Safety

Safety discussion

Viewpoint

Viewpoint:SCIENTIST

After having shown the result of the above-mentioned questionnaire, We discussed a genetically-modified ethic in a team member, an undergraduate, teachers ,and so on.

One of the members who thought so asked people who participated in a discussion how genetic modification should do it so that it prevented you from being thought that scary. First, the following opinion was provided:

The long-term influence of genetically-modified foods may have varies risks and is not still ( because there is not an example) known.

In the first place, there is a primary problem that we cannot prove safety of GM food as cannot prove safety of non-GM food, by the reason that it is on the market and sufficiently fills safety standards. Of course, all foods should exist with a premise that they are safe and have safety standards (at least in Japan). But any food might be poison if taken in large quantities even if it passes the standards regardless of genetically modified or not. For example, salt raises risks of high blood pressure, cancer and apoplexy by taken too much even though salt is necessary to human. On the other hand, sodium nitrite must be added to sausage to restrain bacteria from multiplication even though it is powerful drug. So we can regard any food as safe thing when we eat within common sense, but we cannot affirm that any food is safe because it is dealt in.

When we make something regarded as safe thing, food for thought depends on whether it is really safe or not. To show safety of safe things, they should use, eat, etc. But in reality, there is few things known as absolutely safe thing. Then how should we have to do with things we don’t know they are safe or not?

It is difficult to say that genetically modified things, which have unnatural genes are safe. Of course it is sure that we cannot say a thing non-unraveled is safe, while it is a truth that many people don’t have evaluation criteria of him/her and get indeterminate anxiety. If he get information on a subject and be able to judge the safety of it by concrete bases with his criteria, it will be not that he avoid the subject because of indeterminate anxiety at least.

Then what should we do to get evaluation criteria? Unfortunately, I haven’t got my criteria even though writing this page. If I will have to choose a non-GM food or a 50% discounted GM food, I will be unable to decide whether to buy.

What should we (this “we” means all people, not only concerned in the field) do to get our own evaluation criteria? One of the ways should be opportunities to get concerned about this field at compulsory education.

Here, we are students or scientists influenced on synthetic biology using the technique of gene recombination. So every of us should get own evaluation criteria which can be used to convince children. To realize that, they are important for us to have a chance to consider a matter by get to know opinions from other areas and to find hints for making criteria by conversing with people in near areas. And it is most important to know much by experience and mature the own criteria.

Besides, though it isn’t apply to only this field, we should show answers matured in own area to any area. It lets us deepen other’s understanding of the study, and perhaps we can get points to improve from them. It is reciprocal. So exchanging opinions with people in various areas makes the relationship between each ones better and let us acquire study more and more in own area.

Viewpoint:ARTIST