Michael Goldchain 211736899

History of the Environment Research Note Assignment

Thesis: Due to a lack of sufficient time and evidence needed to predict the consequences of adopting GMOs, the number of risks and ethical difficulties posed, both anthropocentric and environmental outweigh its benefits.

Bschen, S. (2009). Hybrid regimes of knowledge? challenges for constructing scientific evidence in the context of the GMO-debate. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 16(5), 508-20. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11356-0090164-y Bschens article describes the conflict of decision making when there is a sufficient lack of scientific evidence to know the consequences of an action or policy. Bschen also addresses the conflict of policitcal and scientific decision making, using the precautionary principle, a principle that states that if an action or policy may be harmful or dangerous to the public in any way, in the absence of scientific evidence to say otherwise, those taking action must prove that it is not harmful. The article also describes diverging frames of decision making between scientific advice and political decision making, creating a epistemic no mans land, which in turn has made it difficult construct any evidence. The article states that only in the cases of strong evidence are any regulatory decisions made. This shows how institutions are more oriented to nonknowledge, and how institutions can carry out their special interests. This article will be useful to my essay as there is usually a lack of strong evidence to prove GMOs cause social and environmental harm and this can make it very hard to make regulatory decisions.

Michael Goldchain 211736899 Drott, Laura, et al. "Accountability And Risk Governance: A Scenario-Informed Reflection On European Regulation Of Gmos." Journal Of Risk Research 16.9 (2013): 1123-1140. Environment Complete. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.

This article addresses the difficulty of decision making and regulating risks in a supranational, multi-level system of governance, in particular the European Union. Because of this transnational system, it makes it difficult to hold any particular actor responsible should things go wrong, and so Drott asserts that GMO regulations made by transnational governance should be accompanied with accountability arrangements as well. Drott then aids the reader in understanding her definition of accountability and gives a set of criteria in which an actor is accountable to a forum (it being the public, or other nations). Drott also uses various scenarios to aid her ideas on risk governance and accountability. This article will be useful to my essay as many companies and governments have gotten away with terrible disasters due to lack of proper risk governance accountability arrangements in the initial stages of their technological developments and this article will illustrate what needs to be done in order to properly assess the risks of the adoption of GMOs. Varzakas, Theodoros H., Ioannis S. Arvanitoyannis, and Haralambos . "The Politics and Science Behind GMO Acceptance." Critical reviews in food science and nutrition 47.4 (2007): 335-61. ProQuest. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. This article begins with an introduction to GMOs and explains the various types of common GMOs (maize, potatoes, wheat). Varzakas explains how GMOs are made through biotechnology and genetic engineering. The article has a brief section discussing

Michael Goldchain 211736899 the various beliefs around the topic of GMOs and then goes into various sections describing the social and environmental impacts involved in the adoption of GMOs. Varzakas then explains how biotech companies are able to cross traceability and labeling, as well as accountability legislations by using gentlemens agreements promising to adhere to future legislations when they are made. This article lastly discusses the international trading of GMOs. This article is useful to my report as it is a detailed overview of GMOs and the impact of their adoption by the international community and also covers the politics involved in these processes and developments.

Young, Tomme R. Genetically Modified Organisms and Biosafety: A Background Paper for Decision-makers and Others to Assist in Consideration of GMO Issues. Gland: IUCN, 2004. Print. Young uses clear and easy to understand wording and terminology to discuss a topic that is often filled with a lot of unnecessary jargon. This book seeks to provide a balanced understanding of the GMO issue and outlines the basic sources of controversy that arise from it. It provides a detailed summary of the scientific aspects of controversy and all the popular viewpoints including the potential benefits of GMOs as well as the potential risks. The book also explains the political and economic aspects of controversy, as well as analyzing and evaluating the risks and the benefits of adopting GMOs. Young introduces crosscutting principles such as the previously mentioned precautionary principle/approach as well and how it relates to GMOs. Young provides his own research based conclusions to aid in the decision making of regulating GMOs and risk governance.

Michael Goldchain 211736899 This book is useful to my report as it provides a comprehensible and highly detailed research based overview of every aspect involved in the development, use, trading, and managing of GMOs. This book also provides an evaluation of risks and benefits which I can use to aid in my own evaluation and conclusion.

Ho, Mae-Wan, Li Ching. Lim, and Joe Cummins. GMO Free: Exposing the Hazards of Biotechnology to Ensure the Integrity of Our Food Supply. Ridgefield, CT: Vital Health Pub., 2004. Print. This book is clearly against the adoption of GMOs. It does not give much of an introduction to GMOs but is written assuming the reader also ready knows what GMOs are. It offers a lot of information regarding the harm that GMOs have caused and various GMO related incidents such as an incident in Zambia, where the population refused GMO maize even in the face of famine. The book continues to give a whole array of adverse effects of GMOs before then explaining the various benefits of sustainable agriculture. While this book is not the most professionally written book, the authors seemed to have done their research and the book it does offer some insight into organic sustainable agriculture that I could use to develop some conclusions for an alternate to GMOs for the end of my report.