Alexis Spaulding
Mrs. Bauch
Speech 6th
16 May 2016
Cons to GMOs
Since genetically modified crops, or GMOs, were created in 1996, the overall use of pesticides has increased to over 400 million pounds in the year 2011 (?GMO Risks?). This is not what GMO crops were supposed to do, which was lower the amount of pesticides needed on crop fields. With the need of more pesticides on GMO crop fields, farmers have to spend even more each year on more toxic and expensive pesticides to kill the weeds and insects that slowly gain immunity to the weed killers. Today I will try to persuade you about the dangers on genetically modified crops and why they should not be grown.
GMO technology have harmed many types of organisms in an ecosystem, for when pesticides are applied to crops to remove
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Around 70% of American GMO crops are made to tolerate several different types of herbicides and insecticides. Weeds that have been exterminated by herbicides have been gradually growing more resistant to that type of herbicide, and grow back larger and require even more chemicals to remove the next season (5 Reasons). Because of all the genes for pesticide immunity implanted into GMO plants, weeds that have been cross-pollinating with those crops are quickly becoming immune to a great many pesticides, which force farmers to return to older ways of weed removal. And the resistant genes aren?t just affected the weeds and other natural plants. In June 2013, a study proved that over a third of the thirteen major species of pests have become immune to types of genetically modified cotton and corn plants. Along with the pesticide immunity, there has been research that shows that the main