Should GMO Foods be Labeled?

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People should know where there food comes from right? Or should they just accept the food that is given to them at their local grocery store or big chain store? I mean after all food is something that your body uses to provide nutrients to your body. Wouldn’t you want to know if the food you were used to was altered in any sort of way. With Monsanto and their GM Crops (Genetically Modified Crops) , which are crops that have been genetically altered by engineering techniques, such as corn or soybeans could be provided to you without you being aware that they are genetically altered and not the original crops that grow from the earth.

Monsanto claims that the Genetically Modified Crops are safe, but how are we to know for sure, but isn’t that what tobacco companies told us about cigarette smoking back in the 40’s and 50’s. Now after years of testing we know cigarette smoking is closely linked to forms of cancer especially of the lungs. Whose not to say in the future that GMO Crops will be closely linked to some disorder or disease. GMO’s have been around for about approxiametly 16 years, with heavy long term research being done mainly by Monsanto, whose research shows that they are safe.

There have been other research that says otherwise, such as research done by Michael Antoniou of Earth Open Source and Dr. Giles-Eric Seralini of the University of Caan in France.  Their research states that glyphosate and 2-4-D found in the GMO’s pesticides create  lots of health problems such as birth defects, neurological imbalances, cancers, embryonic deaths, and DNA damage.

Monsanto states they are opposed to current initiative to mandate labeling of ingredients developed from Genetically Modified seeds in the absence of any demonstrated risks because such mandatory labeling could imply that food products containing these ingredients are somehow inferior to their conventional or organic counterparts. Mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods and organisms in the United States has been proposed but not been made into a bill or law on the national level. Many countries have actually banned Genetically Modified Organisms such as Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Madeira, New Zealand, Peru, and South Australia.

I mean what was wrong with the way these crops were naturally created in the first place. Either, consumers should have the option of knowing whether their crops were genetically modified or not, in the same way there are standards on whether stuff is organic or if an product doesn’t contain gluten.

So do you think that products should be labeled GMO or not? What are your thoughts about Genetically Modified Crops in general?

 

Sources:

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09371.html

http://www.monsanto.com/newsviews/Pages/food-labeling.aspx

http://www.naturalnews.com/038544_GMOs_solution_Monsanto.html

Can the all-electric car reach mass market appeal?

Who killed the electric car is a term you sometimes hear when referring to motor vehicles that run exclusively on electricity. With the environment issues being a big concern for our society today, many car manufacturing companies have developed hybrid vehicles. Hybrid Car being a vehicle that uses two different power sources to move the car, most commonly the internal combustion engine which uses gas fuel and an electric motor that uses.  The hybrid cars have gained popularity among consumers, especially the Toyota Prius, this has resulted in many car manufacturers developing hybrid vehicles to gain some market share.

However some come car manufacturers such as Honda, Nissan, Toyota, and Tesla to name a few have taken it a step further by producing purely electric vehicles that run only on electricity.  Electric cars are nothing new, being created in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s,  however gasoline fueled cars gained increased popularity and have captured the market ever since.

So what will it take for the Electric Car to reach mass market appeal? What do the managers at these huge car companies have to do. Many executives believe the electric car has to gain trust amongst car consumers. For now many consumers foresee a future with the hybrid car because of its driving range which drives a certain amount of miles on electric power then gasoline power takes over, which is fuel efficient.  Compared with the limited driving range of the electric vehicles.  There are a few factors which  limit electric cars from reaching mass market appeal. First the limited Driving Range of some of the electric vehicles and niche battery powered cohorts is a main factor  stopping consumers from buying into the technology. Another factor is the high initial price of many of the Electric Vehicles, many times being more costly than gasoline powered vehicles. One more huge factor is the unavailability of electric charging stations compared to gas stations. Going to a gas station is very convenient for consumers and that is what they are used to.

Nevertheless there is much advancement taking place with the electric vehicle technology and the availability of electric charging stations. John O’dell, and Edmund’s analyst predict the following would constitute an electric vehicle that could be mainstream: an electric car with a driving range of 150 miles that could be completely recharged in about 10 minutes or and electric car with a driving range  of 300 miles that could be completely recharged in 30 minutes. The price of these vehicles should be in the range $25,000 to $30,000, so it could somewhat affordable to middle-lower income comsumers. Also it was suggested that there be a good national network of electric vehicle charging stations so that it could be convenient to charge your car anywhere.

These are all great suggestions to making the electric car more appealing to the mass market and I definitely know I plan on getting one in the future, being a big environmental guy myself. However what would make you switch from Gasoline powered vehicle to purely Electric powered?

 

http://business.time.com/2013/01/29/what-would-make-an-all-electric-car-appeal-to-the-masses/

http://inventors.about.com/od/estartinventions/a/History-Of-Electric-Vehicles.htm