Pokemon Go

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/pokmon-go-sees-first-death-8453153

Due to the advent of technology, Pokémon Go uses your phone’s GPS and clock to detect where and when you are in the game and make Pokémon “appear” around you (on your phone screen) so you can go and catch them, which is a relatively new idea of incorporating the GPS into games. As you move around, different and more types of Pokémon will appear depending on where you are and what time it is. The idea is to encourage you to travel around the real world to catch Pokémon in the game.

Jerson Lopez de Leon, 18, from Guatemala, is reported to be playing the game with his cousin Daniel Moises Picen, 17, when they decided to break into a home in Chiquimuls to catch one of the virtual animals. Local reports claim that Leon was then shot dead, while Picen was badly wounded.

I feel that with the rapid improvement of technology comes positive and negative impacts on society. The recent release of the game Pokemon Go brought about many banes, despite bringing a considerable amount of entertainment, in extreme cases such as the death of Jeon Lopez de Leon. Also, it can adversely affect the studies of students as they would get addicted to the game and not want to study. Therefore, technology has brought about a negative effect on the society today.

Bacteria made to turn sewage into clean water – and electricity

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23130840-100-bacteria-made-to-turn-sewage-into-clean-water-and-electricity/

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Personal water treatment plants could soon be recycling our waste water and producing energy on the side.

Last month, Boston-based Cambrian Innovation began field tests of what’s known as a microbial fuel cell at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Maryland. Called BioVolt, in one day it can convert 2250 litres of sewage into enough clean water for at least 15 people.

BioVolt is able to generate its own electricity from treating waste water to power itself. This is a big deal, as conventional treatment plants guzzle energy – typically consuming 1.5 kilowatt-hours for every kilogram of pollutants removed. In the US, this amounts to a whopping 3 per cent of the total energy demand.

Recycling our own waste water could become commonplace.

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BioVolt is the first step towards an efficient, alternative method to the traditional way of providing energy for our daily needs.

According to the 40 CFR Part 503 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a typical family of four generates up to 400 gallons (or 1514~ litres) of wastewater per day.

I agree that recycling our own waste water would become commonplace. BioVolt is referred to as a “personal water treatment plant”, which could mean that it has the power to change the way Singaporeans receive their water. However, we must take into consideration the cost, the upkeep and the space required to construct the water treatment plants, which was not disclosed in the article.

With problems aside, the results gathered from the article is extremely promising. As technology advances, BioVolt will in time, become far more efficient and powerful, which can allow smaller but powerful versions to be placed in households without taking up too much space. As the island-nation itself is much smaller than others, Singapore can benefit from this in the future, albeit a little later than the other larger countries.

Living Near Agricultural Pesticide use During Pregnancy Linked to Lower IQ

Prenatal Residential Proximity to Agricultural Pesticide Use and IQ in 7-Year-Old Children

https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/07/27/18789535.php

The study found that at age 7, the children of mothers who lived during pregnancy within 0.6 miles of applications of organophosphate pesticides had declines of about 2 IQ points and 3 verbal reasoning points per 522 pounds applied nearby. The authors note that the loss of IQ points corresponds to thousands of dollars in reduced earning potential in adulthood.

I feel this is a strong argument for the use of GM crops. GM crops are hardier against pests and hence rely less on the use of pesticides. Since the IQ of future generations are non compromisable, we as a society have to reduce our usage of pesticides and GM crops are a step in that direction.

Smart kitchen system checks food wastage

http://www.straitstimes.com/tech/smart-kitchen-system-checks-food-wastage

PUBLISHED

JUL 27, 2016, 5:00 AM SGT

This article is about tackling the problem of food wastage in Singapore through the use of technology using a smart system in kitchens to monitor waste. This system was utilized Sofitel Singapore’s Sentosa Resort & Spa. The Winnow System is a smart meter that is integrated with a kitchen’s waste bin. It comprises a scale, an LCD panel and wireless connectivity. Before workers throw anything away, they select the type of food using the panel. After they dispose of the food, the system automatically weighs how much has been discarded, and also calculates and displays the dollar value of the wasted food.

In my opinion, many well developed countries have shown signs of discarding large amounts of food. Singapore too, is also facing the problem of food wastage. In Singapore, the National Environment Agency (NEA) estimated that 790,000 tonnes of food was thrown away in 2014. This large amount of food being wasted may be due to reasons such as the throwing of food from restaurants that holds buffet services and hawker centres. Singapore’s wasteland, Palau Semakau is also running out of spaces to dump our wastes. Thus, in the long run, if we continue to waste food, the problem of where to discard rubbish would be a huge problem. Therefore, with the use of technology, I believe that more restaurants could use this technology to reduce food wastage in Singapore.

 

EU approves imports of genetically modified Monsanto soybeans

The European Commission has approved the import and processing of Monsanto’s Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans, after debates over glyphosate herbicide’s safety delayed the introduction of genetically modified soybean variety for months.

“Today the Commission authorized three GMOs for food/feed uses (soybean MON 87708 x MON 89788, soybean MON 87705 x MON 89788 and soybean FG 72), all of which have gone through a comprehensive authorization procedure, including a favorable scientific assessment by EFSA,” the European Commission said in a statement.

All of the soybeans have gone through a comprehensive authorization procedure, including a favorable scientific assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The approved seeds include Monsanto’s Roundup Ready 2 Xtend.

Following the Commission’s approval Monsanto’s GMO soybeans are now authorized to be used both to feed animals and in human food, but not for planting in the EU. The authorization is now valid for 10 years but the EU warned that “any products produced from these GMOs will be subject to the EU’s strict labeling and traceability rules.”

Although Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans are tolerant to both glyphosate and dicamba herbicides, the use of dicamba herbicide over the top of Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans remains in the late stage of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) review and is not currently approved by the EPA.

The soybeans had been approved earlier this year by top importer China. Monsanto now plans to supply 15 million US soy acres to the export needs, the company said in a statement.

“With both the EU and Chinese import approvals and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the final stages of review for over-the-top use, Monsanto can now look forward to a full system launch in the United States in 2017 and continues to be in a strong position to supply roughly 15 million U.S. soy acres when the selling season arrives,” the company said.

The new GMO crops – coupled with the dicamba/glyphosate cocktail – make up what Monsanto has dubbed the ‘Roundup Ready Xtend crop system,’ designed to trump super weeds that have evolved along with the company’s glyphosate-based Roundup biocide.

Opinion:

From the article, it is clear to me that Monsanto is trying to encourage countries to use Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Just recently, the EU’s approval to the new soybeans after much debate shows how GMOs is considered unsafe. Personally, I feel that GMOs would never be a hundred percent safe to consume as it defies nature. Though there are GMOs that could raise a person’s nutritional level, it is still a product of man altering the genes of the seeds. If there were any wrong gene alteration, it could definitely result in severe consequences.

The March Against Monsanto is On: The Non-GMO Revolution and the Battle against the “Big 6” GMO Corporations

http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-march-against-monsanto-is-on-the-non-gmo-revolution-and-the-battle-against-the-big-6-gmo-corporations/5526376?utm_campaign=magnet&utm_source=article_page&utm_medium=related_articles

On May 21st the ‘March against Monsanto’ takes place around the world including Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, the U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan, Mexico and several countries in Europe and Africa are joining the fight against the GMO giant. There is positive news on the battle against Western corporations that produce and sell Genetically Modified Organisms or “GMO” foods.

Affected food companies: McDonalds and Coca-Cola

Recent trends suggest that the world is becoming more health conscious when it comes to their food supply. For example, for Coca-Cola “sales fell for the fourth straight quarter as demand for its fizzy drinks declined in Europe” as consumers increasingly turn health-conscious, cutting back on fizzy drinks and turning to teas, fruit juices and smoothies according to Reuters last month. The Associated Press (AP) reported in 2015 that McDonalds, an American name brand company that sells pure junk food experienced a 2.6% drop in sales worldwide.

The world’s biggest hamburger chain said global sales declined 2.3% at established locations during the first three months of the year. Already this year, McDonald’s has announced a number of changes in the US including a simplified grilled chicken recipe, curbing the use of antibiotics in chicken, and a pay bump and vacation time for workers at company-owned stores amid ongoing protests over its treatment of workers.

Another bright spot in the battle against GMO foods is that fast food consumption by children at least in the U.S. is also in decline. Between 2003 and 2010, the number of U.S. kids eating fast food on any given day went down, and the calories from some types of fast foods have declined as well, according to a new study.

Attitudes towards fast food chains and unhealthy products such as Coca-Cola and McDonalds have changed significantly. That is a positive change for human consumption but a negative for the McDonald’s Corporation, Coca-Cola, Monsanto and other GMO corporations.

Changing to Non-GMO

Alexia Foods, a ConAgra food brand announced that they too will become Non-GMO project verified and “that all of the brand’s offerings will be non-GMO by the end of 2016” according to their Press Release. Several other food companies are also moving towards Non-GMO products.

Del Monte Foods, Nestlé, and Dannon recently became the latest major food companies to replace genetically modified ingredients with non-GMO alternatives. Del Monte, one of the nation’s largest producers of branded food products, announced plans for an increase in non-GMO product offerings and conversion to non-BPA packaging. Nestlé Dreyer’s Ice Cream, the largest ice cream maker in the world, announced that it would remove GMO ingredients, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial colors and flavors in its ice cream products, including Dreyer’s, Häagen-Dazs®, Outshine®, Skinny Cow®, Nestlé® Ice Cream and Nestlé® Drumstick®. Dannon, the U.S.’s leading yogurt maker, pledged to using more non-GMO ingredients in its products, transitioning to non-GMO feed for its dairy cows, and labeling products containing GMO ingredients.

How far these food companies will go, still remains to be seen. But the discussion on the importance of producing healthy, non-GMO food by these companies is an important first step.

Russia’s step towards Non-GMO 

Russia Aims to Become Largest Non-GMO Exporter. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his intent on Russia becoming the largest exporter of Non-GMO food in the world to the members of the parliament in his December 2015 ‘Russian state of the nation’ speech:

Our agriculture sector is a positive example. Just a decade ago we imported almost half of our food products and critically depended on imports, whereas now Russia has joined the exporters’ club. Last year Russia’s agricultural exports totaled almost $20 billion. This is a quarter more than our proceeds from arms sales or about one third of our profits from gas exports. Our agriculture has made this leap in a short but productive period. Many thanks to our rural residents.

I believe we should set a national goal — fully provide the internal market with domestically produced foods by 2020. We are capable of feeding ourselves from our own land, and importantly, we have the water resources. Russia can become one of the world’s largest suppliers of healthy, ecologically clean quality foods that some Western companies have stopped producing long ago, all the more so since global demand for such products continues to grow.

Putin mentioned that the “millions of hectares of arable land” should be used by farmers who are interested in cultivating the land. In other words, make farming an attractive profession that produces healthy food for the Russian population and the world:

It is necessary to put to use millions of hectares of arable land that is now idle. They belong to large land owners, many of whom show little interest in farming. How many years have we been talking about this? Yet things are not moving forward. I suggest withdrawing misused agricultural land from questionable owners and selling it at an auction to those who can and want to cultivate the land.

Russia’s move towards the cultivating Non-GMO food is a clear victory against biotech giants such as Monsanto, Dupont, Dow Chemical Company, BASF, Bayer and Syngenta also known as the “Big 6”.

Kenya’s step towards Non-GMO

Kenya banned the imports and the planting of GMOs on November 21st, 2012. The Kenyan Ministry of Public Health ordered public health officials to enforce the ban on the importation of GMO products and remove all GMO laced products from store shelves.

However, according to an RT News article earlier this year titled ‘Monsanto, US, & Gates Foundation pressure Kenya to reverse GMO ban‘ highlights Washington’s interest regarding Monsanto’s technology to import and to produce GMO crops in Kenya:

Monsanto’s modified cotton seeds produce insecticides to poison butterflies and moths. Dr Charles Waturu, director of the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), claims the Monsanto technology is the only solution, even though a recent Spanish study found Monsanto’s seed MON810 does not increase yields or reduce damage compared to natural maize.

Kenyan GM sweet potato project  

In the 1990s, USAID, together with Monsanto, helped spearhead a 14-year, $6 million project through the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) to develop a genetically modified, virus-resistant sweet potato. The project has proven to be a failure. Local varieties outperformed GM varieties in field trials. Researchers in Uganda developed a virus-resistant hybrid through conventional breeding techniques at a tiny fraction of the cost. KARI continues to collaborate with the Monsanto Corporation and USAID researching biotechnological projects, advocating a model of agricultural development that relies upon a top-down approach and unproven, expensive investments.

Many Kenyan farmers resent the U.S., Monsanto and the Gates Foundation for continuing to shove unwanted biotechnology down their throats”

GM seeds can negatively affect soil and often flood markets, making it difficult for small farmers to keep up. Hybrid seeds are more difficult to germinate leading to increased costs for farmers.

Opinion

In my opinion, the increase in health consciousness of people are resulting in us being more careful in selecting the choices of food we consume. Hence forcing major food companies to change their original way of producing a certain food. Also, many countries such as Russia, Kenya, and most EU member states and others around the world have banned or are in the process of banning GMOs are leading the Non-GMO Revolution. This further puts pressure on the biotech companies to change the way their systems work.

 

 

GMO a good thing?

GMO Crops Don’t Harm Human Health, Report Says

There have been times when GMO have been referred to as harmful. However, GMO is said to pose no additional risks to humans and the environment when compared to conventional crops.

Genetic engineering has helped agricultural producers thrive.

However, widespread use of genetically modified crops, which are often engineered to resist the effects of pesticides, has contributed to concerning levels of pesticide resistance in weeds and insects. Pests improve in their ability to resist pesticides every time the chemicals are sprayed, creating a vicious cycle of increased spraying and more resistance.

 

Therefore, GMO has both advantages and disadvantages.

Swiss aid money used for GMO research in India

Link : http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/society/transgenic-crops_swiss-aid-money-used-for-gmo-research-in-india/42316864

summary :

• Chickpea crop, a very popular crop consumed in India, decreased in production lately. Almost a fifth of the crop is destroyed by a caterpillar called the pod borer.
• Despite a current ban on genetically modified crops in agriculture in Switzerland, taxpayer money is being used to develop transgenic crops in India. Some outputs of this research have even been licensed to a private company with links to Monsanto.
• The Swiss government’s rationale for funding such research collaborations on GMOs is to “improve food security in India”.
• Evidence shows, that diverse agro-ecological system and organic farming are the best options for small farmers, for the protection of the environment, human health and climate resilient food production.

Opinion:

In this case, where chickpeas are such an important crop, farmers perhaps should use the genetically modified seeds for increased productions. How ever, I personally feel that they should invest in genetically modified insecticide as it will help them in the long run and they are still able to produce natural chickpeas.

Monsanto Stunned – California Confirms ‘Roundup’ Will Be Labelled “Cancer Causing”

 

Monsanto Stunned – California Confirms ‘Roundup’ Will Be Labeled “Cancer Causing”

July 18 2016

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According to the Environmental Protection Agency of California, the main ingredient in Roundup- the U.S. best-selling weedkiller, glyphosate, is linked to cancer development.

  “Case-control studies of occupational exposure in the U.S.A., Canada, and Sweden reported increased risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma that persisted after adjustments to other pesticides.”

In less than a week after the World Health Organization (WHO) named glyphosate carcinogenic, Monsanto recalled their products, and they still claim that Roundup is safe for use. An appeals court on Lyon, France, passed a verdict in favor of farmer Paul Francois, who claimed he had been poisoned and experienced neurological damage after inhaling Monsanto`s weedkiller, Lasso.

The webpage talks about the particular component glyphosate found in Roundup pesticide, and WHO’s labelling of the ingredient as carcinogenic. To add on, the webpage includes a claim by Paul Francois that he was poisoned by another brand of weedkiller Monsanto produced.

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I believe that the impact it will have on the globe will be large. The fact that the WHO has declared glyphosate as “carcinogenic” will discourage many consumers to buy Monsanto’s weedkillers. Following such a declaration, I believe consumers and producers alike would learn to be more cautious in buying products, especially after a farmer claimed to have been poisoned by Monsanto`s weedkiller, Lasso. In elaboration, this would cause fear among many of the consumers, who will purchase less weedkillers that they think is harmful. Supermarkets will do the same as they would not earn money – the weedkillers in stock would not be sold.

 

Ethical concerns of GM Foods

http://www.geneticallymodifiedfoods.co.uk/ethical-concerns-gm-foods.html

This article talks about the popular misconceptions of GMOs in the public’s eyes and some of the alleged health risks associated with GMOs. The article discusses issues like possible allergies and diseases that consumers may suffer from, the imbalancing of ecological systems caused by GMOs and other damage done to the environment where GMOs are inserted into.

I feel that while many of these concerns have little evidence to support them, some of them like damage to ecological systems is very real and are important problems that should be addressed.