Monday, November 30, 2009
Designer Babies!
The Definition of Designer Babies is "a baby whose genetic makeup has been artificially selected by genetic engineering combined with in vitro fertilization to ensure the presence or absence of particular genes or characteristics." It gives parents options like we have never seen before that could ultimately give us control over the evolution of humans. Yet there the age old question if this is just another thing we are taking too far, possibly to the next extreme.
How is the baby created?
A designer baby is created by in-vertro fertilization or IVF which is when they fertilise eggs
with sperm in test tubes in a laboratory. The cell is genetically tested which allows doctors and parents to reduce the risk of child having the chance or being born with a disorder like Down syndrome. The parents then get to decide whether to discard the embryo or implant it in the mother womb. When the child is chosen they imbed it into the mother’s womb and hope for a successful pregnancy. Right now there are to two legal possible ways to carry out advanced reproductive technologies on humans. The first involves choosing the type of sperm that will fertilize the egg therefore determining the sex and genes of the baby. The second technique is when the embryo is screens for genetic disease therefore only selected embryos are implanted back into the mother womb. These to procedures are called Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis also known as PGD.
Ethics of Designer Babies
People today and in the near future do not see the moral integrity that they could potently be losing. By playing the role of god, like choosing the sex of their child in numerous Asia countries who prefer boys over girls. This could possible create an imbalance in their society as well as diminish the value of women in their society. Designer babies could also possibly create a greater division between rich and poor, as rich couple may be able to enhance the genetic makeup of their infant to make them as well as give them a greater chance to become more successful. Everyone who is born has an opportunity to contribute to this world, and by designer babies there taking away the uniqueness that every individual has to offer, and contribute to society. The beauty of the human race is the diversity that everybody brings to the world, if everyone was the same, and custom made we would eliminate people who struggle or have difficulties. However we would lose out on the genius such as the Mozart’s or Einstein’s and all the potential successors. We also learn from people who are less fortunate whether it is people on the street or people suffering in developing countries such as Africa. It would lessen our compassion empathy to each other on earth.
Ethnics of Designer Babies
Ethnic is a pertaining to or characteristic of a people, esp. a group sharing a common and distinctive culture, religion, language, or the like. Through the designer baby it could potentially dismember the meaning of this definition. This is so because people may start treating these children like possessions. Thinking they can have the car in red white or black they can have different eye colour or skin colour. It may even get to the point where people are not satisfied and return with the bill with the child in hand expecting a refund. The designer baby process may also run into problems to with religions. As they do not believe in unnatural birth or how this could be compared to abortion as mothers and father choose which children they like better and discarding other children.
Social Implications
The social implications will depend on how many people decide to follow, or try to enhance their child whether through genes or medically trying to protect their child from diseases that may occur. A way people may take it to the extreme is setting goals that are irrelevant to human flourishing. People may want to eliminate things under the social pressure such as homosexuality supposing we found that it was a consequence of a malfunction in a part of the brain. Parents may want to try and enhance their child so that the malfunction is fixed although it is proven that homosexually people live great lives. This may lead to more people not accepting or embracing them for who they are nor their sexuality.
Pros and Cons of Designer Babies
The pros of designer babies are that you can screen for many serious diseases such as Down syndrome. They could potential save their siblings or someone else’s life by having the right cells to save them which double’s the life of the other person. The cons of a designer baby are how people are not limited to screen for genetic, and heredity disorder but also for cosmetic reasons. It may also make long term disaster as we could potentially have no bio diversity. It reduces the child’s freedom of choice as parents can choose what the interests, and way they want the child to do or look. It may create hatred for other races that are different, as well as people with genetic defects may be socially rejected. It can also give rich people another unfair advantage creating a bigger gap between the poor and rich. It may also create new viruses or diseases that all other may not be immune to, or we may not be able to find a treatment.
Through all I have stated I have shown you all sides in which could be taken and all that can go wrong if we go to the extreme. Although all of this already being tested in labs we are the ones with the voice. We are the ones who can stop the designer babies going to extremes and protect the foundations of the human race we have built for millions of years.
Sources
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-designer-babies.html
http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/agar.html
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/End%20of%20the%20World/Genetics%20
Nightmare/designer_babies.htm
www.youtube.com
Monday, October 12, 2009
Humans can greatly change the environment and impact living things through what is needed to save our planet has never truly been attempted before. Many things that we do is wrong, yet I do not believe we realize the affect it has on the planet is worse. All of these affects if not stopped or corrected may soon have very harmful and irreversible affects on the environment and all living things. One of the many things have created is extinction to occur because of actions within the last 540 million years we have been on earth. Other major problems we have caused are destruction of the forests, lack of fresh water, increased global warming, over usage of natural resources and continuing population rise. For once we are the ones to blame for creating our own extinction. We are pushing and keep pushing the ecosystem beyond its limits. With all these factors into place and the damage increasing how much more can the earth really take?
Fresh water is a large issue and determination of our future. We need to be protecting the water and us using it wisely to protect the wild life and the environment. Although we have not been doing a very good job or protecting the fresh water, or investing our time into prevention of polluting the water. Therefore we are seeing the results of our actions as the pollution spreads through our fresh water resources which cause much pollution in the water ways. This seems to happen from sources such as coal fired plants, sewage pipes, waste incinerators and other industry spews, mercury dioxins and the PCB’s that are lifted into the air and scared by rain and snow falls that land directly into our water ways. Approximately 1,500,000 000 people do not have clean water which leads them to drink polluted water. The World Health Organization estimates that every year about 2, 300, 000, 000 people will suffer from diseases due to polluted water. With the population and pollution increasing there is no way to keep up with the demands for fresh water. We are also destroying the aquatic habitat by urban development and construction of things such as dams that threaten the natural systems, and wild life who like humans depend on water.
Humans are the main reason for the destruction of forests and rain forests; this causes many affects to the forests which are irreversible within our time. We have made extensive damage by doing many activities such as oil removal, logging, mining, fires, war, commercial, agriculture, cattle ranching, hydroelectric projects, pollution, hunting and poaching, the collection of fuel and wood and road construction. All of these factors have a large impact. Each of these activities ether harms or depletes the environment. This is so because every activity has to do with cutting down many or a limited amount of trees to carry or create space for their work and contributes to the green house gasses. Another thing we are doing that is causing the destruction of forests are creating short booms encourage permanent settlement. It can attract a large number of people looking for a better life therefore they clear the surrounding and for agriculture and livestock. In the meanwhile the natural resource is being quickly being drained with little consideration that creates long term consequences’. When the resource is gone they move on abandoning and moving on to the next area of the forest. This is a large problem because they are exhausting the forests of its resources as well as taking more than the forests can reproduce or replace. Population growth is one of the other reasons for deforestation because we all depend on product made from the forest. This includes paper, pencils, books and pictures.
Green house gasses have quite a large affect on the earth’s ecosystems. Human actions have added to the global warming creating a green house effect, using sunlight, gasses and particles in the atmosphere. The main activities that contribute to global warming are coil, oil, natural gas and clearing of land. Most of the burning happens when we drive our cars, use electrical power plants that provide electricity and in factories. By burning these fossil fuels we burn CO2 which slows the escape of heat into space. The green house gasses have very hurtful affects on the surface water as the oceans become warmer. This increases stress on the ecosystems including the coral reefs. The warming of the water creates water bleaching which kills algae and spreads diseases. Other side effects of green house gasses are extreme weather conditions and the melting of glaciers. With these affects come consequences’ such as extreme conditions could come as changing rainfall patterns that could make drought or flooding in areas. As well as hurricanes and other tropical storms the increase in size and strength. For melting of glaciers and ice green house gasses will cause large amount fog ass to melt from Antarctica which could lead to the rising of the sea level throughout the world. This would create flooding, erosion, loss of wetlands and entry of sea water into fresh water areas. It could also lead to sinking of some coastal cities and small island nations. All these situations could possibly displace a lot of people which could lead to overcrowding in certain countries.
The rise in population is affecting our ecosystems and natural resources tremendously. Considering this it means the all our resources and natural resources are under pressure and is affecting the health and development of the people. All the problems we are causing are growing each and every day. These problems include many things we need and live off of but are in danger are overuse of natural resources, public health, food supply, fresh water, coastline and oceans, forests, biodiversity and global climate change . Humans are prone to take more then they need which leads to the over use of natural resources. This includes toys, clothes even food when its on sale people seem to take more than they can actually consume. Therefore leading to the situation we are in today when we consume more than the factories, companies and natural resources can regenerate. Public health is a big issue as unclean water caused by pollution kills 12 million people each year in most developing countries. With the increase of population this number goes up every day. There is also the factor of clean air which can be contaminated by things such as gasses. Due to this it is estimated over 3 million people die from air pollution each year. As well many heavy metals released into the air can cause dieses such as multiple sclerosis that can be deadly. Food supply is another issue it is said that in 64 of 105 developing countries the population has been growing faster than the food supplies available. Population pressures have degraded about 2 billion hectares of land to grow food and produce. Therefore creating more carbon and contributing to another problem of global climate change. Freshwater is another problem as the demand for water is growing but the amount of fresh water is decreasing. By 2025 the population is estimated to be about 8 billion in 48 countries containing about 3 billion that will face shortages. Another issue we have is coat lines and oceans that are starting to become pressured by the high population density. The tide of population is raising the world’s seas and over exploiting fish catches are down. Forests are a huge problem we have created and affecting the natural resources in the forests. Half of the worlds forests have been lost each year another 16 million hectors is being cut, bulldozed or burned each year. The demand for the trees has excited the limit by 25%. Biodiversity is another thing humans have been contaminating as well. Human activities are pushing thousands of plants and animals to extinction. Two out of every 3 animals or plants have been declined in numbers and extinct about 27,000 species per year. Global change is caused by all humans as it is the warming of the earth due to all these factors combined. The more we consume is the more waste we put into the earth whether it is sewage, carbon or extinction.
Fresh water is a large issue and determination of our future. We need to be protecting the water and us using it wisely to protect the wild life and the environment. Although we have not been doing a very good job or protecting the fresh water, or investing our time into prevention of polluting the water. Therefore we are seeing the results of our actions as the pollution spreads through our fresh water resources which cause much pollution in the water ways. This seems to happen from sources such as coal fired plants, sewage pipes, waste incinerators and other industry spews, mercury dioxins and the PCB’s that are lifted into the air and scared by rain and snow falls that land directly into our water ways. Approximately 1,500,000 000 people do not have clean water which leads them to drink polluted water. The World Health Organization estimates that every year about 2, 300, 000, 000 people will suffer from diseases due to polluted water. With the population and pollution increasing there is no way to keep up with the demands for fresh water. We are also destroying the aquatic habitat by urban development and construction of things such as dams that threaten the natural systems, and wild life who like humans depend on water.
Humans are the main reason for the destruction of forests and rain forests; this causes many affects to the forests which are irreversible within our time. We have made extensive damage by doing many activities such as oil removal, logging, mining, fires, war, commercial, agriculture, cattle ranching, hydroelectric projects, pollution, hunting and poaching, the collection of fuel and wood and road construction. All of these factors have a large impact. Each of these activities ether harms or depletes the environment. This is so because every activity has to do with cutting down many or a limited amount of trees to carry or create space for their work and contributes to the green house gasses. Another thing we are doing that is causing the destruction of forests are creating short booms encourage permanent settlement. It can attract a large number of people looking for a better life therefore they clear the surrounding and for agriculture and livestock. In the meanwhile the natural resource is being quickly being drained with little consideration that creates long term consequences’. When the resource is gone they move on abandoning and moving on to the next area of the forest. This is a large problem because they are exhausting the forests of its resources as well as taking more than the forests can reproduce or replace. Population growth is one of the other reasons for deforestation because we all depend on product made from the forest. This includes paper, pencils, books and pictures.
Green house gasses have quite a large affect on the earth’s ecosystems. Human actions have added to the global warming creating a green house effect, using sunlight, gasses and particles in the atmosphere. The main activities that contribute to global warming are coil, oil, natural gas and clearing of land. Most of the burning happens when we drive our cars, use electrical power plants that provide electricity and in factories. By burning these fossil fuels we burn CO2 which slows the escape of heat into space. The green house gasses have very hurtful affects on the surface water as the oceans become warmer. This increases stress on the ecosystems including the coral reefs. The warming of the water creates water bleaching which kills algae and spreads diseases. Other side effects of green house gasses are extreme weather conditions and the melting of glaciers. With these affects come consequences’ such as extreme conditions could come as changing rainfall patterns that could make drought or flooding in areas. As well as hurricanes and other tropical storms the increase in size and strength. For melting of glaciers and ice green house gasses will cause large amount fog ass to melt from Antarctica which could lead to the rising of the sea level throughout the world. This would create flooding, erosion, loss of wetlands and entry of sea water into fresh water areas. It could also lead to sinking of some coastal cities and small island nations. All these situations could possibly displace a lot of people which could lead to overcrowding in certain countries.
The rise in population is affecting our ecosystems and natural resources tremendously. Considering this it means the all our resources and natural resources are under pressure and is affecting the health and development of the people. All the problems we are causing are growing each and every day. These problems include many things we need and live off of but are in danger are overuse of natural resources, public health, food supply, fresh water, coastline and oceans, forests, biodiversity and global climate change . Humans are prone to take more then they need which leads to the over use of natural resources. This includes toys, clothes even food when its on sale people seem to take more than they can actually consume. Therefore leading to the situation we are in today when we consume more than the factories, companies and natural resources can regenerate. Public health is a big issue as unclean water caused by pollution kills 12 million people each year in most developing countries. With the increase of population this number goes up every day. There is also the factor of clean air which can be contaminated by things such as gasses. Due to this it is estimated over 3 million people die from air pollution each year. As well many heavy metals released into the air can cause dieses such as multiple sclerosis that can be deadly. Food supply is another issue it is said that in 64 of 105 developing countries the population has been growing faster than the food supplies available. Population pressures have degraded about 2 billion hectares of land to grow food and produce. Therefore creating more carbon and contributing to another problem of global climate change. Freshwater is another problem as the demand for water is growing but the amount of fresh water is decreasing. By 2025 the population is estimated to be about 8 billion in 48 countries containing about 3 billion that will face shortages. Another issue we have is coat lines and oceans that are starting to become pressured by the high population density. The tide of population is raising the world’s seas and over exploiting fish catches are down. Forests are a huge problem we have created and affecting the natural resources in the forests. Half of the worlds forests have been lost each year another 16 million hectors is being cut, bulldozed or burned each year. The demand for the trees has excited the limit by 25%. Biodiversity is another thing humans have been contaminating as well. Human activities are pushing thousands of plants and animals to extinction. Two out of every 3 animals or plants have been declined in numbers and extinct about 27,000 species per year. Global change is caused by all humans as it is the warming of the earth due to all these factors combined. The more we consume is the more waste we put into the earth whether it is sewage, carbon or extinction.
Humans are the only species with a choice to save or keep diminishing this planet. We can easily positively or negatively affect the world’s ecosystems. Through the problems with fresh water, deforestation, green house gasses, overuse of natural resources and the population rise we can find a solution in all. This will lead through ether continuation of increasing our irreversible impacts are for once reversing them. You future is in your hands.
Sources
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