Month: June 2014

Right to Know or Right to Pay?
“Genetic Engineering” Labeling Controversy

By: Michelle King, Community Leadership major

Ever since the development of genetically engineered (GE) crops, there have been major debates over the risks and benefits of food products made with the new biotechnology methods. After more Americans found out biotechnology was being used with some of our major crops, they began to demand the information labeled on the products in the stores.

“We have a Right to Know What’s in our Food!” This phrase, used by people all over America who are “for” labeling, like those from LabelGMOs.org, portrays their true reasoning as to why they think GE foods need to be labeled. This right has more to do with than just their freedom. It has to do with human health, religious demands and ethical motives as well.

“The cost of labeling involves far more than the paper and ink to print the actual label!” Not everyone in America, like Monsanto, agrees with the labeling and majority of people agree with this phrase dealing with the extra cost of the labeling. These Americans don’t want the right to pay for these labels which they feel will just bring extra worry about the food they are eating, which shouldn’t have any worry because they have been tested and approved by FDA and USDA.

The bottom line is it’s the consumer’s choice on whether they eat GE foods or not. If Americans really want their food labeled, then fight for it in your local and state government!

If it doesn’t matter to you but you don’t want to eat GE foods then simply buy certified organic products!  (USDA Organic Agriculture)

And finally if you don’t care about either the labeling issue or the fact there are GE products in your food, then keep on eating!

Just do your research if you are a concerned consumer and really determine if you would rather have the right to know or the right to pay when it comes to labeling GE foods!

More info
OSU Extension Ohioline
> The Impact on Human Health of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Foods (pdf)

Colorado State Extension> Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods

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This blog post was an assignment for  Societal Issues: Pesticides, Alternatives and the Environment (PLNTPTH 4597). The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the class, Department of Plant Pathology or the instructor.

Thousand Cankers Disease Hits Ohio

Curtis Utley, CSUE, Bugwood.org

Image: Curtis Utley, CSUE, Bugwood.org

by Stephen Marinkov, Communications major

Being from Ohio it is important for the natives to be educated on invasive species that can harm the state.  Thousand Cankers Disease is an invasive species caused by the fungus Geosmithia morbida.  The fungus is carried by the walnut twig beetle that bores into the trees, killing walnut and butternut trees in Ohio.

This fungus causes thousands of small cankers to form under the bark of the tree; the cankers eventually close up.  When this happens, nutrients and water intended for the branches and stem are cut off, killing the trees.
The Black walnut and butternut trees are most susceptible to the disease and natives should be informed of the symptoms.  Homeowners (?) should be aware of yellowing foliage where the leaves turn yellow and thinning in the upper crown of the infested tree.

Major spread of this disease is caused by human movement of wood products.  Natives need to be aware of the infected trees and limit the movement of potential infected trees.  The Great Lakes Early Detection Network (GLEDN) smart phone app is available as a free download.  This app contains images of Thousand Cankers Disease that users can look at to investigate possible infected trees.

As an Ohio native I want to spread awareness about invasive species that could harm this state.  If natives work together and combat diseases head on we can limit the deaths of so many trees.

More info > Ohioline Thousand Cankers Fact Sheet

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This blog post was an assignment for  Societal Issues: Pesticides, Alternatives and the Environment (PLNTPTH 4597). The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the class, Department of Plant Pathology or the instructor.

Tobacco: cure for cancer?

Nicotiana alata

Nicotiana alata1By Carl E Lewis (Wikipedia)

by Zachary Foust, Plant Health Management major

Tobacco has an interesting history; from Native American rituals to worldwide use, this once crucial cash crop is typically only associated with cancer nowadays. However, a new study completed at La Trobe University (Australia) has found a cancer-fighting protein in the flowers of the ornamental tobacco plant, Nicotiana alata.

The irony is almost painful.

Don’t run out and grab a pack of 100s yet; the cultivar used for testing is not the kind used to make cigarette tobacco.

The protein, NaD1, is found in the plant’s flowers and it occurs naturally to fight off fungi and bacteria. NaD1 essentially “grabs” a cancerous cell and tears it open. The contents of the cell are released and the cell is destroyed.

Preliminary testing looks promising as it may finally lead to a discriminant form of cancer treatment.

I welcome this finding and hope it leads to a cure for cancer. Not only would radiation be completely unnecessary, the cancer-fighting molecule is derived from a plant.

This discovery should encourage all universities to begin preliminary testing with NaD1. The more people working towards a viable treatment, the faster one may be found.

One concern that should be noted is that the molecule is only produced when the plant is flowering. NaD1 may potentially have a short half-life, especially inside of the human body. This may require repeat treatments and possibly lead to increased rates of cancer returning.

For now, this protein shows great promise and may one day lead to a cure for cancer. Only time will tell.

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This blog post was an assignment for  Societal Issues: Pesticides, Alternatives and the Environment (PLNTPTH 4597). The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the class, Department of Plant Pathology or the instructor.

Label Me!

by Veronica Flores, Comparative Studies and Spanish double major

To label genetically modified organisms  (GMOs) or to not label GMOs, that is the question. In recent news there has been an increase in the push for the labeling of genetically modified products. While many say that labeling these products is nothing but a waste of money others say that Americans have the right to know what is in their food! Others say that labeling will deter costumers from buying the food.

In my opinion refusing to label is admitting they are hiding something. Or can it be that perhaps everything now is genetically modified and labeling will only expose this truth? Americans have the right to know what is in their food and labeling the products is the only way to do that. Labeling will give Americans the option to choose whether or not they want to consume genetically modified products.

More importantly, labeling products can lead to the answer to the following question,“Do GMOs cause health problems?” The reason this question remains unanswered is because by not labeling products there is no way to trace health issues with GMOs. This is why labeling is important. In order to trace the effects of GMOs and give people the right to know what they are eating, food products must be labeled.

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

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This blog post was an assignment for  Societal Issues: Pesticides, Alternatives and the Environment (PLNTPTH 4597). The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the class, Department of Plant Pathology or the instructor