Potatoes

I thought the Botany of Desire by Michael Pollen was very interesting. Pollen talked about how the garden is a place for experiment and how everything affects everything else. He said, “It is only by trial and error that my garden ever improves, so I continue to experiment.” This interested me because I recently took Biology 101 where we did a debate on Genetically Modified Crops in our lab. I was for genetically modified crops and when reading this article I was further convinced of the reasons why. I can also see the other point of view of why we shouldn’t alter with nature. However, through experimenting and altering nature people have been able to discover things like cures for diseases and medicines. There are always risks when working on discoveries but sometimes it is a risk worth taking. For example, genetically modified crops have the potential to help prevent diseases and perhaps make the environment better by using less pesticides, fertilizers and water. They can also be grown in areas suffering from drought. Genetically modified crops is one of the best solutions to the problem of world hunger by increasing production and lowering the cost of food. They can also be more nutritious, taste better and last longer.

Check out this Journal Article for more info:

"Environmental Nutrition." Environmental Aspects 13 (1986): 20-26.

Call #: TX341E52