the Environmental Protection Agency. in 2001 4. 9 billion lbs of pesticide merchandises made up of 600 separate chemical compounds were used in the United States entirely ( Lah ) . Environmental wellness is straight linked to the sum of harmful toxins it is exposed to. so it would be in the best involvement of ourselves and of wildlife to cut down the overall usage of these unsafe chemical pesticides every bit much as possible. Genetically modified nutrients became present in the nutrient market in the 1960’s. but were non reintroduced commercially until the 1990’s. A figure of scientists have discovered and developed this engineering since the 1960’s and hold made GE present in anyplace from works seeds to livestock ( Arimi ) . Some GE nutrients have been proven in the yesteryear to be carcinogens. One of the largest chemical corporations in the universe called Monsanto has created a genetically modified-growth endocrine. Bovine. that is linked to a 2. 5 times greater incidence of colon. chest. and prostatic malignant neoplastic disease in worlds. 135 million estates. owned by big companies like Monsanto. are dedicated to turn GE harvests and raise farm animal in the United States ( Genetically Modified ) . Since the bulk of merchandises in our supermarkets are processed nutrient and the bulk of processed nutrient is unhealthy and comprised of these genetically modified being. one woul d so reasonably conclude that these merchandises do more injury than good in our society. Genetically engineered merchandises are the most abundant but least recognizable unreal substances present in our every twenty-four hours lives. Genetically Modified Organisms ( GMO ) are organisms that have an altered familial make-up either by cistron splice or endocrine injections to heighten a certain trait. For illustration. these unreal cistrons can do workss to let go of a certain chemical to end bugs and other natural marauders when being attacked. or do unnatural growing in the chests of poulets. Up to 75. 000 dairy cattles are treated with the bovine growing endocrine. and there are over 80 million estates of genetically engineered cultivated harvests ( Food Inc. ) . Seventy per centum of the nutrient in United States food market shops is made from GE merchandises. This nutrient largely consists of unhealthy obesity-causing merchandises like sodium carbonate and french friess. but they can besides be hidden in any type of nutrient. GE nutrient does non significantly smell. gustatory sensation. or look different. and are non specifically labeled. Therefore. the consumer has an deficient sum of informations to find the position of what they are devouring. There has late been a contention sing labeling nutrient that has been produced through GE. but no jurisprudence has yet come to go through that requires these labels. GM beings can besides harm the environment. In 2006 it was thought that GM harvests were to fault for the disappearing of 90 per centum of our honey bees which caused a concatenation reaction of ecological bad lucks. Honey bees are responsible for one tierce of America’s nutrient supply and many of our harvests were lost due to miss of pollenation. This in bend caused green goods to be less abundant the monetary value to skyrocket ( Disappearance of the Bees ) . This is merely one illustration of many catastrophes caused by manmade toxins. and the negative effects are going harder to disregard. The longer we wait to alter our harmful methods the more terrible the effects can go. It seems that bring forthing larger measures of nutrient at a fast rate would merely be good if we did non utilize GE and rough chemicals. Making the environment and the nutrient we eat toxic is the monetary value we have to pay for the convenience of our food market shops. Interrupting the balance of nature can be more damaging than many foresee. It is no secret that present twenty-four hours Americans are non the ideal image of wellness. Recent surveies have shown that 33 per centum of Americans are corpulent ( James ) . and 26 per centum have malignant neoplastic disease ( Alt. Cancer ) . While in the late 1800’s it was estimated that merely 10 per centum of Americans were corpulent and merely 9 per centum had malignant neoplastic disease. Both fleshiness and malignant neoplastic disease can be linked to the usage of pesticides and GE nutrients. In fact there have been direct links between these conditions and peculiar pesticides and GE merchandises. Many contend that the exclusive ground these diseases have dramatically increased since the late 19th century is the increased usage of pesticides and GE merchandises. With the figure of people who have fleshiness. malignant neoplastic disease and diabetes at an all clip high. many are seeking for reform in the manner we care for our organic structures. A figure of wellness experts claim that if we prioritize our well-being and alter our diets from eating extremely processed nutrient. to organic nutrient so we can work out this quandary. It is besides claimed that by merely altering our diet we can assist our environment every bit good as our wellness. The word â€Å"organic† is frequently seen. It is advertised in food market shops. and sometimes in films or in telecasting. but what does it intend to be organic? Is taking a measure towards an organic revolution the right measure to take in doing our state a healthier topographic point? The term â€Å"organic farming† was coined by an English agriculturalist named Lord Northbourne in 1940 in his agricultural book Look to the Land. Northbourne used this term to depict an all natural manner of farming opposed to one that integrated chemicals and other unreal substances. Most of his cognition about holistic agriculture was derived from analyzing old civilizations and carry oning his ain personal surveies. With the rise of the petro-chemical industries in the early 1900’s came the beginning of industrial pesticides. Up until so there was no term depicting the organic agriculture manner because no other farming manner existed. It seems that this â€Å"new revolution† isn’t so new. After all. we are fundamentally seeking to bring forth nutrient as our ascendants did before the 20th century ( Northbourne ) . Harmonizing to the United States Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) . for green goods to be certifiably organic it must follow these demands: free of sewerage sludge. man-made fertilisers. prohibited pesticides. and genetically modified beings. For farm animal to be organic they have to run into a certain wellness and public assistance criterion. be untreated by antibiotics or growing endocrines. be fed one hundred per centum organic provender and be provided entree to out-of-doorss. Food with the USDA Organic label is one 100 per centum organic and has been investigated by the USDA and warrants that the organic makings are met. Other nutrient merchandises labeled organic with out the USDA cast may or may non hold followed the antecedently listed demands. For illustration. husbandmans may label their nutrient organic that is non genuinely organic to derive concern or to sell their merchandises at a higher monetary value. Farmers may besides hold true organic merchandises but can non afford to pay the monetary value of acquiring investigated and certified by the USDA. Any merchandise that does non incorporate an official organic seal requires farther research if one is to be confident in the true quality ( Organic Standards ) . By exchanging to organic methods of farming we can assist our environment and even change by reversal the negative effects of chemical abuse. The loss of dirt birthrate and H2O taint is common amongst harvests that are treated with chemical fertilisers. but by utilizing organic techniques it eliminates these jobs. Soil birthrate and biodiversity are incorporated in organic agriculture methods. every bit good as healthy micro-organism preservation and energy efficiency. Besides. the sum of harmful chemicals being dumped in the environment is juristically decreased when big graduated table harvests are switched to organic because organic harvests don’t use these chemicals. It was estimated that 1000000s of gallons of pesticides were non released into the environment due to one purchase of an organic merchandise from the Wal-Mart Corporation. By extinguishing these unsafe chemicals we eliminate terrible unwellnesss caused by them. There are ever possibilities of nutrient borne il lnesses irrespective the method of bring forthing nutrient. but the unwellnesss present in organic nutrient are far less terrible than 1s obtained by non-organic nutrient ( â€Å"Do I Help†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ) . In footings of practicality processed nutrient is typically less expensive than organic nutrient. Processed nutrient is much cheaper due to the sheer mass of it being produced by big corporations. The affordability of processed nutrient makes it easier for low-income households to last. Though invariably devouring this type of nutrient can take to medical jobs. many people don’t have the pick to purchase healthier organic nutrient. Organic nutrient costs from 30 to ninety per centum more than processed nutrient. Surveies have shown that as more people support organic merchandises the cheaper they will acquire. but for now it is processed nutrient that keeps low-income people fed. but keeps them starved of proper foods. So how is the authorities assisting to work out the quandary of the United States’ environmental and personal wellness crisis? Well. there have really been many betterments in nutrient and environmental safety in the last 30 old ages that have had an highly good consequence to our wellness. For illustration. an environmental jurisprudence was passed in 1990 merely in the province of Washington that put a bound on the sum of agricultural chemicals to be used. on norm a husbandman had to cut down pesticide usage by 20 per centum ( State Law ) . This stopped dozenss of extra toxins from come ining the environment. More on the personal wellness note. a jurisprudence was passed in July 2003 that required fast nutrient eating houses. like McDonalds and Taco Bell. to decently label the content nowadays in their nutrient so costumiers can be more cognizant of what they are devouring ( Mello ) . Though these are great betterments. they are comparatively little. and there is still much more to be done. When it comes to developing Torahs that are good to public safety that consequence big corporations that have political ties. it becomes hard. For illustration. in 2001 two-year-old Kevin Kowalcyk died after developing hemolytic-uremic syndrome from eating a beefburger contaminated with E. coli. After this incident a jurisprudence was introduced that would Necessitate the USDA to merely develop public presentation criterions to cut down the presence of pathogens in meat. A simple solution was created to forestall a similar calamity. The meat company was non found apt. and the jurisprudence neer passed ( Food Inc. ) . Many speculate that it was due to the fiscal ties between the meat company and the USDA. but no 1 could state for certain. Unfortunately there have been other incidences similar this. where dangers are evident. but simple solutions fail to be put in action. Equally long as corporations have these political ties they have power over our wellness and safety. It is good to look into the nutrient we consume in order to guarantee our safety and good being. We can’t ever depend on our authorities to protect us from harmful nutrient merchandises because the very corporations bring forthing these nutrients are involved and have power within many political affairs. The best manner to stay safe is to do your wellness a precedence and to research the nutrient that you are devouring. The nutrient we buy affects more than what is on our dinner tabular array. Buying merchandises at the food market shop is like voting. and by buying safer merchandises we can back up the wellness of our households every bit good as the environment. Regardless if you are pro-practicality. or pro-organic it would be good to look into the nutrient we consume in order to guarantee our safety and good being. Plants Cited â€Å"Alternative Cancer Treatment | Cancer Cure | Cancer Remedies. † Do GMO Foods Cause Cancer? The Cancer Industry. 30 Mar. 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. Arimi. Joshua. â€Å"Genetic Engineering of Food: The History. Science. Economicss and Controversy. † Genetic Engineering in Food- The History. Science andEconomicss. Arimi Foods. 23 Sept. 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. Barling. Mannie. and Ashley F. Brooks. â€Å"Statistics on Food-borne Related Illnesses and Death Caused by Salmonella. E. Coli. Listeria. Toxoplasma. Campylobacter Bacteria. Calicivirus. or Norwalk-like Virus Emanating from Factory Farms ( CAFOs ) . Genetically Modified Foods from Monsanto and the Poor Processing of Food in America | . † Statistics on Food-bourne Illnesses. RN. 21 May 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. Carson. Rachel. and Lois Darling. Silent Spring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 1962. Print. â€Å"Do I Help Conserve the Environment by Eating Organic Food? † Natural A ; Organic Health: Food Be nefits. Directory. Nutritional Value. Rural Tech Services. Jan. 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. Drake. Susan S. â€Å"Green Labor Journal – Working for a Sustainable Future. † Green Labor Journal. Union Plus. Feb. 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. Food Inc. Dir. Rob Kenner. Magnolia Pictures. Participant Media. River Road Entertainment. 2008. Film. â€Å"Genetically Modified Foods ( Biotech Foods ) Pros and Cons. † WebMD. WebMD. 2011. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. James. Brian. â€Å"Obese Chart. † The Consumer. 18 Apr. 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. Lah. Katrina. â€Å"Pesticide Use Statistics. † Pesticide Use Statistics. 26 Apr. 2011. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. Mello. Michelle M. . Eric B. Rimm. and David M. Studdert. â€Å"The McLawsuit. † Health Affairs. Nov. 2003. Web. 15 May 2012. McCabe. John. and David Wolfe. Sunfood Life: Resource Guide for Global Health. Berkeley. CA: North Atlantic. 2007. Print. Northbourne. Walter J. Look to the Land. . London: Dent. 1940. Print.  "Organic Standards. † Ams. Department of Agriculture. gov. Department of agriculture: National Organic Program. 7 Feb. 2012. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. â€Å"Safe Pesticides? † Environmental News. Articles A ; Information. EcoWorld. June 2004. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. â€Å"State Law Limiting Pesticide Use. † The Tribune [ Deer Park. Washington ] 29 Aug. 1990: 5-6. Google News. Web. 15 May 2012. Disappearing of the Bees. Dir. George Langworthy. Maryam Henein. Hive Mentality Films. 2009. Film.