Year 10 Science · Unit 1 · Lesson 7
Challenge Worksheet
Learning Goals
Evaluate the claim
Someone claims...
"GM crops are dangerous and should be banned because they are unnatural. Scientists are playing God by mixing genes from totally different species. We have no idea what eating this modified DNA will do to our bodies over decades. Australia should follow the precautionary principle and keep all GM foods off our shelves immediately."
(a) What part of this claim is supported by the science you have learned? Use specific examples from the lesson (e.g. Bt cotton, insulin, Golden Rice).
(b) What is misleading or scientifically incorrect in this claim? Refer to how DNA is digested, what FSANZ does, and what the scientific evidence says about GM food safety.
(c) What additional evidence or information would you need to decide whether the "precautionary principle" argument is justified in this case? What does applying the precautionary principle actually require?
1. Approximately 99% of Australian cotton is now Bt cotton. Evaluate the benefits and risks of this near-complete adoption of a single GM variety for Australian agriculture and the environment.
2. The insulin-producing bacteria used today contain a human gene, making the insulin chemically identical to what your pancreas produces. Before this, insulin came from pig and cow pancreases. Explain, using ethical reasoning, why the switch to GM-produced insulin was broadly accepted by both the scientific and religious communities.
Wrap Up
In one sentence, what is the most important difference between a scientific concern about GM technology and a public perception concern?