Two Wrongs Dont Make A Right? Essay -- essays research papers

Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right? The question of whether capital punishment is right or wrong is a truly tough choice to make. Capital punishment (death penalty) is legal because the government of the United States of America says that it is all right to execute another human being if their crimes are not punishable by other means. There are many different forms of capital punishment. Some of the most popular ones have been hanging, firing squad, electrocution (the chair), the gas chamber, and the newest lethal injection. In the readings of George Orwell, Edward I. Koch, and Jacob Weisberg, there are incites to capital punishment that are not usually thought of or expressed aloud. Also in the movie "Dead Man Walking," the act of lethal injection, a form of capital punishment, is presented and made visual for one's eyes. Both the readings and the movie hit on emotions that some people have never thought about feeling. With the many people in the world there are many different feelings on capital punishment. Upon reading George Orwell's "A Hanging," the reader can obviously see that the writer is against capital punishment. Orwell brings out many of the points that are considered for argument against the death penalty. Orwell writes "It is curious; but till that moment I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man. When I saw the prisoner step aside to avoid the puddle, I saw ...

Is Knowledge Worth Seeking :: essays research papers

Socrates argued that actively seeking out knowledge leads to the ability of man to moderate his behavior accordingly. If one examines a situation thoughtfully, and from several angles, the most logical course of action will present itself. By exercising this method of reasoning a person becomes wise. Socrates would call this the ability to govern the qualities of your soul properly and it is undoubtedly what he sought. The process brings out the virtuous qualities in man and allows him to make decisions based on truth, which leads ultimately to good. Discipline of the mind can only benefit its owner; and thus knowledge is worth seeking. Socrates defines knowledge as absolute truth. He believes that everything in the universe is innately connected; if one thing is known then potentially everything can be derived from that one truth. The fundamental ideas that Socrates seeks to uncover are called forms. This concept is illustrated when Socrates questions Meno on what virtue is. Meno answer with several examples of what is virtuous. This of course is not what Socrates is asking; he is asking Meno what all virtuous acts share in common. For Socrates this relationship between all virtuous acts is what virtue fundamentally is. A person can see virtuous acts but cannot see virtue. Because of this, the idea of virtue must exist somewhere independent of the perceivable world. This is true with all forms or ideas of perfection: they are something that cannot be known by human sense but reasoned out by individual human thought. One cannot, however, mistake knowledge for right opinion. Socrates makes distinctions between right opinion and knowledge. Opinions are not something that one can seek because they are beliefs held on shaky ground. â€Å"True opinions are a fine thing and do all sorts of good so long as they stay in their place, but they will not stay long. They run away from a man’s mind†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (97-98, Meno) Knowledge is unmistakable truth that cannot be changed in an argument: it holds true in all situations in all time. In matters pertaining to everlasting truths, one can argue that such truths are relative only to man in his finite reflective state. If these absolute ideas are true for all of time, did they exist before man did? If so, who was it that thought of them? Since one must contemplate these absolute truths (and the origin of anything contemplated is in the human mind), they are thus absolute only to humans. Is Knowledge Worth Seeking :: essays research papers Socrates argued that actively seeking out knowledge leads to the ability of man to moderate his behavior accordingly. If one examines a situation thoughtfully, and from several angles, the most logical course of action will present itself. By exercising this method of reasoning a person becomes wise. Socrates would call this the ability to govern the qualities of your soul properly and it is undoubtedly what he sought. The process brings out the virtuous qualities in man and allows him to make decisions based on truth, which leads ultimately to good. Discipline of the mind can only benefit its owner; and thus knowledge is worth seeking. Socrates defines knowledge as absolute truth. He believes that everything in the universe is innately connected; if one thing is known then potentially everything can be derived from that one truth. The fundamental ideas that Socrates seeks to uncover are called forms. This concept is illustrated when Socrates questions Meno on what virtue is. Meno answer with several examples of what is virtuous. This of course is not what Socrates is asking; he is asking Meno what all virtuous acts share in common. For Socrates this relationship between all virtuous acts is what virtue fundamentally is. A person can see virtuous acts but cannot see virtue. Because of this, the idea of virtue must exist somewhere independent of the perceivable world. This is true with all forms or ideas of perfection: they are something that cannot be known by human sense but reasoned out by individual human thought. One cannot, however, mistake knowledge for right opinion. Socrates makes distinctions between right opinion and knowledge. Opinions are not something that one can seek because they are beliefs held on shaky ground. â€Å"True opinions are a fine thing and do all sorts of good so long as they stay in their place, but they will not stay long. They run away from a man’s mind†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (97-98, Meno) Knowledge is unmistakable truth that cannot be changed in an argument: it holds true in all situations in all time. In matters pertaining to everlasting truths, one can argue that such truths are relative only to man in his finite reflective state. If these absolute ideas are true for all of time, did they exist before man did? If so, who was it that thought of them? Since one must contemplate these absolute truths (and the origin of anything contemplated is in the human mind), they are thus absolute only to humans.

Glamorization of War in Cranes Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind, Le Guins The Ones Who Wal :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Glamorization of War in Crane's Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind, Le Guin's The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, Lovelace's To Lucasta, Going to the Wars and Owen's Dulce Et Decorum Est I dream sometimes about war. And the fear that follows the war drums. I dreamt once of my junior high teacher, a stocky woman with a passion for the middle ages, whipping me and my friends into an army with swords and shields, and then screaming that if we retreat even one step, we'll lose. If we lose, we die. So I took the burning line of the sword and stood in the mud waiting for war. I feared death, though not so much the end of life as the violence that would precede it. I feared whatever was waiting in the darkness beyond me. And then my dream shifted and my friends and I were swinging broomsticks in our upstairs study, facing nothing more threatening than one another. I don't understand my dreams. And I don't understand war. My only link to the repeated blood-baths of the early twentieth century are books and dreams. I wish I could say they ended neatly; that the characters, when the books closed, folded up their lives and went away and that the phantoms dispersed when I woke up. They don't. War doesn't end neatly either. The Imperial War Museum in London stands as an enormous monument to wars the British people can't forget. War has fed into what Jung would call their collective unconscious until it's as much apart of them as the lungs they draw breath with. I walked down a wide passageway in the basement of the Museum, a dim red light illuminating my way. Huge slabs of tan mat hung on the staggered walls. The spread of mat was broken only by the deafening silence of words: "Only the dead find an end to war." "War demands violence. Anything mediocre is foolhardy." The violence caught me off-guard, bringing a surge of rage-filled bile to my mouth. War demands violence. Demands. Violence. A young man from my quiet neighborhood was killed in a New York subway station trying to protect his mother.

Review of William Cooks Francis of Assisi :: essays research papers

In his book, Francis of Assisi, William R. Cook seeks to provide a better understanding of St. Francis of Assisi as an individual rather than in conjunction with the order he founded. Cook divides the book into six sections, each section concentrating on an important aspect or experience in Francis= life and spirituality. The six sections focus on his conversion; his relationship to the created world; the creation of the Christmas crib at Greccio; the role of learning; the relationship between the active and contemplative life; and his stigmatization at LaVerna in 1224.(pg. 18) In order to provide a general understanding I believe that these six sections can be narrowed down into three major themes that Cook sets forth; full surrender to God, a balance between world and self through an understanding of God=s will, and the importance of experiencing scripture over studying it. To support these themes Cook utilizes a number of reliable resources, both written and visual. In looking at the first and last of Cook=s six sections, Francis= conversion and his stigmatization at LaVerna, the theme of a full surrender to God can be seen. For a clearer understanding of Francis= conversion a brief look at his history is important. Francis was the son of a rich business man. In his youth, he spent time drinking with his friends and lived an entertaining life thanks to the pocket of his father. He dreamed, as did many of the teenage boys of his time, of becoming a soldier. It was seen as the glamorous life of heroes, who fought for their country as well as won the favor of beautiful women. What more could a boy want? So Francis headed off to war. Unfortunately his image of the glories of war was soon shattered. He was taken as a prisoner of war by Perugia, Assisi=s warring neighbor. After his release, Francis became very ill. For a boy of Francis= age, the sights of battle and prison are sobering experiences. Disillusioned with his previously held beliefs, Francis began to change his thinking. The things that formerly brought him happiness no longer did and Francis saw a need for a change in his life. This need brought him to the foot of the throne of Christ. So, it can be seen that for Francis, conversion was a complete turn around from life as he knew it. He soon decided that he needed to give his whole life to Christ and in doing so give up the life he once knew.

Rebellious to Responsible in John Updikes A&P Essay -- Literacy Analy

The lives we live today encompass many moral aspects that would not have been socially acceptable fifty or more years ago. John Updike’s short story, A&P, addresses these issues of societal changes through a 1960’s teenager point of view. This teenager, Sammy, spends a great deal of his time working at a local supermarket, observing customers, and imagining where his life adventures will take him. Through symbolism and setting, Updike establishes the characters and conflicts; these, in turn, evolve Sammy from an observational, ignorant teenager, promoting opposition to changing social rules, into an adult who must face reality. This short story, first published in 1961, stirs up controversy and still continues to be debated today. Although Updike intends for his writing to be simple and enjoyable, he also includes literary and cultural knowledge of the time period for readers to analyze more deeply (Saldivar N. pag.). As with A&P, Updike injects religious faith, which few Non-Catholic writers attempted during this time, in a seemingly effortless way. The supermarket A&P, the main setting of the story, was positioned â€Å"right in the middle of town† (Updike 983); a prime position accessible to all, although, generally this position was reserved for the town’s place of worship. In a way, Updike implanted this detail to be ironic. The supermarket in his story represented a â€Å"temple of modern consumerism† and was replacing a temple of worship (Wells N. pag.). To create a story that was relevant to the 1960’s, yet still encompasses issues society currently faces, demonstrates U pdike’s genius ability to engage in the enthralling world around him. The story begins through Sammy, the narrator, working at the local A&P supermarket. He not... ..., 1994. Literature Resource Center. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. †¢ Porter, M. Gilbert. "John Updike's 'A & P': The Establishment and an Emersonian Cashier." English Journal 61 (Nov. 1972): 1155-1158. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Anna J. Sheets. Vol. 27. Detroit: Gale Research, 1998. Literature Resource Center. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. †¢ Saldivar, Toni. "The Art Of John Updike's "A & P." Studies In Short Fiction 34.2 (1997): 215. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. †¢ Thompson, Corey Evan. "Updike's A & P." Explicator 59.4 (2001): 215. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. †¢ Updike, John. "A&P." Thinking and Writing About Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2001. 981-86. Print. †¢ Wells, Walter. "John Updike's `A&P': A Return To Araby." Studies In Short Fiction 30.2 (1993): 127. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Apr. 2012.

Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering in Plants Essay

Less tillage needed, especially with crops containing herbicide tolerance transgenes, therefore conserves fertility through minimizing soil damage through compression. |GE agriculture claims low tillage weed control: this can be achieved by ending the practice of monoculture and instead introducing proper crop rotations designed specifically to combat the weeds of the particular locality. Monoculture creates a weed paradise. | All countries face problems caused by alien species accidentally or deliberately introduced into a new environment (e.g. prickly pear in Australia). The main factor permitting this is international travel, but nobody has suggested that this should be banned. The problem of alien species is manageable, as would be the problem of genetic pollution caused by spread of seeds or pollen. As regards pollen contamination from GM varieties and the call for compensation for growers of non-GM or organic varieties whose crops are contaminated, if one is to be fair one migh t reasonably expect growers of non-GM and organic varieties to compensate growers of GM crops if they are contaminated with non-GM or organic pollen. |Genetic pollution from transgenes spreads into other organisms through pollen, seeds and microbial processes. It is fundamentally different from other forms of pollution because once the genes are out, they can’t be recalled. The best example of pollen contamination is provided by the canola seed, which was multiplied in Canada. It was officially confirmed in May 2000 that this seed was contaminated with unapproved GM canola seed and accidentally shipped to UK and other countries. By then it had been planted in Europe and large acreages of the young crop had to be destroyed. According to Advanta, the contamination occurred because of cross-pollination in Canada, where the seed was produced. The nearest source of GM contamination was 4 kilometers away.| Organic farming has long accepted accidental contamination from herbicide sp rays from neighboring farms. If there is concern about GMOs, DNA tests can be carried out.|Risks destroying organic farming, which rules out the use of GM organisms. Who will compensate organic farmers for the extra surveillance and analysis, which will be needed to ensure that the organic food chains remain free of GMOs?| The Starlink debacle is indeed a lesson that the GM food producers will learn from. Identity Preservation Systems are being put in place, verified by DNA analysis, to ensure that GM and non-GM supplies are kept separate.|The massive contamination in 2000 of the USA corn (maize) crop and human food chain by Starlink, a variety that is not approved for human consumption, shows that genetic pollution from transgenic crops to non-transgenic crops and food is inevitable. Starlink maize produces the Cry9C protein, which may be a human allergen. Two other major contaminations of ordinary seed (maize and canola seed) with GM seed have already occurred leading to emergency recalls of the product.| Reduces labor costs. |Sustainable organic agriculture creates much needed jobs in depressed rural economies.| Environmentally relatively benign herbicides are used and less of them. Opposing GM crops forces farmers to use herbicide resistant varieties which have not been made by GM such as those resistant to sulphonylurea herbicides which more readily give rise to herbicide resista nt weeds.|Promotes â€Å"agribusiness†, therefore more herbicide use. Herbicides are responsible for much illness in farm workers and contaminate drinking water.| Enhances biodiversity by allowing weeds to continue growing for longer thus providing nutrition for animals. After weed kill a mulch forms which hosts a thriving population of insects, arthropods etc.|The total herbicides used with herbicide tolerant crops kill all weeds thus reducing biodiversity in the field.| No insecticidal sprays needed on crops that have insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-toxin genes engineered into them. Plants with Bt or other insecticidal genes are likely to give rise to lower levels of mycotoxins in the final food product. Less insect damage means less opportunity for fungi to infect the plant and bring toxic substances.|As with weed control, control of insect damage is achievable with properly designed crop rotation and other forms of good husbandry such as intercropping. Healthy pl ants not imbalanced by chemical fertilizers build up their own defenses against insect attack. | GM plants are carefully tested for environmental and ecological impact, including their effects on earthworms and beneficial insects. Bt crops target only insects, which attack the crop. Future insect resistance genes will be engineered to express in leaves and stem rather than in pollen and seed. There is already evidence that the Bt gene is expressed less in Bt corn pollen than in leaves/stems therefore the risk to butterflies (e.g. Monarch) through pollen drift onto their food plants (e.g. milkweed for Monarch) is diminished. |In relation to population variance, sample sizes in lab and field tests (e.g. of earthworms) are sometimes too low to detect even large effects. Insecticidal crops containing the gene for Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-toxin kill beneficial organisms such as bees, ladybirds, lacewings & butterflies (e.g. through pollen). The Bt plant remains falling to the ground are harmful to earthworms and other members of soil fauna. Bt toxins are secreted into soil from Bt plant roots and are toxic to lepidoptera in the soil (Stotzky, et al. Nature 402, 480 (1999)). The specific targeting and elimination of one insect pest has led to other pestiferous insect species moving into the ecological niche created by the disappearance of the first species. Getting rid of one problem simply created another. If Bt toxin transgenes spread to wild relatives of crop plants the wild plants may also develop resistance to insect herbivores. This could lead to the affected wild plants becoming invasive weeds.| The problem of resistance to Bt toxin and other toxins engineered into crops can be countered by planting suitably sized ‘refuges’ of a non-GM variety of the crop at suitable intervals within the crop. The interbreeding of the wild population with the Bt-exposed potentially resistant population will dilute out the genetic trait and thus prevent it building up.|Putting the Bt toxin gene in the crop exposes the pest to the toxin for longer, thus allowing natural genetic resistance to the toxin to develop in the pest. So-called refuge systems do not work, partly because breeding cycles in the differing pest populations are not synchronized. Refuges of up to 40% of the acreage are having to be recommended and this is not practical or popular for farmers. The build up of Bt toxin resistance threatens to render ineffective an insecticide long used by organic agriculture. Increased use of biopesticides in transgenic crops deprives the ecosystem of one of its natural pest controls thereby putting at risk its ability to restore equilibrium after being upset by abnormal conditions. | Helps solve the problem of world hunger by creating varieties which will make more efficient utilization of scarce land and give higher yields because of better pest resistance, nutrient utilization etc.|World hunger will not be solved by technological means. It is a problem of inequitable distribution of wealth and corrupt governments. Reduces yields (e.g. cotton, soybeans and sugar beet in some areas).| If herbicide resistance spreads to weed populations it can be combated with another herbicide with a different active ingredient. The ecological and agricultural threat of a GM plant is no more than a non-GM invasive (exotic) species such as kudzu or purple l oosestrife. Although improved crop yields can be engineered by genetically modifying plants, there is ecological concern over whether these plants are likely to persist in the wild in the event of dispersal from their cultivated habitat. The results of a long-term study of the performance of transgenic crops in natural habitats on four different crops (canola seed, potato, maize and sugar beet) which were grown in 12 different habitats and monitored over a period of 10 years show that in no case were the genetically modified plants found to be more invasive or more persistent than their conventional counterparts. (M. J. CRAWLEY, S. L. BROWN, R. S. HAILS, D. D. KOHN & M. REES. Biotechnology: Transgenic crops in natural habitats Nature 409, 682 – 683 (2001)  © Macmillan Publishers Ltd)|Enhances spread of herbicide resistance to wild weed populations because the necessary genes are in the pollen, which can then pollinate wild relatives of the crop plant. This could create â₠¬Ëœsuperweeds’ especially if ‘gene stacking’ of several different transgenes occurs. Spread of transgenes is also caused by birds, animals & machinery carrying the seed to other locations (e.g. canola seed on Ailsa Craig isle, 10 miles from Scottish mainland) Increased weediness of GM crops is already beginning to show. In 1999, in Alberta, Canada canola seed volunteers (unwanted crop plants coming up the following year) resistant to three different herbicides have been discovered. A series of chemical and DNA tests confirm the weeds in farmer Tony Huether’s field near Sexsmith are resistant to Roundup ®, Liberty ® and Pursuit ® herbicide chemicals. Invasive species of plants can remain relatively unproblematic in a region for many years and then suddenly take a hold so much so that they become an economically significant nuisance. For this reason, the ecological impact of GM crops will be difficult to predict in the long term, i.e. over several decades. | Most cultivars are unlikely to survive amongst wild plant populations and those with herbicide resistance that escape will have no advantage from the herbicide resistance trait unless that particular herbicide is used. Such volunteers can be controlled with other herbicides.|Transgenic herbicide resistant cultivars could escape into the wild and become problematic ‘volunteers’ in agriculture. These volunteers will require increased use of more toxic herbicides.| Is a sustainable agriculture, because it reduces chemical inputs as well as fuel inputs for farm machinery.|Unsustainable — based on greed not need. Helps chemical agriculture to proliferate. The only sustainable agriculture for the future is organic (including biodynamic & permaculture).| Quicker and more precise than traditional breeding.|Breeding takes place outside the proper c ontext, i.e. in the laboratory, therefore the crops are so weakened that they need to have the environment of the laboratory (soil sterilization, artificial fertilizers and pesticides) brought to them in the field. Transgenic lines are unstable and can lead to crop failures (e.g. GM cotton in USA).| A greater range of distinct disease-resistant varieties can be created so that the farmer has a wide choice and can plant a mixture of several varieties of the same crop in the same field to insure against disease attack. Disease resistance traits can be rapidly introduced to cultivars, e.g. rice, thus keeping ahead of the changing pattern of disease in a particular locality.|Because of the huge investment in GM crops, the necessarily increased emphasis on single high-yielding varieties reduces genetic diversity within the crop itself. This can lay the crop open to massive losses when disease strikes.| Novel drought and salt-tolerant cultivars can be created (important for Third World Co untries).|Sustainable organic plant breeding can develop novel varieties properly suited to a locality perfectly satisfactorily.| Any royalties or technology fees are more than compensated for by advantages including higher yields and easier, therefore less expensive, husbandry.|No seed saving by the farmer is permitted. The farmer has to pay royalties to the biotech company. This undermines a traditional agricultural practice and particularly threatens peasant farming in developing countries. GM crops add to the tendency of modern chemical agriculture to undermine the autonomy of farmers and turn them into tractor drivers or machine minders for large transnational corporations.| New varieties are tested for toxicity more than any crop plants have ever been in the past, therefore they are likely to be safer. Jimmy Clark, a professor of ruminant nutrition in Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, reviewed the results from 23 research experiments, which wer e conducted over the past four years at universities throughout the United States, Germany and France. In each study, separate groups of chickens, dairy cows, beef cattle and sheep were fed either genetically modified corn or soybeans or traditional corn or soybean as a portion of their diet. Each experiment independently confirmed that there is no significant difference in the animals’ ability to digest the genetically modified crops and no significant difference in the weight gain, milk production, milk composition, and overall health of the animals when compared to animals fed the traditional crops. Clark concluded, â€Å"Based on safety analyses required for each crop, human consumption of milk, meat and eggs produced from animals fed genetically modified crops should be as safe as products derived from animals fed conventional crops.† Clark added that approximately 70% of the genetically modified soybeans produced in the world and 80% of the genetically modified corn produced in the United States are used as animal feed. â€Å"Since these genetically modified crops were grown beginning in 1996, they have been fed to livestock and no detrimental effects have been reported,† Clark said. (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Release, Apr il 2001).|Increases herbicide residues in the food because the herbicide is applied later in the growing season and closer to harvest | The issue of spread of antibiotic resistance from GM crops containing antibiotic resistance marker genes is unproven. If it is a problem at all it is likely to be small compared with the induction of antibiotic resistance through profligate use of antibiotics in animal nutrition, veterinary and medical practice.|Spreads antibiotic resistance to microorganisms in the environment, and then to pathogenic bacteria.| More profit for the farmer, seed producer and biotech company shareholder.|No demonstrable benefit to the consumer. | Crops producing ‘nutraceuticals’ can be engineered, i.e. food additives that have a nutritional benefit bordering on a pharmaceutical benefit, e.g. modified edible oils. The vitamin content of plants can be enhanced by GM. Plants which previously did not contain a particular vitamin can now be made to produce lar ge amounts of it (e.g. Vitamin A ‘golden’ rice). The aim of the GM Vitamin A rice project is not to achieve ideal levels of vitamin A intake through this source but to augment the extremely low intakes which lead to blindness and death of hundreds of thousands of people a year (Prof. Dr. Ingo Potrykus, statement, February 2001). |In 1999, Deutsche Bank issued a report advising investors to avoid investing in GM crop technology (agribiotech). A balanced diet of fresh fruit & vegetables plus cereals and protein is all that is necessary. ‘Nutraceuticals’ are a sticking plaster (band aid) attempt to remedy fundamentally unhealthy diets. Existing food sources provide adequate daily intakes of vitamins provided they are eaten in sufficient amounts and the vitamins are not destroyed in the processing or cooking. Vitamin-enhanced GM plants are an unnecessary technical solution to a problem, which does not exist. Even with Vitamin A GM rice a normal daily intake of 300 gram of rice would, at best, provide 8% percent of the vitamin A needed daily.| The ‘killer genes’ of the technology protection system (‘terminator technology’) allows the seed producer’s intellectual property (patent) to be protected by a biological rather than litigious method.|No seed saving by the farmer is permitted. The farmer has to pay royalties to the biotech company. This undermines a traditional agricultural practice and particularly threatens peasant farming in developing countries.| The increased cho ice of modern high-yielding cultivars to farmers allows diversification to keep ahead of economic, climatic and plant disease trends.|The possibility of further globalization of crop varieties that GE offers through the introduction of traits necessary for introduction into new regions of the globe erodes cultural diversity – i.e. traditionally, different crops and varieties are grown by different cultures. Genetic engineering works towards global uniformity, i.e. globalization of Western/Northern culture. There used to be far greater choice of crop varieties for farmers, sometimes hundreds of varieties of a particular crop in a given region, but this diversity is falling at an alarming rate because of the industrialization of farming under pressure from the agrochemical industry. This will be accelerated by biotech agribusiness.| GE allows the creation of plants that produce vaccines, pharmaceuticals or enhanced pharmaceutical raw materials. |GE is already used to produce ph armaceuticals in microorganisms in the much safer containment conditions of biotechnology factories. It should not be taken out into the environment thus putting the environment at risk. In any case, much of the pharmaceutical production, which would be created, is designed to treat diseases caused by industrialization and urbanization, which could be better treated not by a genetic fix but by changing lifestyles and environment.| Novel food crops are tested for genetic stability (breeding true), ‘substantial equivalence’, nutritive properties, toxicity and allergenicity. It is well known that conventional breeding can introduce increased levels of natural plant toxins into a new variety or can modify its digestibility or nutritiousness. Furthermore, certain organic crops have been shown to have higher levels of toxic substances, e.g potatoes.|GE introduces unpredictable toxic or allergenic effects into food plants (e.g. Brazil nut gene in transgenic soybeans). ‘Substantial equivalence’ is a political-commercial concept rather than a scientific one. GM plants are not genetically stable. For instance, the number of copies of an inserted gene changes through later generations of the GM plant. | This technology is completely new to the insurance industry. It is natural that insurers will be cautious about it. However, when they realize that the risks are no worse than with introduced ali en species that are dealt with by conventional methods of weed control, the problem of insurance will disappear. No amount of research under containment conditions will reveal how a GM plant will behave when grown en masse in the open field.|As the degree of escape of genes from GM crops is unpredictable, they can’t be recalled once they have escaped and they could multiply in the wild, some insurance underwriters have stated that such risks are uninsurable. There should be a moratorium on experiments in the open until the safety of the GM plant is fully tested under containment conditions. | Plant pathogens need not be used in making GM plants. The genes can be blasted into plant cells using a ‘gene gun’, which fire microparticles of metal coated with the DNA of interest.|Plant pathogens such as Agrobacterium tumefaciens (literally ‘cancer causing’) are used to shuttle genes into plants and viral gene sequences such as cauliflower mosaic virus promo ter are used to make the genes express themselves once in the plant. The pathogens could recombine with their natural equivalents in the plant thus risking unpredictable outbreaks of plant disease.| Bioprospecting has gone on since very ancient times. There is no reason why an organism, which just happens to be at a particular location of the globe, should be in the sole ownership of the people living there. Agreements can be entered into in order to protect the traditional usages of indigenous peoples.|Steals genetic commons from peasant farmers and indigenous peoples (biopiracy by the rich North, e.g. neem tree & basmati rice).| Biopolymers can be produced in GM plants allowing the manufacture of biodegradeable plastics (e.g. PHBV, Biopol), which are also sustainable because they are not made from fossil fuels. |No comment|

Health and Safety In a workplace

I have chosen two work places to compare in my health and safety investigation. First one is in my school, and my second workplace is in St James medical centre. I wrote up a questionnaire about health and safety to give to both of my workplaces. An employee in this place will fill out the questionnaire to see how much they know about their work place. Firstly both my workplaces do know the evacuation procedures in the event of an emergency or a fire. Waste Materials: Each workplace uses different methods of disposing of their waste materials. The workplace has special bins for unsafe waste and the school uses the sinks or black bags because it is usually not harmful waste thrown away if it is then it is disposed appropriately for the type of martial of substance. The workplace recycles all unwanted paper the same as the school has just bought in paper bins to use in each classroom. Is the electricity is used safely: In each workplace there is different electricity safety insurgency firstly in the Post-graduates who have just finished university can also use electronic information for a variety of things as well. Firstly keep in touch with all there friends that they made from university on websites such as Facebook, MySpace and others like that as well as the chat programs e.g. MSN and others. Secondly using it to find jobs and to start to look for cars and houses school the students can use the switches and the equipment under supervision the teacher has control of the safety switches and the circuit breakers in each lab. The workplace has a rule that only qualified elections are allowed to touch the equipment. Prevent fire: Each workplace is smoke free to insure no fires caused by that. The school has gas cut of switches if the fire was caused by gas to stop the building blowing up. No naked flames and put on near chemicals that are flammable. Each workplace has fire alarms. The medical centre insures that all equipment is switched off before leaving building at night. Effects on environment: The medical centre knows the effect in the environment is helping people. In the school Some ways of having to use the electronic information can be: having to buy clothes online delivered to your door, buying plane tickets for anywhere around the world, having your shopping delivered to your door by a local super market e.g. Tesco, Sainsbury and ASDA. there is know effects to the environment because there are such few hazards chemicals and if there was then they would be so few medical centres w that it wouldn't make any differences. Hazard chemicals: Each work place does use chemicals the medical centre has correct training for individuals that are handling them and also monitoring of using them too. The school has fume cupboards are used in the labs ands correct storage. Each chemical is clearly labelled how bad it is also they have fire proof cabinets. None of my work places use any biological hazards. First aid: In the medical centre there are doctors and qualified nurses in the case of emergency first aid. In the school there is about 7 teachers qualified in first aid,