The Commited MAY 2015 | Page 60

TED BURSA COLLEGE / 8-C Ethics and Technology Aleyna TURLEY 58 Technology has drastically changed our lives. We couldn’t imagine life without it. We owe a lot to technology but in some ways having technology has been a great disadvantage and has led to lots of debates. Some of these debates have been over the ethics of using certain types of technology. Ethics are the moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour or actions. Ethics change from person to person but it’s something that matters a lot, especially in these times. Because we don’t have an ethical framework for developing technology it is left to us to figure out what we should be doing with the future of technology. Genetically modified (GM) foods have become a subject of many discussions. GM’s are crops that have had their genetics changed so they can be used in ways in which they are needed. GM based crops are a solution to many issues that the world is facing currently. GM based foods grow quickly and with relative ease also because they can be genetically altered they can be made to have high levels of nutrients or grow in areas of drought. The invention of GM’s means that places that may not have the appropriate climate can grow all kinds of genetically altered foods and it may reduce world hunger issues. Using GM’s also means that the amount of environmental resources (water and fertilisers) would reduce and pesticides would be used less. The disadvantages of GM’s are that they can possible cause allergic reactions or become toxic. Sudden genetic changes can also occur and genes from a GM plant can be passed into a naturally grown plant. None of the GM foods used haven’t caused any of these problems but they are possible. There are associations that check all genetically engineered foods and there are regulations that control the amount of GM foods and animals that are made.