...Juan Colon GE217 Composition II Mr. Cardew Final Paper August 30, 2012 Monsanto and Genetically Modified Foods Monsanto is an agricultural biotech corporate giant that genetically modifies animals and crop seeds. On their website, they come across a deeply committed humanitarian organization that provides an ecologically sustainable answer to global hunger and malnutrition. The sad reality is that Monsanto is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and perhaps one of the most unethical corporate giants in the world today. I will argue that Monsanto is on a power trip, and that they have a hidden agenda that has nothing to do with compassion, ecology or human hunger, and everything to do with greed. In the following paragraphs, I will provide a brief history of Monsanto. Then I will examine some of the promises made in their marketing propaganda, and provide evidence that these promises are little more than blatant lies. Monsanto started out in 1901 developing a highly controversial artificial sweetener called saccharine. Monsanto eventually shifted their focus to genetically modified plants and animals. They are still a major chemical production corporation, developing and marketing Roundup and several other herbicides, Bovine Growth Hormone, and genetically modified seeds. Among the most widely recognized of their genetically modified products include corn, soy and canola. These seeds have a gene inserted that makes them resistant to Monsanto's own herbicide called Roundup. These...
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...The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and the U.S. economy Executive Summary -The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement is a free trade agreement initiated in 2005 and was joined by the U.S. in 2008 which proposes to liberalize trade in the Asia-Pacific region. -Negotiations are ongoing and held in secret. While the FTA’s existence and meetings are public knowledge, most of the information is classified and kept from U.S. government officials. However, several documents have been leaked to the public through various sources. -There is much clamor and concern over the Intellectual Property proposals put forth by the U.S. These proposals threaten to dial back public health safeguards set forth in the 2007 New Trade Deal of the Bush administration, increase prices of consumer goods, and restrict access to information on the internet. -There are 12 countries involved in negotiations, with China as an observer and considering entry. Overall, these countries make up about 40% of the world GDP and offer access to huge markets for the U.S. Nonetheless, the threat of losing jobs overseas, as with most FTAs, is cause for concern. -Past FTAs have resulted in an increase in U.S. trade deficit and a loss of jobs. However, analysis shows that American firms can benefit from these agreements as well with increased exports to new markets. Brief History The Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement is a free trade agreement with the goal of liberalizing the borders...
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...“MOLLUSCICIDAL EFFECT OF PURSLANE (PORTULACA OLERACEA) AND CHILI (CAPSICUM ANNUM) ON GOLDEN APPLE SNAILS (POMACEA CANALICULATA)” I.INTRODUCTION A. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Problems cannot be avoided. It is present in every individual. However, every problem has its own solution. Nowadays our government suffers so many problems both local and national. The level of economy goes down every year which affects each and every citizen. Foreign debts have gone high beyond the capacity of the government to pay. This is the reason why the government must take initiative to implement plan of action that solve some of its problem and to have some contribution that can help the people in the society. Farmers are considered as our government’s helping hand in the production and sustenance of food in the country, but they face so many problems every year. Usually this problems result to low production and low output. One of the problems that hinder high quality of rice production is the large infestation of Golden Apple Snails (POMACEA CANALICULATA) in the farm lands through the Philippines. Golden Apple Snail (POMACEA CANALICULATA) infestation, posses several problems in the rice farming system. This damage young rice seedlings causes poor crop stand, yield loses, additional expenses and lethal effects of systemic commercial molluscicides including the unaccounted environmental costs where bodies of water are the main recipients. Nowadays Filipino farmers become aware...
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...the productivity of the land, as demonstrated at Caroola farm and the campus of Mulloon Institute, the Home farm. Caroola farm is a permaculture based farm that uses organic methods of farming to develop and maintain sustainable practises. Since the bushfire(s) a couple years ago, in which pasture and fences were destroyed, Caroola Farm has come a long way in restoring and rehabilitating the land so that it can be used for agricultural purposes, through the use of sustainable practises. At the Home Farm, the emphasis in rehabilitation work is their specific focus on rehydrating the landscape through sustainable practises. This land is then used by Mulloon Institute to further research which methods are the most effective. 2.0 Background Land is Australia’s greatest asset, though increasing human activity is resulting in soil loss at a greater rate than nature’s ability to replace it. This process is known as land degradation, which refers to the decline in quality of the land. Land degradation is a current geographical issue, because it affects agricultural and pastoral activities. It causes the decline in the quality of the land which negatively impacts the land’s ability in producing crops, feeding animals and renewing its natural vegetation. However, as land continues to degrade at an...
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...Bangladesh has a subtropical monsoon climate characterized by wide seasonal variations in rainfall, moderately warm temperatures, and high humidity. Regional climatic differences in this flat country are minor. Three seasons are generally recognized: a hot, humid summer from March to June; a cool, rainy monsoon season from June to October; and a cool, dry winter from October to March. In general, maximum summer temperatures range between 32°C and 38°C. April is the warmest month in most parts of the country. January is the coldest month, when the average temperature for most of the country is 10°C. Winds are mostly from the north and northwest in the winter, blowing gently at one to three kilometers per hour in northern and central areas and three to six kilometers per hour near the coast. From March to May, violent thunderstorms, called northwesters by local English speakers, produce winds of up to sixty kilometers per hour. During the intense storms of the early summer and late monsoon season, southerly winds of more than 160 kilometers per hour cause waves to crest as high as 6 meters in the Bay of Bengal, which brings disastrous flooding to coastal areas. Heavy rainfall is characteristic of Bangladesh. With the exception of the relatively dry western region of Rajshahi, where the annual rainfall is about 160 centimeters, most parts of the country receive at least 200 centimeters of rainfall per year (see fig. 1). Because of its location just south of the foothills of the...
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...Agencies, 2014) Because of its special geographical position, about two-thirds of salmon that migrate into California pass through the Delta, as do nearly half the migrating waterfowl and shorebirds (Association of California Water Agencies, 2014). Besides, due to the world's largest man-made plumbing job, the estuary provides 7.2 million acre-feet of water a year for export, irrigates 4.5 million acres of farmland, and provides drinking water for 20 million Californians (Association of California Water Agencies, 2014). For these reasons, the SSRD becomes the most important estuary on the west coast. Climate change and man-made modifications to the delta have resulted in many environmental and ecological problems. Problems such as agricultural irrigation, urban water usage, land use and control can threaten citizens’ lives and prosperity. Solutions to mitigate this ecological disaster mainly focus on the divisions between environmental and economic interest. To achieve long term economic growth and development, the most viable solutions address the need balance environmental improvements such as wetland habitat restoration and water quality improvements with infrastructural improvements to levee health, water transportation systems, and land use management. The location, geography, and historical function of the SSRD The Sacramento-San Joaquin River...
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...Grade 10-12 Geography FARMING IN ZAMBIA AND THE SUB-REGION Grade 10-12 Geography Author: C.I. Chilukusha (Mrs) Summary: This lesson plan covers land tenure in Zambia, types of farming, the problems associated with subsistence farming, the pastoral system, commercial farming, impact on the environment, farming in other countries in the sub-region, and an outline of Government measures to develop agriculture in Zambia. ZAMBIA A. LAND TENURE This is the process of acquiring and possessing of land by individuals. There are four types of land tenure in Zambia namely: 1. TRADITIONAL LAND This is land controlled by traditional chiefs on behalf of the people. Individuals or families have the right to use the land but not to sell it. This land is inherited according to existing customary law. 2. FREE HOLD This is reserve land especially on the unproductive land. Mostly used as collateral before independence. 3. STATELAND This is the acquisition and control of land by the president in public interest. This is administered by the ministry of Lands which issues title deeds in collaboration with the council. 4. LEASEHOLD This is the statutory lease of land for a maximum period of 99 years. This also requires the consent of the president. Certificates of title are also issued. B. TYPES OF FARMING TRADITIONAL FARMING This is the farming or growing of crops basically for the family’s’ sustenance. Small portions of land are cleared and the crops are food...
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...Intro establishes significance without taking sides: Every five years, Congress introduces a multi-billion dollar bill that affects all Americans. This legislation has come to be known as the Farm bill, and this year’s is quite possibly the most scrutinized, criticized, and important farm bill that has ever been introduced. So, the question arises: “Why is the farm bill such a controversial issue?” Dan Imhoff answers, “If you eat, pay taxes, care about the nutritional values of school lunches, worry about the plight of biodiversity or the loss of farmland and shrinking open space, you have a personal stake in the tens of billions of dollars annually committed to agricultural and food policies” (18). Now the controversy and social problems—as seen by each side—are introduced. The Farm bill is responsible for funding numerous food related programs, such as subsidies, the food stamp program, and also the farmer’s safety net, to name just a few. Where this money goes and how it is spent reflects what the United States values, and what it is defining as a social problem. Some supporters of this bill maintain that this bill provides financial security not only to agriculturalists but also to consumers as well. They believe that this bill promotes an increased emphasis on of conservation, and that it also encourages efforts to explore the merits of bioenergy. The value placed on conservation, cleaner, more efficient energy sources, and the financial protection of American citizens...
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...and natural predators. Products and techniques currently used in Florida are discussed in detail, and the benefits and risks of each are considered. Commercial pesticide information includes summaries and information provided by manufacturers. Minor differences between various formulations of the same or similar active ingredients are detailed so that the competency of each product may be compared. The old days of smothering everything with one pesticide such as waste oil are gone, and mosquito control is rapidly approaching an age of prescription applications where a competent operator will apply one or a combination of larvicides in an environmentally friendly manner under a given set of conditions. Commercial pesticide sections summarize data found in manufacturers’ current product literature and labels. Two of many additional sources of information on mosquito larvicides are: • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency HTTP://WWW.EPA.GOV/PESTICIDES/HEALTH/MOSQUITOES/LARVICIDES4MOSQUITOES.HTM • Alameda County, California Mosquito Control HTTP://WWW.MOSQUITOES.ORG/BIORAT.HTML The University of Florida published a handbook (Dean and Nesheim 1998) on correct pesticide applications which covers in depth many topics presented here. 5.1 INTRODUCTION Larviciding is a general term for killing immature mosquitoes by applying agents, collectively called larvicides, to control mosquito larvae and/or pupae. Larval Source Management (LSM) involves both the modification of water habitats...
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...eating them, taking them into the very marrow of our bones, isn’t it like digging our own grave? On today’s status quo one of the major problems in the Philippines is about health, and one of the main cause of this is about what we eat, which as we can see chemical products are abundant in the Philippines. Rice is an everyday consumption of Filipino’s diet which is believed healthy for our body and abundant throughout the Philippines, but what if shortage of this production is experience because of pests invading towards Philippine rice fields. Believe it or not, this healthy is now considered insalubrious facing the fact that chemicals that are practiced towards the plants which serves as pesticide against kuhol will also harm our body, because farmers have no choice but to use chemical pesticide to eliminate these pests, is there? Before the introduction of chemical pesticides our native kuhol was a good source of viand in the rice field and seldom did it turn against growing rice plants. Using kinds of chilli pepper is one of the cheapest manners of organic planting. Proposing a healthy non-chemical pesticide which is good for both producer and consumers considering also that this will not harm the traits of nature. The chilli used in this study is abundant throughout the Philippines, planted there and...
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...Bio Fertilizer .Com .: Organic Products Natural Products in Gardens and Agriculture Bio Fertilizer are natural and organic fertilizer that helps to keep in the soil with all the nutrients and live microorganisms required for the benefits of the plants. The soil is alive and contains a lot of microorganism that produce natural N-K-P and other nutrients required for agricultre and plants. Using chemical products eventually will kill all this micro live and transform productive soils in sand in few years. Bio Fertilizer .Com is one organic center with information about natural products and eco friendly energies. Information Center about how to use Solar, Wind , BioDigestors and other sources of cheap energy for houses and business. Bio Pesticides are natural products that helps in the maintenance of gardens and organic food production. Read the Biology of Microorganisms to learn more about the scientific basis. Introducing the basics of the science of Biology of Microorganisms and its applications, as fertilizers or composting for example. Organic Farming State The World of Organic Agriculture: More Than 31 Million Hectares Worldwide The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), the Swiss Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), and the Foundation Ecology & Farming (SOEL), Germany, presented the latest global data on organic farming at the BioFach fair 2006 in Nuremberg, the world leading fair for organic food. According to the survey,...
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...Genetically Modified Organisms Technology, Society, and Culture Table of Contents Technical Aspect of GMO by Chad Dookie Page 3 Moral and Ethical Aspect of GMO by Ronald Claude Page 7 Cultural and Legal Aspect of GMO by Evangelina Ramirez Page 14 Environmental Issues of GMO by Donovan Collins Page 23 References Page 32 Technical Aspect of GMO by Chad Dookie Description of GMOs and the associated science Most of the populations that do shopping in the groceries to buy food for their family are not aware of the “naturalness” of the food. Groceries sell items such as; cotton seeds, rice, soy, sugar beets, yeast, cassava, papaya, bananas, food flavoring, potatoes, corn, tomatoes, squash, oils, beef, pork, chicken, salmon, peas, alfalfa, and honey. Notice that most of the items listed either came from a plant or an animal. Those are the top 20 grocery items that have been genetically modified. What are genetically modified organisms? A genetically modified organism is any living thing that has had their DNA tampered with. This can be mutating, removing, or adding genetic material into the organism. All of the items listed in paragraph one has had their DNA tampered with. Most times when people talk about genetically modified organisms, they mostly refer to plants that are genetically modified. You may be wondering how the animals listed are considered genetically modified. This is because scientists modify the plants that are being...
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.... . . . . . . . . . 7 Significance of the Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Scopes and Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Review of Related Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Research Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Discussion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20...
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...Collapse- book is about a history topic about how societies choose to fail or survive. The main characters are historical people and unknown kings of Mayan cities or Easter Island villages. Jared Diamond tells the story of the Viking explorer Erik the Red, who discovered Greeland and Vinland (Terranova, in Canada). Another character is captain Olafsson, a norse sailor who wrote the last news about Greenland in 1410. Another main character is Christopher Columbus, who arrived at Hispaniola in 1492, but now this island is two countries, the Dominican Republic and the Haiti. Diamond studied the politics of two presidents. the dominican Rafael Trujillo, who protected the enviroment and the dictator François, Papa Doc, Duvalier, who decided on politics of deforestatation of his country, Haiti. The author considered the bad politics of another main character, king George II, who was interested in sending merinosheeps from Spain to Australia, an idea which was succesful from 1820 to 1950 but then the farmers understood their lands lost fertility. Another main character is Tokuwaga Jeayasu, a shogun of Japan in 1600, who prohibited Christianity in 1600 and protected his country againt deforestation. The book takes us to a lot of places around the globe: Mayan cities, Rwanda, Viking colonies of Vinland or Greenland, Haiti and Dominican Republic, Easter Island and Polynesian colonies in Pacific, and the Chaco villages in New Mexico (United States). The time period was from 800 AC, when...
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...MINISTRY OF WATER AND IRRIGATION Flood Mitigation Strategy June 2009 Flood Mitigation Strategy TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLESLIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................ iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................iv 1.0 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ............................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Methodology ........................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Strategy for Integrated Flood Management .............................................................. 3 2.0 SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS .................................................................................... 5 2.1 Institutional Arrangements....................................................................................... 5 2.1.1 Organizational Structure of the Ministry of Water and Irrigation .....................5 2.1.2 Flood Related Legislative Arrangement ............................................................ 5 2.1.3 Disaster Management......................................................................................6 2.2 History of floods in Kenya ....................................................................................... 6 ...
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