Reflections from our classroom

Do you think pesticides are bad?  They can be bad and good in many different ways.  For example, some disadvantages of using pesticides are that they are bad for your health.   They can carry a virus or bad bacteria. They can cause cancer, brain damage, and trouble breathing.  Also it can harm our environment.  It can harm our environment by harming plants and animals.  Some advantages that they help keep your produce clean, keeps insects out, and it keeps them “fresher” for a longer period of time.

I think that pesticides are bad because the food isn’t as natural and the pesticides can hurt animals.  They can cause some serious illness to people such as the ones listed above.  Those can sometimes eventually lead to death.  I mean sure they will last longer but that is the only upside.  In the long run they will harm you. So therefore I think we should stay all natural and not use as many pesticides as possible.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticide
http://npic.orst.edu/gen.htm

The most widely used pesticide is actually the most dangerous pesticide to organisms. DDT was the easiest pesticide to use and the most efficient in killing pests. Before the 1960’s, DDT saved human lives on the battlefield. It saved many soldiers from dying from insect carried diseases. Because it was aiding soldiers, no one cared to discover the dangers of DDT until Rachel Carson made the discovering of the horrifying pesticide in her book Silent Spring. She explained that everything was becoming unbalanced because of the use of pesticides. After President Kennedy read Carson’s findings, he ordered DDT to be more heavily researched. After a few years of research, DDT was finally banned from use in the United States. Although it is banned in the U.S., it is still widely used in other parts of the world and is still the most well known pesticide.
Even though DDT is not easily absorbed through human skin, it is very dangerous to humans. Because it was being so widely used, humans were accidentally consuming it. When DDT is consumed, it is stored in fatty organs and also the liver. Now, it is being studied to prove it’s linked to women’s breast cancer. I wanted to find further information on this so I checked another website. I found that women more exposed to DDT are five times more likely to cultivate breast cancer. The substances that make up DDT cause headache, nausea, tremors, vomiting and confusion. This substance is actual lethal to human beings. So if this substance is so lethal, why are we still allowing its use in countries such as China. Are we willing to risks lives just to get rid of pests? DDT is also endangering bird species due to the fact that it thins eggshells. This causes a higher chance that the babies will not survive.
DDT is one of most successful working pesticides. It is capable of killing mosquito, moths, beetles, and lice. This pesticide also is capable of stopping malaria. It is actually widely used in Uganda and South Africa to stop the epidemic. It was later studied and discovered that the chemical kills the mosquito that cause malaria.
DDT is saving many Africans’ lives who would normally not have been lucky enough to be surpassed by the epidemic.
Even though DDT is saving lives it’s also costing lives. It may be lessening the amount of people taken by malaria, but it is also causing breast cancer in women. In my opinion it is hard to believe this chemical is helping and hurting people at the large amounts it is. Why is aiding the people of Uganda and South Africa but not the United States. I think that if the chemical is dangerous enough to become banned it one country, its use should be stopped worldwide. What is to stop this chemical from causing diseases in the people it is now helping? I think if we are really trying to stop the spread of malaria, we should use a type of chemical that does not affect people and other organisms in a bad sense as DDT does.

Links used:

http://www.chem.duke.edu/~jds/cruise_chem/pest/ddtup.html

http://www.newser.com/archive-science-health-news/1P2-8777425/long-hidden-dangers-early-exposure-to-ddt-may-raise-risk-of-breast-cancer.html

http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/rzepa/mim/environmental/html/ddt_text.htm

http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/2003/DDT-Save-AfricansMar03.htm

Jenna Reitz
Period 4

Pasteurized milk is heating milk through a machine at a high temperature and then cooling it quickly. Milk has a lot of nutrients in it that bacteria can multiply so fast and spread. Pasteurized milk can kill bacteria in the milk such as tuberculosis, diphtheria, polio, salmonella, and other diseases. By pasteurizing it you can change the flavor as well. It also kills enzymes, vitamin content, and kills bacteria.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasteurization

Raw milk on the other hand comes straight out of the cow. It can make a person very ill. It has been banned to sell before. Raw milk can contain many bacteria’s that the cow gets before making milk.  People who drink raw milk can build up immunity to pathogens. If you pasteurize all milk you might not be able to digest your milk the way your body should.
http://www.realmilk.com/rawvpasteur.html

Every since I can remember I have been drinking the same pasteurized milk. I think pasteurized milk is healthier for people to drink because it kills the bacteria that can cause people harm. Even though it doesn’t taste as good as raw milk it still is the better choice.

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-hew-letters9-2009mar09,0,1271804.story
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:a0q1ZrWwlXQJ:www.fcs.msue.msu.edu/ff/pdffiles/foodsafety2.pdf+pasteurization+milk&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Alex Fedigan

Period 4

The marketing of organic foods is growing around 20% every year. With the obesity rate at its highest point ever, people are looking for ways to keep healthy and eat better. Many people are turning to organic foods because they are said to be more nutritionally beneficial. But is there really anything better about organic foods than the conventional ones that we’ve been eating for years?

Some studies show that there are more nutrients in organic foods that will benefit in your body. Ingredients like partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and preservatives are put into conventional foods to make them last longer. These added things are unhealthy and are only put in the foods to improve their shelf life. Without them, the foods would be healthier, but they would only last a few days after being produced. Organic foods contain none of these things that will harm your body. Some people who don’t really care about the nutritional value of the foods they’re eating still prefer organic foods because they enjoy the taste over conventional. This may be due to the added preservatives on the conventional foods that make them taste different. Organic foods are also higher in 8 of the 11 most important nutrients that lower your risk for lung cancer and heart disease, as well as adding to the longevity of your life.

Other studies that have been conducted show that conventional foods have almost the same nutritional value, if not better than organic. Conventional foods also cost a lot less in stores and significantly less to produce. This is because when organic farmers plant their crops they only get about 75%-90% of the crops that conventional farmers can produce. This is probably because of the pesticides that are put onto the crops to keep weeds and bugs from devouring them. Experiments have shown, though, that if you wash your foods before preparing them or eating them, will significantly decrease the amount of pesticides left on them.

Prior to doing the research to do this topic, my opinion was that organic foods were much better than conventional; after I read about all the studies that have been done, my thoughts have slightly changed. I still think that most organic foods are better than the same conventional food, but if you learn how to be safe with conventional foods, I think that they would be just as beneficial to your diet as organic. People need some fats to survive, so the conventional foods that contain the extra trans fats could give us our daily need for these. Also, if you wash them thoroughly they’ll be rid of many dangerous chemicals that were left over on them.

Humans have learned to become accustomed to eating the conventional foods, so living this way may lead to our demise. It’s our own job to make sure we take the time to carefully choose what foods will help us best.
Sources

For: http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.fitness/04/13/cl.organics/index.html

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/labnotes/archive/2008/04/01/face-off-organic-vs-conventional.aspx

Against: http://www.providence.org/Oregon/Health_Resource_Centers/Nutrition/AskAnExpert_Organics.htm

Michael G

Period 5

There are many harmful pesticides in the foods we buy at our grocery stores.  Some of them don’t have a big effect on us but others can cause serious damage to our bodies and health.  I knew that big farming companies were loading their food with tons of pesticides just to sell “healthier” products.
After I researched pesticides I found that some can harm us while trying to help us at the same time.  For example, there are harmful pesticides in a apple that people want to help them become healthy.  A test was done in Seattle, WA where children ate food from their grocery store and then had their urine tested to see what chemicals would be uncovered.  Organophosphates were found on the fruits and vegetables.  Organophosphate was used in World War 2 as a type of nerve gas.  If someone eats a large amount of this stuff it can cause brain damage or even cancer.
Some advantages for using pesticides on your produces are they can keep your produce significantly cleaner.  Also they can prevent insects from transmitting diseases through them.  Plus some pesticides can reduce mold build up.
Some disadvantages are they are bad for our health.  Not only that but also it can cause harm to the environment.
My opinion over all is that pesticides are bad and should not be put on our produce.  Even though there are more advantages for using them.  They will have a bad effect on our life.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticide

For:
http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/about/

Against:
http://npic.orst.edu/gen2.htm#po

Monosodium Glutamate or MSG is a flavor enhancer used in food to enhance the flavor. There is MSG in many different Chinese foods. MSG provides a similar flavor function as glutamate does. Glutamate is an amino acid that is found in all protein-containing food. MSG is the sodium salt of glutamate. MSG is made of water, sodium, and glutamate.  MSG is a flavor enhancer that has been used to bring out the taste in foods. It emphasizes “natural flavors”. Researchers believe that MSG brings out a fifth taste that we know as savory. Examples include: Sweet—sugar, bitter—coffee, savory—tomato, sour—lemon, salt—anchovy.

            Many people believe that MSG should not be used. One website suggests that MSG causes obesity. MSG can pass through the brain barrier and directly affect functions of the brain. MSG will cause the brain to change how it controls the rest of the body. Some people get diarrhea and headaches after eating a food substance that has MSG in it. Other people have heart related reactions, such as tachecardia or a spike in blood pressure. There are a handful of symptoms now known to be the result of MSG in our food. Different items on this list include obesity, ADHD and Autism, Cancer, Insomnia, and more. You can see the complete list at this site, http://www.blessedquietness.com/journal/theworld/msg.htm.

            Personally, I am not against MSG. I am not against it because it would probably be hard for me to eat the foods if they did not have MSG in them. I would not eat these foods because the flavor is a large part of what kinds of food I eat and why. I like the savory taste that MSG provides. I am also a fan of Chinese food.

To find reasons supporting MSG, you can go to these websites:

http://www.ific.org/publications/brochures/msgbroch.cfm

To find reasons not supporting MSG, you can visit these websites:

http://www.wisegeek.com/which-foods-commonly-contain-msg.htm

http://www.foodsafety.gov/~lrd/msg.html

http://www.blessedquietness.com/journal/theworld/msg.htm

Dane Jones
Period 6
Injecting strawberries with preservatives and alternating chemicals

Ever think about what goes into your food before you buy it? The concern that I have with our food industries is the way that they alter strawberries by injecting them with chemicals. First they put chemicals on them to prevent bug problems and if bugs are repelled by it I wonder how good it is for us to eat. They also add an artificial preservative that makes a strawberry last days longer then they should. A strawberry on average is good for 5-7 days, strawberries would need to last longer then that for them to be shipped, consumed and then eaten. How good are artificial preservatives for us? Preservatives are toxic and tumor-causing, but are found in most all of our foods.

Did you know that one you eat conventional food you are eating chemicals.  This is because the conventional farmers use chemicals so that bugs and weeds don’t get on the plants.  Also the conventional farmers use antibiotics and growth hormone to prevent the cattle from getting diseases. As you can see I am for organic farming. Organic farming doesn’t use any chemicals to kill weeds or bugs they use fertilizers to feed the soil. Also they put insects that eat the other insects in the soil; these insects don’t eat the plants. They also feed the cows organic feed. Organic farming is all natural. In conventional farming soil tilth is destroyed by the heavy machinery the farmers use. Some good things about conventional farming are that you can produce more crops that organic farmers. This is because the conventional farmers use the big machinery and they use chemicals to kill the weeds rather than the organic farmers using their hands. Conventional also kills the bugs so you know that there won’t be any bugs in the food, like corn. Some bad things about organic farming are you might find a couple bugs in the corn. Another bad thing about organic farming is that it takes longer to produce food than it does in conventional farming. Now you know a little bit of both sides of the story about conventional farming vs. organic farming.

http://www.scienceclarified.com/Oi-Ph/Organic-Farming.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/914969/food_safety_organic_versus_conventional.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Is-Organic-Farming-Bad—If-It-Is?&id=532724
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organic-food/NU00255

Skylyn Kopas
Period 4
March 11, 2009

Would you ever consider taking steroids to increase your muscles?  What would happen if at a very early age, you hit puberty?  Well, some information about giving livestock such as cows and chickens steroids and increasing their hormones could affect the humans that eat them.  You would think that even if a cow’s body was enhanced with steroids, after it was slaughtered and cooked, you would be okay to eat it right?  Wrong.  Studies show that people who give livestock hormones and steroids are really harming the animals, and more importantly the people who are eating the meat.  If a female cow is given steroids and hormones, its menstrual cycle will shut down.  When children eat the meat from a cow or chicken that has been “enhanced” they are in taking hormones and will reach puberty at an earlier age than normal.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0876/is_2002_Summer/ai_90161448
The reason that people fill livestock with extra hormones and steroids is because it makes more muscle and meat on the animal. Instead of saying the real reason, people usual say that giving the animal steroids will calm it down. But really it gives the animal a larger mass size to produce more meat whenever it is slaughtered.  For example, if a farmer slaughters a cow on steroids and hormones, it will produce more meat than that of a normal sized cow. So as you can see, even though it harms the animal and people, it gives the owner of the livestock money and more meat to sell. This is why they do it.
www.supergreenme.com/go-green-environment-eco:Growth-Hormones
In my opinion I think that giving livestock steroids and hormones is very wrong.  If baseball players aren’t allowed to use steroids, then why should you give them to animals?  It is affecting even more by giving animals them.  A human using them is just hurting their self, but giving them to a cow is harming the cow and the people who are eating it. I’m sure parents aren’t going to want to give their children something that will speed their hormone level up and lead them to reach puberty earlier than other children.  An example is, a farmer who plants crops shouldn’t use chemicals on the plants to make them grow, they should use soil or manure. That is basically the same concept as giving cows steroids to make it grow.  Why can’t they just let the cow grow at its own rate and just butcher more of them? Instead of giving them harmful food the owners of the livestock should give them organic and natural feed to grow and live off of so that whenever it is butchered, the meat is healthy to be sent away and packaged for people to eat. That would be the easier, safer thing to do.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organic-food/NU00255
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/If_you_give_a_chicken_steroids_will_it_alter_the_taste_when_it%27s_cooked

Did you know that about 62,000 pounds of milk and cream were sold in the US in 2006? Milk contains rGBH, a chemical that is injected into the cow to increase the production of milk. This chemical is has strong arguments for and against it.
An important concern raised by these chemicals is health, of humans and cows. According to the information found at http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/general/milk.htm, in humans, these hormones raise the risk of cancers including prostate and breast cancer. Also in humans these hormones are associated with early puberty and diabetes. The ill effects to cows? Lameness, reproductive problems and udder infections. With these health concerns, is it really worth it for 15-25% increase of milk production.
Although many people would say it’s not worth it, some still argue that it should be okay to inject cows with recombinant bovine growth hormone, rBGH. One advantage is that giving the cows rBGH helps the farmer spend less money. It decreases the amount of money spent on buying cows because it takes less cows to produce more milk. Also information found from http://www.igf-1-and-milk.com/ reasoned that milk reduces the amount of waste created by cows.
When you decide if you should drink milk that has been affected by this process, consider what large companies and other countries have done. Causing the rest of the Florida to react, Publix supermarkets are no longer buying milk containing rBGH. Also Deans Foods is stopping use of milk with rBGH. Starbucks is also switching to rBGH free. Last, Canada and the UK do not buy milk when these injections have been made into the cow. Maybe we should follow their lead.
In my opinion, cows should not be injected with rBGH and humans should consume the milk that is a result. The use of this hormone raises many health concerns and other countries do  not use the milk from it. What can you do about it? If you feel the same way as I do go to your local grocery store and make sure you milk is rBGH free. Other people have. For more information go to: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16690455/.