National Geographic News
Published March 30, 2010
Currently, pigs throughout the U.S. and Canada are being fed phytase, or enzymes, that break down phosphate the pigs digest in their grains and corn. However, these phytase can eventually make their way into the water system from the live stock's waste and contaminate it. A fertilized pig embryo was recently injected with a genome of E. Coli and showed positive results. The GMO pig absorbed more of the phosphates being digested and the genes have been proved to pass from generation to generation.
These Enviropigs can help farmers abide the "zero discharge" law that eliminates phosphorus and nitrate run-offs from animal waste. Currently, the waste is being used as fertilizer and stored in lagoons and pits, which adds to the farming expenses. So these Enviropigs are under much pressure of getting legalized in both farms and industries. Unfortunately, Enviropigs haven't been approved for human consumption yet.
I like this idea of GMO pigs; they're benefiting to farmers, industrial workers in providing jobs, consumers, pigs' digestive systems, and even the water system. The only down side is that there is such a long wait to get it approved because of the different risks it may cause. The genes might effect human absorption of phosphorus. And although algal blooms are bad, some levels of phosphorus are good for the environment.
Questions:
1) What other draw backs could there be to the Enviropigs?
2) If Enviropigs are possible with the right modifications, what other farm animals can be changed to help the whole earth?
3) If you were a factory farmer, how would you feel about Enviropigs? What if you were a family or organic farmer?
Although these specific pigs could be helping the bodies of water around it, it could be hurting everyone else. I dont think that the amount of testing that would have to be done is worth this, when we could orbably be spending that time and money on other ways to help converve and purify our waterways. Although it could definatly help with this we may end up having to choose between hepling the water supply and feeding many people.
ReplyDeletethis reminds me of all of the other GMO's. all of them sould like they are such a great ideas but then you think about how immence the consequences are and you no longer think it is such a good idea. this is actually one of the better GMO's thought of because we do have a very limetied supply of water because of so much pollution.
1. the other drawbacks could be things like the cost. would it cost a lot more if they were infact safe to consume. it could also be a hastle to the farmers, which is different because most of the other gmo's were made only in the benefit of the farmer and not the customer.
This GMO could have more drawbacks than this.
I agree with your opinion, in that I believe enviropigs could be pretty beneficial. Though the pigs have a few downsides, such as creating more algal blooms, I'm sure there are ways we could come up with to overcome such problems. Perhaps helping regulate the pig's waste or the water system ways could potentially help? Otherwise, helping to create a more eco-friendly green earth from these pigs and their phosphate holding from consumption seems like a swell idea! I'm curious to see how humans would fare if they ate a GMO pig. Would it be any different or would it be the same? I guess maybe in the future we'll see!
ReplyDeleteThis article on pigs reminds me a little bit of the movie, Babe. It's an Australian movie about this talking pig from a farm and his pursuits. It was one of my favorites as a kid, mostly because it was so quirky I guess. I'm not entirely sure what the appeal was, but it's fun to look back on those times.
2.) Other animals which could be engineered to help the earth include many other farm animals: horses, cows, chickens, etc. A few ideas could be, horses excrete feces, which is in turned into manure. They could be modified so their feces contain certain chemicals which could work as an organic pesticide as well as a fertilizer (since it is manure, and that's manure's main purpose.) Cows could be modified to produce milk without any added hormones (I know such a thing exists already, I'm not sure if the milk is processed or the cow is a GMO then or what though.) Chickens could be modified so they have more of a resistance to bacteria and diseases which claims a number of them each year. Just some ideas.
This sounds like a really good idea yet there has to be a catch. It almost sounds too good to be true though. There must be a bad effect for us because of how the people who need to approve it are taking so long. It is good that it helps the water supply too and that the water doesn't get contaminated by the animals waste. So I think if it does not cause a bad effect for us to we should have all pigs like this.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the things we talked about in class. It coordinates with our labs that are failing so far and how that the seeds are GMO's. How the soybeans that we used are GMO's and so are the pigs. Also how the soybeans are resistant to pesticides so they help the farmers. Now the pigs are putting out less phosphorus.
2.Other farm animals could be all of them so they do the same things. Also that they should specifically design some others to help with people of other places. Like modify a cow or something to make sure it could eat other things easily besides grass. Like if it could eat things that were really dry, for example bushes in Africa, then the people of Africa could have a better supply of food.