Globalization has been a key player in the trafficking of disease around the globe throughout history. As global travel and the shipment of food and goods have increased tremendously, in conjunction with the ability to travel very quickly, concerns about public health have become a major issue for humanity. In addition, the controversies around genetically modified organisms is bringing even more concerns to the foreground as GMOs may possibly harm the health of both individuals and the planet.
While the movement of people, food and manufactured goods can lead to the spread of disease, I do not think we should, or effectively could, take steps to decrease the flow of such traffic. The concern for public health is great and the potential for a global pandemic at this time is severe as, “people can now cross continents in periods of time shorter than the incubation
periods of most diseases” (Health and Globalization. (n.d.)). The reality that we face is that we must do what we can to fight
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While I find the technology to manipulate organisms very exciting, I am very fearful that corporate greed will abuse these new advances and place the world in a possibly dire situation. We do not yet know how these plants will affect the health of the people who eat them long term and there are legitimate fears of how these plants may upset ecosystems. I think that with proper precautions and extensive research, GMOs could be a great advantage to humanity and that we should not rush the introduction of these products worldwide.
Health concerns are not limited to cities or countries. As a species, disease has the potential to impact anyone anywhere. In order to keep our planet healthy we will need to find ways to work together as a global civilization.