Genetic Biodiversity - A Danger Of Genetic Engineering

Name Instructor Course Date Essay 2: Reckoning with a Text and Reaching In “A Fist In The Eye of God” Barbara Kingsolver first focused on a hummingbird building a nest, and goes on to link the presence of different organisms with diversity. Even as the hummingbirds share similarities, there are differences that influence how they interact with the environment. “At the root of everything. Darwin said, is that wonder of wonders, genetic diversity” (209). Darwin hypothesized that it is the species with traits that allow them to survive, which are likely to pass their traits and this is most possible when there is genetic diversity. Natural selection influences how organisms thrive and while many gain useful traits sometimes such traits can be non functional (Grice 48). Natural selection and genetic diversity are intertwined since manipulating genes or the environment affects the way organisms thrive, and prioritizing diversity ensures that many crops and plants have better chances of survival. To Kingsolver, one of the dangers of genetic engineering is that it reduces genetic biodiversity, where some traits are passed to the next generation potentially resulting in genetically crippled seeds. Typically, the organisms produce many offspring or seeds, but only some survive because they are suited for specific environments (Kingsolver 208). There is a difference between genetic modification and selection, which farmers have done over thousands of years to achieve better crop yields. The lack of genetic variability is associated with incompleteness since the genetically uniform organisms mainly share certain traits or characteristics. Even organisms can manipulate their surroundings like the female black widows, which eat their lovers and control their population (Grice 48) The connection between people and nature is apparent in evolution and genetic engineering and understanding the difference between the two helps to maintain biodiversity. Those responsible for pushing for the adoption of GMO crops profit the most and use aggressive marketing including in third world countries. Indian farmers have sought to limit Monsanto’s foothold in the country “they forced their government to ban Monsanto's "Terminator technology," which causes plants to kill their own embryos” (215). According to Kingsolver (214-215) farmers in developing nations are more aware about who controls the food system unlike the industrialized nations where people always expect that food is available. Since wind pollination affects the different type of crops that are common in an area, companies like Monsanto affect the genetic diversity of crops, and farmers become dependent on crops sharing similar traits. Similarly, when technology reduces people to mere approximations there is loss of individuality as though there is nothing unique about them Smith (303). To bolster her claims that the lack of genetic diversity has far reaching consequences, Kingsolver focused on role of natural selection and how this influences the survival of different organisms. Yet e...