The Hidden Cost of Convenience
Taylor Sheridan
English 201A
Professor Jim West
15 May 2012
The Hidden Cost of Convenience Human beings have had a relationship with the Earth through farming since 10,000 B.C., and to this day humans remain dependent on that very relationship. The development in farming techniques has exploded since the early 1900’s with the development of chemical pesticides and Genetic Engineering (GE). GE crops treated with pesticides produce larger quantities of food at an immensely faster rate. Approximately 70 percent of processed food come from GE seeds and are treated with chemical pesticides. Because of the massive amounts of food that are being produced, the dollar expense is decreased for these abundant products. This may seem to be an amazing revelation in food technology, but what if the very processes which make food available, affordable, and convenient are what is making modern Americans sick? What are you really sacrificing for convenience? Pesticides are substances used to destroy insects or any other organisms (pests) that are harmful to cultivated plants or animals. There are many variations of natural pesticides and chemical pesticides. The use of chemical pesticides raises a controversy about the safety of our food, and our environment. A number of studies conducted by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Environment Program suggest that the use of pesticides is extremely dangerous. These studies conclude that about three million agricultural workers suffer illnesses such as cancer from severe poisoning due to pesticide exposure. Of this number, 18,000 die every year (Drake). However, Mr. Rick Melnicoe, Director of the Western Integrated Pest Management Center and the UC Statewide Pesticide Coordinator claims, “it is the dose that makes the poison and that there is virtually no illness associated with modern pesticide residue on foods. Illnesses that do occur are caused by misuse, exposure to concentrated levels by workers, and
English 201A
Professor Jim West
15 May 2012
The Hidden Cost of Convenience Human beings have had a relationship with the Earth through farming since 10,000 B.C., and to this day humans remain dependent on that very relationship. The development in farming techniques has exploded since the early 1900’s with the development of chemical pesticides and Genetic Engineering (GE). GE crops treated with pesticides produce larger quantities of food at an immensely faster rate. Approximately 70 percent of processed food come from GE seeds and are treated with chemical pesticides. Because of the massive amounts of food that are being produced, the dollar expense is decreased for these abundant products. This may seem to be an amazing revelation in food technology, but what if the very processes which make food available, affordable, and convenient are what is making modern Americans sick? What are you really sacrificing for convenience? Pesticides are substances used to destroy insects or any other organisms (pests) that are harmful to cultivated plants or animals. There are many variations of natural pesticides and chemical pesticides. The use of chemical pesticides raises a controversy about the safety of our food, and our environment. A number of studies conducted by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Environment Program suggest that the use of pesticides is extremely dangerous. These studies conclude that about three million agricultural workers suffer illnesses such as cancer from severe poisoning due to pesticide exposure. Of this number, 18,000 die every year (Drake). However, Mr. Rick Melnicoe, Director of the Western Integrated Pest Management Center and the UC Statewide Pesticide Coordinator claims, “it is the dose that makes the poison and that there is virtually no illness associated with modern pesticide residue on foods. Illnesses that do occur are caused by misuse, exposure to concentrated levels by workers, and
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