Band 6+: Genetic engineering is an important issue in modern society. 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 opinions and give your opinion?

Genetic modification is one of the most controversial issues today. While its supporters count it as an empowerment tool to increase the quality of human life, its oppositions see the empty half of the glass, worrying about its foreseeable implications, not only on human life but also on other forms of life on earth.

Even the most bigoted opposition of genetic engineering cannot deny its huge achievements. For example, scientists have succeeded to raise productivity of agricultural products such as grains, beans, etc. through modification of their genome, and this has led to remarkable reduction in global hunger, and has consequently reduced the number of people starving on a daily basis across the world. Furthermore, once incurable disease like blood cancer has become treatable to some extent, utilizing in-vitro growth of stem cells, which is one of the latest achievements of genetic engineering.

Beside countless undeniable positive effects of genetic engineering on human life, its adverse effects on the environment should not be overlooked. For instance, one of the most disastrous incidents in genetic engineering history happened when a colony of genetically modified bees escaped from a laboratory in Chile in 1987. Due to as yet unknown factor, the bees that were under test -in order to create a more resistant type against disease- had turned to extremely violent flying monsters which nothing was protected against their attacks. Later, these small predators caused the extinction of several different animal species, and this way contributed in the nation-wide draught and famine that struck the country in 1992.

In conclusion, I personally view genetic engineering as a game changer which can even be a door to a utopia where there is no incurable disease; however, the stronger a weapon is the deadlier backfire it can cause. Therefore, we need to be extra cautious and strictly regulate genetic modification, so that minimize unintentional negative effects of it. Furthermore, a tough integrated international supervision system seems to be vital in order to make the abuse of genetic modification almost impossible.