Societal Implications and Applications
The impacts of GMO's on society are numerous and profound, for few things affect and concern ordinary citizens more so than the food they consume. There are two major extra-scientific issues at stake in the GMO debate:
1. Legal: Do consumers have the right to know the genetic history of the food they are purchasing? Do producers have the right to conceal this information if they feel it will unfairly harm their business?
2. Political: How do GMO's factor into the question of the growing world population and world hunger? Can real utilitarian concerns outweigh the possible health risks caused by genetic engineering?
Bringing these issues up in class may facilitate in capturing the students' interests, by adding variety to the subjects, and breaking the monotony of strictly scientific disc
1. Legal: Do consumers have the right to know the genetic history of the food they are purchasing? Do producers have the right to conceal this information if they feel it will unfairly harm their business?
2. Political: How do GMO's factor into the question of the growing world population and world hunger? Can real utilitarian concerns outweigh the possible health risks caused by genetic engineering?
Bringing these issues up in class may facilitate in capturing the students' interests, by adding variety to the subjects, and breaking the monotony of strictly scientific disc