All About Snow Fleas, a Wingless Insect

At the end of a long, cold, nearly bug-free winter, its always a thrill for the insect enthusiasts among us to spy a group of snow fleas hopping merrily in the melting snow. While few may be fans of the common flea, snow fleas arent really fleas at all. Like spiders, scorpions, horseshoe crabs, and katydids, snow fleas are actually arthropods—specifically of the  springtail variety. What Do Snow Fleas Look Like? In North America, most snow fleas youre likely to come across belong to the genus  Hypogastrura and are usually blue in color. Snow fleas tend to aggregate around the trunks of trees. Theyve been known to gather in such great numbers that sometimes they make snow appear black or blue. At first glance, snow fleas may look like motes of black pepper sprinkled on the surface of the snow but upon closer inspection, the pepper looks as if its moving. While theyre tiny (reaching only two to three millimeters in length) and jump around as fleas do, a closer look will reveal that snow fleas have a similar appearance to other springtails. Why and How Do Snow Fleas Jump? Snow fleas are wingless insects, incapable of flying. They move by walking and jumping. Unlike other famous jumping arthropods like  grasshoppers  or  jumping spiders, snow fleas dont use their legs to jump. Instead, they catapult themselves into the air by releasing a spring-like mechanism called a  furcula, which is a tail-like structure thats folded underneath the body (hence the name springtail). When the furcula releases, a snow flea is launched several inches in the air—a considerable distance for such a tiny bug. Although they have no way to steer, its an effective way to flee potential predators quickly. Why Do Snow Fleas Gather on the Snow? Springtails are actually quite common and abundant, but theyre so tiny that they tend to blend in and go unnoticed. Snow fleas live in the soil and leaf litter where they munch away on decaying vegetation and other organic matter, even during the winter months. Remarkably, snow fleas dont freeze in the winter thanks to a special kind of protein in their bodies thats rich in  glycine, an  amino acid that enables the protein to bind to ice crystals and inhibit them from growing. The glycine (which works much in the same way as the antifreeze you put in your car) allows snow fleas to remain alive and active even in subzero temperatures. On warm and sunny winter days, particularly as spring approaches, snow fleas make their way up through the snow, likely in search of food. Its when they gather in numbers on the surface, flinging themselves from place to place, that they attract our attention. Should You Get Rid of Snow Fleas? Theres no reason to eradicate snow fleas. Theyre perfectly harmless. They dont bite, they cant make you sick, and they wont injure your plants. In fact, they help improve the soil by breaking down organic material. Leave them be. Once the snow melts and spring arrives, youll probably forget theyre even there. Sources Cranshaw, Whitney. Springtails. Colorado State University.Springtails and Snow fleas. Insect Diagnostic Laboratory, Cornell University.Kline, Katie. Snow fleas: helpful winter critters. Ecological Society of America. January 28, 2011.Lin, Feng-Hsu; Graham, Laurie A.; Campbell,  Robert L.; Davies, Peter L. Structural Modeling of Snow Flea Antifreeze Protein.  Biophysical Journal, March 1, 2007.Hahn, Jeff. Snow fleas are conspicuous but harmless. University of Minnesota Extension, March 26, 2014.

Analysis Of Angela Carter s Post Modern Rendition, Tiger...

When you think of the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast, what do you remember? In the typical plot of Beauty and the Beast, Beauty aids the Beast in his transformation from beast to man. The focus of the typical storyline is the battle between innate traits and characteristics accepted by society. However, in Angela Carter’s post-modern rendition, Tiger’s Bride, not only does she shift the focus to explore the relationship between love and self-acceptance, but she also changes the plot in efforts to make Beauty undergo a transformation. Through Carter’s tone, exploration of power dynamics, and use of imagery, the story follows the progression of the love and self-acceptance that influences Beauty’s metamorphosis. Within the story,†¦show more content†¦As the moment between Beauty and the Beast continues, she feels as if â€Å"[she is] within the field of force of his golden eyes† (81). This line signifies how much attraction lies between the two characters as Beauty feels that she’s in the â€Å"field of force†, keeping her entranced with him. Consequently, â€Å"each stroke of his tongue rip[s] off skin after successive skin† (81), releasing Beauty from any remaining ties to society and allowing her to have freedom. By removing each layer of â€Å"skin†, the Beast ultimately unleashes Beauty’s true identity, giving her the opportunity to fully accept herself without the pressure to conform by society. With Carter’s use of tone, the audience gains the ability to explore how the love of the Beast causes Beauty to not only discover who she truly is, but also learn how to accept herself. Similarly, Carter explores the power dynamics between the Beast and Beauty, drawing attention to how outside forces allow a person to develop self-acceptance. In the beginning, Carter introduces the audience to Beauty who has autonomy, yet still complies to societal norms. When she encounters the Beast after she’s left in the castle alone, she decides that she â€Å"will not smile† (69) at him, simply because she does not want to. By choosing to not smile at the Beast, she defies the typical role of a female in a fairy tale. However, the influence of society still has an impact on her because when she

Information Technology and Communication Ethics

Question: Discuss about the Information Technology and Communication Ethics. Answer: Introduction Information and Communication Technology introduces various ethical dilemmas within the technological scenarios. In contrast with these dilemmas, this essay is analyzing the impact of technology on the personal relationships of human. Discussion of the Scenario: Technology and Dating This article is collected from The Sydney Morning Herald. This article is elaborating about the lack of emotions among human due to extensive use of technology (The Sydney Morning Herald, 2017). Technology is used in terms of social networking that is making human capable of collecting personal data through internet. This article shows that one boy getting involved into more one relation within a month that is ethically not correct with respect to morality. Previously the partners get to know each other very well within a long relationship and that was the astonishing fact about relations. They used to like each other or love each other with their unknown facts. In the contemporary times, people are involving themselves in an elusive relationship that is making them bored within a short range of period, which is ethically not correct (The Sydney Morning Herald, 2017). Dating has really become an online meat market. Evaluation of the story by Utilitarianism ethical theory According to Utilitarianism, this can be stated that every set of actions involved within a scenario will be ethically correct if that particular set of actions bring ultimate happiness or willingness to each of members of that incident. In consideration with the case study of the Technology and Dating it is clear that people are involving themselves into an elusive relationship which is not making them ultimately happy. Therefore, from the perspective of Utilitarianism, these actions are not ethically correct. Any boy of girl involves themselves into vague relations that is making them happy for a certain time and after a few days they are losing interest from each other as nothing new was found by them with respect to their demands and willingness (The Sydney Morning Herald, 2017). These consequences are making their life stressful as well as making them unhappy with their relationships. Evaluation of story by Deontology ethical theory The Deontological Ethical theory states that every set of actions done by human should be measured with respect to the moral values. Moral values play a great role in establishing ethical concern for the developed society. According to the Deontological theory, modern days relationships are also not based on the moral values or ethical concern. In contemporary times, people are finding partners for passing their time and they are not concerned for a long-term relationship. Moral values and ethical concern are neglected in this case. Therefore, according to the deontological theory of ethics, these actions for dating with the help of internet are not ethically correct (The Sydney Morning Herald, 2017). The human are losing their morality in case of choosing their partners, they are imposing themselves into a relationship that is not providing them ultimate happiness, as a result of which examples of unsuccessful relationships are increasing. Deontological theory proves this action wrong. Evaluation of story by Virtue and Contract ethical theory According to the theory, a group of rules are established by mutual acceptance from the both the end parties and then these rules are considered as the backbone of agreements. Virtue and Contract theory of ethics are important for knowing the ethical concern with respect to some fixed set of rules or regulations among both parties. In accordance with the case study, provided in the Technology and Dating, it is clear that the dates are arranged with the help of some set of rules though these rules are not legal but these are considered to be. In addition to this, whenever one partner is disconnecting themselves from the relations it is clear that they neither are nor further interested in it (The Sydney Morning Herald, 2017). These aspect is showing that both are partners are following some set of rules an there is cooperation between them. This aspect makes this right according to Virtue and Contract theory of ethics. However, these results are not morally correct with respect to ethical conduct. Recommendations In accordance with the ethical evaluation, this is found that human underestimating the emotions and feeling, as they are getting closer with their partners by using technology (social media, internet etc.). This aspect has involves concern for relationships. Following recommendation can be followed in order to stop these kind of unethical issues: Avoidance of Internet for dating: Avoiding internet activities and other social networking activities will reduce the illusive effect of human mind that will save relationships. Confidentiality of Personal Information: This action can also reduce the chances leaking personal information. Implementation of new privacy policies: Policy building will be helpful in identifying the fake people in the social media and these will be people in being aware of their situation. Conclusion This can be concluded that technology has invented so many options for human that provided benefits to them but technology has also taken away the understanding of human emotions and has made human just a puppet of it. Deontological and Utilitarianism theory of ethics are helping to recognize the moral actions involved in any situation. Evaluation of the story is showing the application of theory. References Birnbaum, R., Lach, L. (2014). Teaching About What Ethical Social Work Practice Means: Responsibility Starts With Schools of Social Work.Lencadrement juridique de la pratique professionnelle, 37. Bowie, N. E. (2015). Richard De George and the Use of Ethical Theory in Applied Ethics.Journal of Business Ethics,127(4), 699. Broad, C. D. (2014).Five types of ethical theory(Vol. 2). Routledge. Dubnick, M. (2013). Blameworthiness, trustworthiness, and the second-personal standpoint: Foundations for an ethical theory of accountability.Available at SSRN 2324724. Lewin, D. (2014). Whats the use of ethical philosophy? The role of ethical theory in special educational needs.European Journal of Special Needs Education,29(4), 536-547. The Sydney Morning Herald. (2017).Technology and dating. [online] Available at: https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life/technology-and-dating-20090520-besc [Accessed 10 Jan. 2017].

My Fair Lady Review free essay sample

â€Å"My Fair Lady† is a classic 1964 film produced by Jack Warner and James Katz and Directed by George Cukor. The film’s protagonist, an ambitious Phonetician, Professor Higgins, promises to transform the life and socio-economic status of a poor flower girl, the female protagonist, Eliza, by teaching her to speak Standard English and the ‘proper’ way to behave. He aspires to â€Å"change her into a different human being by creating a new speech for her. † By doing this he suggests he â€Å"fill the deepest gap that separates class from class and soul from soul†. His attitude is an indication of the contempt with which speakers of ‘prestigious’ varieties of language treat other speakers of varieties considered to be ‘low’ or ‘bad’. The film addresses linguistic and cultural issues such as language change, regional and social variation and prescriptivists’ and descriptivists’ attitudes toward such variations of language and issues of language and identity and socio-economic status associated with these phenomena. We will write a custom essay sample on My Fair Lady Review or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It brings to the fore attitudes towards linguistic variation in England and around the world and highlights prescriptivists’ perspectives about using the English language. Standard English is presented as a superior model of language. Professor Higgins believes that â€Å"the majesty and grandeur of the English language is the greatest possession we have. † He demonstrates attitudes of traditional linguists’ about the proper use of English by asserting that the Bible, Milton and Shakespeare are models of English that should be emulated. Professor Higgins believes that Eliza (or all humans) possess the â€Å"divine gift of articulate speech† but is â€Å"condemned by every syllable she utters† and should be â€Å"hung for her cold- blooded murder of the English tongue. † Further, he criticises the lower classes of H dropping and incorrect pronunciations of vowels. An Englishman’s way of speaking† he states, classifies him†. His speech may cause others to â€Å"despise him. † This shows how Language can have an effect on any society or how society or groups of people can be defined by it. Professor explains that if Colonel Pickering spoke the way Eliza does, he may be doing the same job as she, indicating that there is a relationship between our use of language and our socio-economic status. Social variation or what he calls â€Å"verbal class distinctions† should be â€Å"antique†. He uses this point also to question the quality of the system of education and points out that certain jobs require â€Å"better English. † Deckert Vickers endorses this notion; different varieties of English are not â€Å"held in equal social standing† because of our history and â€Å"effects of colonialism†. â€Å"Standard and non-standard language labels† are not linguistic but they are â€Å"social labels† (33, 38). Attitudes toward regional variations of language are also highlighted in the film. Professor Higgins expresses outrage at the way people from other nations and from various locations in England use English â€Å"as they like. † He advocates for one language rather than variation in language use; he despises the Scottish and Irish for the way they use English and expresses disappointment that there are â€Å"places where English completely disappears or varieties have developed (language change or loss). † Deckert and Vickers explain that several varieties of World English have developed. There are differences between the Englishes of Great Britain, Canada, the United States, and any number of other major varieties of the language in other English speaking countries. Even within a given country, there are different varieties of English† (33). Colonel Pickering has a different attitude however; he seems to represents a different kind of linguist, a descriptivist, one who recognises and appreciates a person’s culture, language and differences and respects and treats them fairly. This is marked in how he is respectful of Eliza and the fact that he is portrayed as the â€Å"author of spoken Sanskrit, a record of how people use language as against a prescription of its use. He also seems to have an appreciation for the many dialects and languages spoken in India. This is the way descriptive linguistics treat the study of language. They don’t reject the varieties of language use; they record and commemorate them. The film does not only show how people can be identified by their speech but also how speech can mask us as well. Eliza is treated with disdain and disrespect by Professor Higgins but in the end, her refined behaviour and speech cause her to gain his approval and honour; she is now masked as a member of the elite, a royal and genteel lady and even an expert linguist is unable to determine her origin.

Cancer Essays (558 words) - Sun Tanning, Sunscreen, Sunburn

Cancer Cancer is a word used to describe a group of diseases. Each has its own name, its own treatment, and its own chances of being cured. Each is different from the others in many ways, but every cancer, whatever its called or whatever part of the body it is located in, is a disease of the body`s cells. Skin cancer is the most prevalent of all cancers, and its increasingly common. About a million Americans will develop skin cancer in a year. It is a disease in which cancer cells are found in the outer layers of skin. Skin protects the body against heat, light, infection, and injury. It also stores water, fat, and vitamin D. Skin cancer is quite curable when treated early. More than ninety percent of skin cancers are completely cured. Its also largely preventable, simply by avoiding sun and sun exposure. Sunscreen is the most common defense against skin cancer. However, only two in five people consistently use sunscreen whenever they`re in the sun. cancer can and will spread if not caught early. Developing skin cancer is at least a two-step process, involving initiation and promotion of malignant growth. Studies have shown that UV harms a mechanism for repairing cell damage. Once the repair system is impaired, cells become increasingly vulnerable to injury. Subsequent UV exposures make it worse, and can initiate malignancy. After UV exposure, the repair mechanism normally directs damaged cells to commit suicide. That is why skin peels after a sunburn. However, previously damaged cells with a malfunctioning repair system escape this process. Genetic damage accumulates as normal cells die and abnormal ones survive. Its been determined that skin does not have to be burned to be damaged, and such damage accumulates with chronic, everyday exposure. Two types of UV radiation reach the earth, UVA and UVB. Both contribute to skin damage, including skin cancer. There are no "safe" UV rays. But the SPF sunscreen numbering system was devised as a guide to protect against sunburn, which is caused mostly by UVB rays. Because sunscreens allow one to stay out in the sun longer without burning, exposure to UVA rays is increased, and many sunscreens don`t protect against these rays. While sunscreens protect against sunburn, they don`t necessarily prevent cancer. If one uses sunscreens to spend more time in the sun, the skin could collect about the same total exposure to damaging radiation. Skin cancer is more common in people with light colored skin who have spent a lot of time in the sunlight. Skin cancer can occur anywhere on the body, but it is most common in places that have been exposed to more sunlight, such as the face, neck, hands, and arms. Skin cancer can look many different ways. The most common sign of skin cancer is a change on the skin, such as a growth or a sore that won`t heal. Sometimes there may be a small lump. This lump can be smooth, shiny and waxy looking, or it can be red or reddish brown. Skin cancer may also appear as a flat red spot that is rough or scaly. Americans have to consider more about tanning, and skin cancer. And know what really causes the skin cancer, and also know how it looks so before it gets really serious, you could cure when it is actually curable. Its time to take a good thinking about a cancer you might get from sunlight. Do not expose to much out in sunlight, whenever you feel lumps on your skin consider seeing doctors.

The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Todays Professionalism and Business-Ethics in INDIA

The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Todays Professionalism and Business-Ethics in INDIA Free Online Research Papers â€Å"unless we think of others and do something for them, we miss one of the greatest sources of happiness† – Ray Lyman Wilbur INTRODUCTION: ABOUT CSR†¦. What is CSR? Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the focused actions of a company/corporation that desires to do well while simultaneously doing good for the community, the society, the environment and/or all other aspects with respect to general human up-liftment and well-being. The World Business Council best describes it as â€Å"the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society in large.† Other terms for social responsibility include sustainability, corporate citizenship, community relations, business ethics, and cause marketing – though each focuses on a slightly different part of the business model. Industry leaders, pundits, policy makers and consumers each may have their own definition and opinion but one thing is for certain; CSR is here to stay and it should! Why CSR for corporations? There are many incentives, socially and by incentives for corporations, whether IT or others, to incorporate CSR in their working culture. On my interviews with professionals as part of this assignment, I found out that most of them had mixed feelings as to why such corporations inherit the CSR culture, with many of them indicating that companies do it more for personal image gains rather than out of generous behavior and actual consideration. Therefore with increase in the corporate resources towards CSR, higher market returns to these investments are the main driving factor apparently. I for myself do not mind that. As long as good is being done for the community as a whole, it does not matter what the actually purpose was for these steps taken. In terms of benefits for the company, there are many: Such as enhanced ‘brand image’ with regards to trust and reputation new customers and development of a strong relationship with consumers. better ability to attract and motivate talented workforce. Availability of new resources by influencing key stakeholders – such as investors and policy makers. On the other hand, these days, there are various negativities with companies that do not incorporate CSR: unfavorable public opinion and increased reputation risk (which mite lead to decreased shareholder value and diminished stock price) Increased litigation and related legal costs on various social and environmental issues. Decreased customer loyalty, loss of customers and/or stakeholder support due to the negative publicity garnered. Why should India care? We live in a developing nation, and we, as young working class members of the society, should be aware of the role we can play in the development of our nation. It is our responsibility that we make sure that the benefits that our generation reaps are equally distributed amongst all strata of society. Hence it is very important for us to know what CSR is and what role we can play in it. This is because under the initiatives of our respective companies, we can make large impacts and make changes for the benefit of our people. There is a part for every individual in an organization to enact a role in corporate social responsibility, since a corporation is made up of us individuals. It always has to be collective, combined efforts by all the people involved to play their part in this endeavor so that it develops into a concrete work of action. Singleton steps in isolation cannot make a huge difference to the society in general. CSR should be more than just doing ‘something good, it should rather be about making a sustainable social impact. Nobel prize winner, Mr Muhammad Yunus in a lecture he gave in Boston University, touched on the point, apart from various other discussions, the shortcoming of a single dollar (in our case a rupee) placed in charity by saying that it only has a single life cycle, i.e., it does not use itself. Drawing from this idea, I believe that as yet-to-be working class professionals, CSR for us should be aimed such that a single unit currency has multiple lives. That means that it should be invested in such a way that it gives you an outcome, which in turn is actually another unit itself, so that it keeps on recycling itself. For a simple example, a single rupee helped in creating jobs in turn helps raise money. The role CSR plays in the larger picture of social development: CSR is an important tool amongst various other methods and initiatives of social development. As we know that in our country especially, the divide between the rich and the poor is reaching alarming proportions. Let’s take a single case of elevating people out of the poverty line. A non-humanitarian might ask what good comes out of doing that. There are plenty of reasons in involved if one asks. Peace, for instance is one of them as it is generally dependant on the level of poverty. Peace is an indicator of national prosperity and stability which affects all. Reduced Corruption, reversal of vote-bank politics, increase in government accountability and more similar affects are all natural outcomes that evolve out of a wholesome society and CSR plays an important role in achieving this minimum social status for all. A FIELD SURVEY:- The field survey consisted of discussions with professionals on their knowledge and their point of view regarding CSR. The reason for this exercise was to ascertain the ground realities that would help us understand the extent of the gap that exists in actual implementation of CSR models and activities. I asked a few basic questions and came to a general conclusion based on the majority of similar replies that I received. Most of my interaction was done verbally with a few written replies. A major chunk of professionals I asked work in the IT industry, but the list also included people form other fields. What is Corporate Social Responsibility? Are you aware of any initiatives of your company? The replies I received out of this question were straight forward and pretty much to the mark as the term CSR is self defining. However on further discussion, barring a couple of professionals, and non form the IT field, were aware of the workings of any CSR projects or initiatives undertaken by their respective companies. Some even thought of it as a term NGO’s undertake. Is CSR a corporate issue at all? (Only Government should concern with it or that it is a NGO sphere) This was a resounding yes. Most of the respondents felt that it was a corporate issue and that every company had a responsibility to give something back to the society and that they had the means to do so. Many were skeptical of the role government plays and believed private sector work would give a better outcome than that of a public sector initiative. Does it involve us? In what way? This was a tricky question, not that it was a difficult thought provoking one, but one that made all of the respondents guilty. All of them felt that it was every individual’s responsibility to do something, but they themselves have not done anything as of this time. Do active corporations have hidden motives? Most professionals did not think that corporations these days had a money making scheme. They rather thought of it as an image building exercise. Most did not have problem with that as long as firms were not show-boating and there was some actual groundwork being done for the development of the society. However, nobody had the knowledge whether their companies had made any concrete progress in society or environmentally, etc. The major challenge you would like to undertake/be undertaken? I had to change this question from ‘what have you’ to ‘what would you have done’ because of obvious reasons. The two major issues that came out of this were that of poverty elevation and education. Should their be laws? Most did not think it was a good idea to force corporations into undertaking CSR initiatives by the way of laws. They believed that it would not be and should not be possible in a capitalistic free market environment. On the contrary a couple of female respondents felt that certain laws could help us in making sure that companies that do undertake these steps do it for something concrete and not for hallow publicity. Conclusions drawn from the field survey: Out of these responses, I draw an image of today’s professional as a person who is supremely busy with his job, and not with living his life. Most of them were idealistic enough in their thought process, like in saying that they would prefer actual work to publicity stunts but they did not know if that was true for their own companies. That sums up today’s young professional for me, all right in their ideas but wrong in their priorities. Most did not have any theoretical knowledge of CSR and what all it encompasses. They did not know of the facts or the long term reasons as to why CSR is important to the society as a large. Not many were active or had the time to spare for these initiatives but some had helped and were willing to help monetarily. CONCLUSION CSR is an important tool for a developing economy to ensure that the growth is evenly distributed amongst all. By helping to increase the quality of living of our society as a whole, entails many positives as mentioned in the introduction of this paper. CSR for me should be looked as generational steps taken with an eye not only for the present but also for the future. What that means is that by helping this generation of people in need and suffering, by helping them stand on their feet, we make sure that the generation that follows them has all the opportunities of further development. For instance, by giving an unemployed women a chance to have a job and a stable earning through a CSR initiative, we are making sure that her children step up in their quality of living and maybe have the same opportunities of becoming whatever they want in colleges like ours. This will build our middle class to tremendous proportions. Think of the consumer clout and the economic boom, if instead of around 300million, we have a 600 million strong middle class in our country in the coming generation, thus paving way for us to leave behind the ‘developing nation’ tag. As IT professionals, our part in this endeavor could be to focus on using IT, our core competence, to create opportunities for our society. There are many IT initiatives that we might take, for instance: make an impact in the spread of education through IT help create a more digitally inclusive society by providing digital literacy and access to relevant information, thereby, improving the qualities of lives of communities. ‘Developing (and communicating) a comprehensive CSR strategy takes time, commitment, focus, and designated people and financial resources. It requires commitment from the executive offices on down to every individual department and staff position and should be made part of the corporate DNA’. In conclusion, I would say that Corporate Social Responsibility should be taken not only at a corporate or an IT level, but also as a study programs in school and colleges so that future professionals are well aware of the importance that they can make in our society and have the knowledge and tools along with new ideas to achieve their social purposes. REFRENCES Dr Sanjeev Verma, Rohit Chauhan (2007), ‘Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Developing Economies’, International Marketing Conference on Marketing and Society Jeremy Moon (2004), ‘Government as a driver of Corporate Social Responsibility’, ICCSR Research Paper Series. Kerry Peyton,, ‘CSR: Who needs it’, www.cbsr.bc.ca http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_Social_Responsibility bu.edu/phpbin/buniverse/videos/view/?id=129 consciouscomm.com/why.htm Dr James Harris, Dr Maeve Cummings, Dr Christine Fogliasso (2001), CCSC: Central Plains Conference. Christopher M Hoadley, Peter G Kilner, ‘Using Technology to transform communities of practice into knowledge-building communities, SIGGROUP Bulletin, Volume 25 Number 1. Research Papers on The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Today’s Professionalism and Business-Ethics in INDIAMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andDefinition of Export QuotasTwilight of the UAWIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThe Project Managment Office SystemAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeOpen Architechture a white paper

The Risks and Unknowns of Genetically Modified Foods Research Paper

The Risks and Unknowns of Genetically Modified Foods - Research Paper Example It is worth noting that increased interests, in the pursuit of genetically modified foods presents, yet, another example for such addictions. A genetically modified crop often refers to a crop whose genes have been altered in order to satisfy some specifics. In most case, these is done through selecting, isolating and copying ideal genes in ensuring that a particular crop would sustain harsh environments or certain diseases of which naturally it could not, and eventually produces a larger crop yield. Maghari & Ardekani (2011) indicate that genetically modified crop can be manipulated so that they can resist diseases and insects, as well as tolerate herbicides, which eventually, leads to production of high nutritional crop value. As of current, there are approximately 148 million agricultural lands that have been commercialized for purposes of cultivation of genetically modified crops. Canada, United States, china and Argentina have been cited as the leading regions where genetically modified crops are grown. Research has indicated that genetically modified foods are more popular amongst developing countries since through impressing this technology, these countries often strive to alleviate poverty and hunger. Consumers who are knowledgeable over the GM technology are often skeptical about its effects. It has been reported that GMOs, exhibit both harmful and unknown effects. For instance, it is cited that the environment is at a greater risk of losing biodiversity, and extinction (Skanche & Friedman, 2009). The risks emanating from genetically modified foods can either be environmental or health related. Environmental risks include the creations of super pests and super weeds. Generally, GMOs have been reputed for containing genes, which make them to be pest resistant. It is also noted that herbicide tolerant genes is a characteristics that make the GMOs to be resistant even after being sprayed by a weed killer. This is a characteristic that makes other weeds to be eradicated hence leaving the desired crop intact. Although proponents of GMOs boasts about the abilities of the crop to resist pests as well as reduced chemical application, such pest resistant genes often come with risks. The effect on biodiversity as mentioned above has been one of the issues of major concern when it comes to the GM food. According to Pandey et al (2010), GM foods have the capability of spreading their genes to other plants, and in the eventuality contaminate wild plants natural genetic makeup. Given that plants have a direct contact with one another, it becomes impractical to isolate a set of plants from the surrounding wildlife, and this applies to planted cropland. The impact of GM food on the environment is not only a concern that arises from the international growth of GM, but also its associated human health, which is a major factor in investigating the risks posed by GM foods. Maghari and Ardekani (2010) noted that some of the major issues concerning th e effects of GM foods on human health has remain unknown for many years. Safety testing methods of foods are poor and considering the fact that GM foods have been recently introduced, long term effects still remains unknown. The deepest concern could possibly lie on the GM food toxicity, and the potentiality to introduce new strains of allergy. Maghari and Ardekani (2010) have pointed out that, animals whose testing has been done have shown negative reactions ranging from premature births, abnormal births, infertility, abortions, illness and death. Critics have it that considering the signs observed in animals, it is most likely that humans are at an increased risk of experiencing similar results (Skanche & Friedman, 2009). Adding to toxicity, Pandey et al (2010