Genetic engineering is an important issue in society today. Some people think that it will improve people’s lives in many ways. Others feel that it may be a threat to life on earth. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

The negative implications of genetic engineering are often discussed in terms of two key areas, which are

food

production

and the cloning of humans. Genetically modified crops are already being grown, and people are concerned that they may damage whole ecosystems as foods become resistant to diseases and natural predators. But perhaps even more worrying is the possibility that humans could be modified or cloned. Some people imagine a world in which cloned humans are used to fight wars or to provide body part replacements.

Although

perhaps not a threat to life on earth, the implications of

such

practices would be unprecedented. A more optimistic prediction, and one that I favour, is that humans will find ways to mitigate the risks and

use

genetic technologies in a responsible

way

. From the

food

production

perspective

, genetic engineering could be the solution to famine in developing countries, if,

for instance

, crops can be grown more reliably in harsh conditions. From a medical

perspective

, scientists may

use

genetic engineering to produce vaccines, to cure diseases, or to correct a genetic defect before a child is born. If properly regulated, even cloning can be done in a

way

that improves lives.

For example

, the cloning of individual organs,

such

as a heart or kidney, could be permitted for transplant purposes. The negative implications of genetic engineering are often discussed in terms of two key areas, which are

food

production

and the cloning of humans. Genetically modified crops are already being grown, and people are concerned that they may damage whole ecosystems as foods become resistant to diseases and natural predators. But perhaps even more worrying is the possibility that humans could be modified or cloned. Some people imagine a world in which cloned humans are used to fight wars or to provide body part replacements.

Although

perhaps not a threat to life on earth, the implications of

such

practices would be unprecedented. A more optimistic prediction, and one that I favour, is that humans will find ways to mitigate the risks and

use

genetic technologies in a responsible

way

. From the

food

production

perspective

, genetic engineering could be the solution to famine in developing countries, if,

for instance

, crops can be grown more reliably in harsh conditions. From a medical

perspective

, scientists may

use

genetic engineering to produce vaccines, to cure diseases, or to correct a genetic defect before a child is born. If properly regulated, even cloning can be done in a

way

that improves lives.

For example

, the cloning of individual organs,

such

as a heart or kidney, could be permitted for transplant purposes.