Ethics and the Impact of Technology on Society Engineering 124

1
Ethics and the Impact of Technology on Society
Engineering 124

• Ethics and
• Genetically Modified Foods

Joseph Gurdock Stephanie Vargas Paul Romeo II
2
What are Genetically Modified (GM) Foods?

• GM is a special set of technologies that alter
  the genetic makeup of such living organisms as
  animals, plants, or bacteria
• genetically modified, genetically engineered,
  or transgenic
• Debates focus on human and environmental safety,
  labeling and consumer choice, intellectual
  property rights, ethics, food security, poverty
  reduction, and environmental conservation.

3
GM Technology

• Traditional genetics cross breeding
• Hundreds of new mutations among the genes
• Genetic engineering allows scientists to select a
  single gene
• TECHNIQUES FOR GM TECHNOLOGY
• Soil bacterium, first genetic engineer
• Biolistics uses a gun to fire the desired gene
• Protoplasts plant cell walls removed
• SOURCE BBC NEWS ONLINE

4
Partial list of GM Foods

• Kelloggs Corn Flakes
• Heinz Baby Cereal
• Nestle Carnation Infant Formula
• Quaker Chewy Granola Bars
• Ultra Slim Fast
• Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix
• Alpo Dry Pet Food
• McDonalds McVeggie Burger
• Old El Paso Taco Shells

5
Social/Environmental Impact Risks Benefits
Potential Benefits These are some of the
potential benefits given in the GM Food argument,
but many are questionable and are they worth more
than all the risks associated?

• A solution for World Hunger
• Reduce of children at risk for
  Vitamin-A-deficiency-induced blindness
• (ie. Golden Rice)
• Increase crop yields significantly (ie. Herbicide
  tolerant/Insect Resistant crops)
• Improvement in Nutritional Content (ie. Leaner
  meat, added vitamins/minerals)

6
Social/Environmental Impact Risks Benefits
Potential Benefits CONT.

• A solution for World Hunger?
• The world today produces more food per inhabitant
  than ever before. Enough food is available to
  provide 4.3 lbs. For every person every day 2.5
  lbs. Of grain, beans, and nuts about a lb. Of
  meat, milk, and eggs and another of fruits and
  vegetables
• (F.M. Lappe, Collins, Rosset, Esparza,
  1998).
• The real causes of hunger are poverty,
  inequality, and lack of land/resources (Altieri
  2001)
• Reduce number of children at risk for
  Vitamin-A-deficiency-induced
• blindness? (ie. Golden Rice)?
• People do not exhibit Vitamin A deficiency
  because too little Vitamin A or beta carotene,
  but because their diet has been reduced to rice
  and almost nothing else (Altieri 2001)
• Beta carotene is fat soluable, and its uptake by
  the intestine depends on fat or oil in the diet
  (Altieri 2001)

7
Social/Environmental Impact Risks Benefits
Potential Benefits CONT.

• Increase crop yields significantly (ie. Herbicide
  tolerant Insect
• Resistant crops)?
• In 1997, yields were not significantly different
  in engineered versus non-engineered crops in 7
  out of 12 crop/region combinations
• In 1998, yields were not significantly different
  in engineered versus non-engineered crops in 12
  out of 18 crop/region combinations
• (Altieri 2001)
• Improvement in Nutritional Content ?
• It has been said that the opposite is true
  Transgenic foods may mislead consumers with
  counterfeit freshness. A luscious-looking, bright
  red genetically engineered tomato could be
  several weeks old and of little nutritional worth
  (Safe-food Organization 2003)

8
Social/Environmental Impact Risks Benefits
Potential Risks These are some of the potential
risks given in the GM Food argument. The large
of risks and the severity of these risks is
clear.

• Environmental harm
• Economic/Political
• Health Safety
• Personal/Axiological Impacts
• Undefined Risks?

9
Social/Environmental Impact Risks Benefits
Potential Risks CONT.

• Environmental Risks
• -    Genetic contamination of the environment
• Effects on Nontarget Species (ie. Monarch
  butterfly)
• Irreversible disruption of the Earths biosphere
• A Monoculture problem
• Future need for even greater pesticide use
  (specifically applies to pesticide-resistant
  crops ie. Super Weeds)
• Economic/Political Risks
• Consolidation of control over food production
  (Monsantos terminator seed)
• Threat to organic farmers
• What does the lax regulation process imply for
  future technologies?

10
Social/Environmental Impact Risks Benefits
Potential Risks CONT.

• Health Risks
• Negative change in Nutritional Content
• Allergenic potential
• Possible Illness
• Personal/Axiological Impacts
• Personal appreciation/understanding (Will this
  change the way we think about food?)
• Religious/Moral Issues
• Lack of authority in our lives/individual choice

11
Social/Environmental Impact Risks Benefits
Undefined Risks? DNA is actually not well
understood. 97 of human DNA is called junk
because scientists do not know its function. The
workings of a single cell are so complex, no one
knows the whole of it. Yet the biotech companies
have already planted millions of acres with
genetically engineered crops, and they intend to
engineer every crop in the world. (San Diego
Union-Tribune 2000) The practice of engineering
has been known to be a highly respected
discipline that entails endless amount of
testing, calculations, and concern for human
safety. Isnt there a major error in labeling
this new technology genetically engineered?
12
Religion and GM foods

• Possible religious conflicts
• Unacceptable intervention in Gods creation
  violating barriers in natural world
• Objections to consuming animal genes in plants
  and vice versa
• Justice and equality exasperated by creating and
  increasing dependence on industrialized nations
  by developing countries

13
Western Religion

• Protestants
• God is the creator of the world, and further that
  God's creative work is ongoing.
• The human race is created in God's image. In this
  context, the divine image in humanity is tied to
  creativity. God creates, so do we.
• 'co-creators with God'
• Is the view of the Protestants and other Western
  Religions similar?

http//online.sfsu.edu/rone/GEessays/gedanger.htm
14
Pew Initiative on Food and BiotechnologyZogby
International Poll
The poll, part of a nationwide survey of 1,117
adults 18 and older, was conducted by Zogby
International from July 16-20, 2001. The margin
of error is /- 5 percent for Protestants, /-
5.7 percent for Catholics, /- 7 percent for
Jewish, and /- 9 percent for the Muslims. The
poll was released as part of a panel discussion
hosted by the Initiative titled Genetically
Modifying Food Playing God or Doing Gods Work?
15
Pew Initiative on Food and BiotechnologyZogby
International Poll
The poll, part of a nationwide survey of 1,117
adults 18 and older, was conducted by Zogby
International from July 16-20, 2001. The margin
of error is /- 5 percent for Protestants, /-
5.7 percent for Catholics, /- 7 percent for
Jewish, and /- 9 percent for the Muslims. The
poll was released as part of a panel discussion
hosted by the Initiative titled Genetically
Modifying Food Playing God or Doing Gods Work?
16
Pew Initiative on Food and BiotechnologyZogby
International Poll

• Conclusions of survey
• In addition, most of those polled, regardless of
  religion, felt it is important to improve the
  world or strike a balance between improving and
  preserving it.
• This survey shows that while Americans have
  concerns about moving genes between different
  species, they also support the idea that we have
  been empowered by God to understand nature and
  use science and technology to improve the human
  condition.

17
Eastern Religion

• Buddhism
• Ahimsa non-harming
• Sentient life
• objects or tools to be used without regard for
  their own wishes or aspirations
• how it creates or alleviates suffering
• Bodies, meditation and insight
• genetic engineering affecting progress on the
  path to enlightenment
• Cause for concern?

18
Eastern Religion

• Confucianism
• Li includes ritual, propriety, etiquette, etc.
• Hsiao love within the family
• Yi righteousness
• Xin honesty and trustworthiness
• Jen benevolence, humaneness towards others
• Chung loyalty to the state
• It is primarily an ethical system to which
  rituals at important times during ones lifetime
  have been added.

http//www.religioustolerance.org/confuciu.htm
19
Eastern Religion

• Taoism
• It is the force that flows through all life
• Wu Wei
• Let nature takes its course
• Yin and Yang (Dark side and Light side)
• Balance of life
• Intervention by human civilization upsets the
  balances of Yin and Yang

http//www.religioustolerance.org/tao.htm
20
Problems with Religion as exclusive basis for
argument against GM technology

• Each religion has right to decide attitude about
  GM technology. But
• What authority do individuals have to speak on
  behalf of religion?
• Are there conflicting views with religion?
• Is their sufficient tolerance for other
  traditions that approve of GM technology?
• Should religion be a factor of GM technology when
  within religious faiths there are differing view
  points?

21
Addressing Ethics in GM Technology

• Applied ethics
• Empirical claims
• Normative claims

Is it ethically justifiable to pursue GM crops
and foods? Should the law allow GM foods to be
grown and marketed?
22
Ethical objections to GM foods

• What is possible harm?
• Extrinsic objections anticipated results
• Intrinsic objections process of making GMF is
  objectionable in and of itself
• What information do we have?
• What are the options?
• What are possible ethical principles/theories
  that can guide us?

23
3 secular ethical considerations

• Human rights principle
• the rights of people in various countries to
  choose to adopt GM technology
• Utilitarian consideration
• the balance of likely benefits over harms to
  consumers and the environment from GM technology
• Virtue theory
• related to the wisdom of encouraging discovery,
  innovation, and careful regulation of GM
  technology

24
Human rights principle

• The rights of people in various countries to
  choose to adopt GM technology

• Safety Unknown effects
• Human health impact
• Environmental impact
• Effects on other organisms

So can people make rational, informed decisions
if information is incomplete and ability to
access risk is limited?
25
Utilitarian consideration
The balance of likely benefits over harms to
consumers and the environment from GM technology

• Purported benefits
• Crops
• Animals
• Environment
• Society
• Economic determinism
• Society
• Access and Intellectual Property

26
Virtue theory
Related to the wisdom of encouraging discovery,
innovation, and careful regulation of GM
technology

• Labeling
• Resources and standards

How can you carefully regulate if resources and
standards vary among nation?
27
Traditional Farming Methodshttp//www.cnr.berkele
y.edu/christos/articles/traditional_ag.html
Ethnoecology is the study of the natural world
knowledge systems of indigenous ethnic rural
people. This knowledge has many dimensions,
including linguistics, botany, zoology, craft
skills, and agriculture, and is derived from the
direct interaction between humans and their
environment. As more research is conducted, many
of the traditional farming practices once
regarded as primitive or misguided, are being
recognized as sophisticated and
appropriate a.They combine high species numbers
and structural diversity in time and space (both
through vertical and horizontal organization of
crops). b.They exploit the full range of
microenvironments (which differ in soil, water,
temperature, altitude, slope, fertility, etc.)
within a field or region. c.They maintain closed
cycles of materials and wastes through effective
recycling practices. d.They rely on a complexity
of biological interdependencies, resulting in
some degree of biological pest suppression. e.They
rely on local resources plus human and animal
energy, thereby using low levels of input
technology. f.They rely on local varieties of
crops and incorporate the use of wild plants and
animals. Production is usually for local
consumption. The level of income is low thus,
the influence of noneconomic factors on decision
making is substantial.

28
Traditional Farming Methods
''I am a firm believer in evolution,'' White
says. ''I think plants have evolved in a certain
way. I think they're doing a fair job on their
own.' American monoculture farmers normally
plant one crop to a field in neat rows to allow
mechanized planting and harvesting. Herbicides,
pesticides and irrigation can be applied in a
one-size-fits-all way. Native American and other
traditional farmers aroun d the world intermingle
mutually beneficial crops in a practice known as
polyculture. White, an agriculture student at
Hampshire College, planted her three vegetables
on a quarter acre of college land in both
monoculture and polyculture configurations. Her
summer experiment is called the Three Sisters
project, a reference to Native Americ an
tradition that likens the three staple crops to
stories of the three sisters of the Earth. She
learned the techniques partly from her own people
and used the seeds of their ancient crop strains,
which were available through a Cornell University
progra m. Traditionally planted in circular
mounds instead of rows, the corn gives shade and
support to the beans, which grow up the corn
stalks like a vine. In the soil, the beans
transform nitrogen into a form that the corn can
use. The squash acts as ground cov er, keeping
down weeds. ''They're helping each other out,''
White said. ''You're working with nature -- and
not against it.'' http//www.dominionpost.com/a/
campus/2000/09/10/b/
29
Possible Alternatives - Organic

• Organic Products
• organic products are grown or raised without the
  use of chemicals
• livestock that is raised with organically grown
  feed and without antibiotics and growth-inducing
  hormones
• Labeling
• 100 percent organic All ingredients meet or
  exceed USDA standards
• Organic At least 95 percent of the ingredients
  meet USDA standards
• Made with Organic Ingredients At least 75
  percent of the ingredients meet USDA approval

30
Possible Alternative-Permaculture
Permaculture principles focus on
thoughtful designs for small-scale intensive
systems which are labor efficient and which use
biological resources instead of fossil fuels.
Designs stress ecological connections and closed
energy and material loops. The core of
permaculture is design and the working
relationships and connections between all things.
Each component in a system performs multiple
functions, and each function is supported by many
elements. Key to efficient design is observation
and replication of natural ecosystems, where
designers maximize diversity with polycultures,
stress efficient energy planning for houses and
settlement, using and accelerating natural plant
succession, and increasing the highly productive
"edge-zones" within the system.
31
Possible Alternative-Permaculture

• Characteristics of Permaculture 
• Permaculture is one of the most holistic,
  integrated systems analysis and design
  methodologies found in the world.
• Permaculture can be applied to create productive
  ecosystems from the human- use standpoint or to
  help degraded ecosystems recover health and
  wildness. Permaculture can be applied in any
  ecosystem, no matter how degraded.
• Permaculture values and validates traditional
  knowledge and experience. Permaculture
  incorporates sustainable agriculture practices
  and land management techniques and strategies
  from around the world. Permaculture is a bridge
  between traditional cultures and emergent
  earth-tuned cultures.
• Permaculture promotes organic agriculture which
  does not use pesticides to pollute the
  environment.
• Permaculture aims to maximize symbiotic and
  synergistic relationships between site
  components.
• Permaculture is urban planning as well as rural
  land design.
• Permaculture design is site specific, client
  specific, and culture specific.
• http//attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/perma.htmlintro
  

32
Possible Alternative - Biodynamic

• Biodynamic Products
• Emphasizes ecological harmony and environmental
  sustainability.
• Biodynamic food is grown with particular
  composts, preparations and natural activating
  substances.

33
Final Questions

• Is it ethically justifiable to pursue GM crops
  and food?
• Should the law allow GM foods to be grown and
  marketed?

34
GMF Conclusions and ThoughtsPaul Romeo II

• Currently, GM technology is not an ethically
  justifiable pursuit
• This is based on
• The approach of corporations and various
  governments towards uncovering the effects of GM
  technology uncertainty and risks far outweigh
  benefits both ecological and humanitarian.
• The process and lack of knowledge provided
  towards the public the ability to choose and
  adopt the technology.
• The pursuit of wealth by companies like Monsanto,
  who develop such products as terminator seeds
  that will be sold for single harvests thus
  forcing farmers and third world countries to rely
  on Monsanto for seeds.

The growth and marketing of GMF is justifiable if
choice is offered to the public (i.e.. labeling)
and if the nominal risks are considered and
expressed.
35
Conclusion

• Is it ethically justifiable to pursue GM crops
  and foods?
• Should the law allow GM foods to be grown and
  marketed? G.Comstock, Univ. of Iowa, 6/2001
• (My opinion J.Gurdock)
• Yes, GM technology can be ethically sound if
• 1) Uniform international regulation of the
  technology is implemented immediately.
• 2) Citizens are informed (via consistent
  labeling) and choose (through government or
  purchasing choices) to adopt the technology.
• 3) the likely benefits exceed the potential harm
  to the total ecology.
• However, the current approach to the GM
  technology is not ethically sound because the
  above conditions (which represent various ethical
  considerations) are not part of the approach to
  the technology, and scientist have not mandated
  controlled experiments prior to implementation.

36
My Ethical PerspectiveStephanie Vargas

• My own ethical perspective is
• I do not believe that the current usage of
  Genetically Modified Foods in the public is
  appropriate ethically
• I have based this perspective on
• The lack of falsely-claimed benefits (ie. Solving
  world hunger, cure for blindness)
• The great severity of risks (ie. Decline of
  biodiversity, uncertainty, permanent/irreversible
  impact)
• And because of the great uncertainty and lack of
  knowledge about how the genetic process works
  in its natural state.
• I see that the risks outweigh the supposed
  benefits by far and the only reason it seems
  anyone would be pursuing this is solely for
  profits

37
ReferencesStephanie Vargas

• Diver, Steve. http//attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/perm
  a.htmlintro. Introduction to Permaculture.
  August 2002.
• Donn, Jeff. http//www.dominionpost.com/a/campus/
  2000/09/10/b/. September 2000.
• Altieri, Miguel A. http//www.cnr.berkeley.edu/ch
  ristos/articles/traditional_ag.html. Traditional
  Agriculture.
• Winston, Mark L. Travels in the Genetically
  Modified Zone. Cambridge and London Harvard
  University Press. 2002.
• Pence, Gregory E. Designer Food Mutant Harvest
  or Breadbasket of the World?. New York and
  Oxford Rowman and Littlefield Publisgers, Inc.
  2002.
• Miller, Norman. Environmental Politics Casebook-
  Genetically Modified Foods. NewYork and London
  Lewis Publishers. 2002.
• Thompson, Paul B. Food Biotechnology in Ethical
  Perspective. New York, Toyko, and london
  Blackie Academic Professional. 1997.
• Markwaha, S.S. and Arora, J.K. Food Processing
  Biotechnological Applications. New Delhi
  Asiatech Publishers, Inc. 2000.
• Menrad, Klausand Terragni, Fabio. Future Impacts
  of Biotechnology on Agriculture. New York
  Springer-Verlag Company. 1999.
• McHughen, Alan. Pandoras Picnic Basket The
  Potential Hazards of Genetically Modifed Foods.
  Oxford and New York Oxford University Press.
  2000
• Valpuesta, Victoriano. Fruit and Vegetable
  Biotechnology. Cambridge Woodhead Publishing
  Limited. 2002.
• Other information from references in text and
  discussion were from our class reader

38
References

• Diver, Steve. http//attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/perm
  a.htmlintro. Introduction to Permaculture.
  August 2002.
• Donn, Jeff. http//www.dominionpost.com/a/campus/
  2000/09/10/b/. September 2000.
• Altieri, Miguel A. http//www.cnr.berkeley.edu/ch
  ristos/articles/traditional_ag.html. Traditional
  Agriculture.
• Kneen, Brewster. Farmageddon Food and the
  Culture of Biotechnology. New Society Publishers,
  British Columbia, Canada. 1999.
• Shiva, Vandana. Biopiracy The Plunder of Nature
  and Knowledge. South End Press, Boston MA. 1997.