Prompt #7

There isn’t a ton of controversy associated with the engineering field as a whole. The general public recognizes that engineering is an important career, capable of solving some of the world’s most difficult problems. However, certain subcategories of engineering can bring about conflicting viewpoints as some engineering methods may be seen as unethical.

An obvious one that comes to mind is genetic engineering. Monsanto, a biotech company that specializes in Agriculture, created an artificial hormone for cows that stimulates milk production. Engineers and Scientists for Monsanto argue that the hormone reduces the strain placed on the environment by cow herds, which must eat enough grass to produce the right amount of milk each day (average of eight gallons per cow). Based on this, proponents would argue that…

• They’re actually saving grass by injecting cows with the hormone
• They could save as much as 6.6 billion gallons of water annually that would normally go to grass cultivation.
• Overall, the drug’s impact would be beneficial to the environment
• More milk production would lead to more profit

On the other hand, critics point to the studies that show the negative health effects that the hormone has on cows and humans. The opposing argument is as follows…

• Foot problems in cows as a side effect
• Mastitis, or inflammation of the mammary glands, another proven side effect
• Certain groups argue that the hormone in our milk could negatively impact the human immune system
• Already banned in the EU and Canada for the above reasons

Both arguments are compelling, making it pretty difficult for some to take a definitive stance on the issue. It’s evident that certain types of engineering do bring about controversy. There are plenty of other controversies relating to genetic engineering that extend much further than this lone example, so if you were interested in this argument feel free to do some added research.

By: Danny

Source: "Genetic Engineering." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.,
http://libraries.state.ma.us/login?gwurl=http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Reference&action=2&catId=GALE%7C00000000LVWS&documentId=GALE%7CPC3021900072&userGroupName=mlin_m_framhs&source=Bookmark&u=mlin_m_framhs&jsid=65c21b1c763218bbed4f53729512bf12

Image Cite:  http://www.foodandpower.net/tag/monsanto/