Pesticides vs. Genetics

A subject and issue that has been talked about for the last few years and has recently been brought up again are the usage of pesticides on plants. This has been a hot and shady topic over the past few years and is now coming back to life with more discussions occurring about it. It is a really interesting topic because of the amount of disagreement that occurs over this issue. Many people feel very strongly about not allowing scientists to genetically engineer insects to keep their population levels in check. They believe that the predators could be harmed by whatever genetic mutations scientists might have placed inside of their prey. Scientists have also genetically engineered vegetables and other animals. This is a very touchy subject for many people, but it’s an intriguing topic that should be talked about more to the public.

I chose this topic because of the tension that has surfaced due to the controversial nature of genetically modifying insects. It has always been interesting to hear what scientists are doing in nature and the contention that occurs between them and farmers or even ordinary people. I thoroughly enjoy science and genetics is a topic that I only brushed on during high school. This will give me an opportunity to not only explore what scientists are doing to reduce the usage of pesticides, but also how people respond to what the scientists are doing. It will also be interesting to see the rhetorical strategies that people use to convey their feelings about the topic and to convince others that pesticides are right or wrong.

I expect to find a very wide range of discourse. There are plenty of people who agree and disagree about this topic. They write articles to discuss their own views on these issues and take to blogs in order to reach out to a wider audience. However, due to it being a relatively new idea, there won’t be as many articles or blogs as other subjects. That might be a challenge that I will have to overcome. Preferably, news articles would be more beneficial because they will elaborate on what scientists are doing to genetically modify these insects.  They will be more matter of fact instead of opinionated. On the flip side, to see both sides of the arguments for and against genetics, I will need to look at op-ed articles and blogs to see what people feel about the topic. Social media will also be a prime source, but it will be harder to find people explaining their feelings on a newer topic. This seems like a very interesting topic that could yield some fantastic results.