Benefits of Organic Food Essay Example for Free

Benefits of Organic Food Essay Organic food, once only found in health food stores, is now a consistent element at local supermarkets. So what is the difference between a conventionally grown apple and an organic one? The answer is in the way the crop is grown and what it is and is not exposed to. In order to be labeled â€Å"organic† the farmer who grew it used renewable resources and conservation of soil and water methods. Also, organic farmers do not use conventional pesticides or weed killers, which may contain synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge. According to Fisher, Sewage sludge from municipalities waste may contain heavy metals and toxins . . . † (1). Rather, organic farmers use sophisticated crop rotations, spread mulch and manure, and even hand pull weeds to keep them away. Instead of applying pesticides, they use beneficial insects and birds or traps to keep pests from harming the crop. The organic apple at the grocery store was never exposed to pesticides, chemicals, additives or preservatives. Pesticides may cause harmful effects to the nervous system and mild skin and eye irritations. Chemicals used in additives and preservatives may disrupt the natural rebuilding of cells and your resistance to disease diminishes after continued exposure to these chemicals according to Lagerquist. According to the USDA, instead of these harmful ingredients, the organic apple has higher levels of minerals, vitamin C and antioxidants. Vitamin C is helpful in protecting your immune system, decreasing cardiovascular disease and promotes healthy skin. Antioxidants protect cells against free radicals that create destructive processes in the cells. Besides being beneficial to your health, organic food has a positive impact on the environment. Farming organic food allows for less groundwater to become contaminated that in the process of farming conventional crops. This is because organic crops are never exposed to harmful chemicals that can seep into the ground and infect our groundwater. This absence of chemicals in the ground water also means that the quality of the soil is greater. When the soil is not exposed to chemicals such as pesticides and insecticides, it is able to be of better quality. With better soil quality, comes stronger crops for years to come. Another benefit to the environment is that organic crops increase biodiversity. Biodiversity is created because the absence of chemical inputs creates a habitat suitable for wildlife. Also, because there is no insecticides used farmers of organic farms are forced to use natural pest control methods. This means that to control one type of pest, the famer has to bring in other pests to kill it, creating a diverse farm. Organic farms also do not use synthetic fertilizers, so one way to keep the soil up is to bring in different types of worms, arthropods, and microbes. These animals stabilize and detoxify soil. Organic farming also helps the environment by using conservation methods. Organic farms are planted where the crops could grow naturally, instead of clearing away land for the purpose of planting there. They also conserve soil by not only planting the crop, but also planting other vegetation where there are places crops are not growing to make sure the topsoil does not get blown away by the elements. Crop rotating is also used. This is when the farmer plants more than one crop in the same place. For example, one year the farmer might plant corn in field, but the next year he plants beans. This process of crop rotation increases the soils productivity and reduces need for farm land. Organic farmers do not use harmful fertilizers. Instead, they take advantage of reusable waste options. These options include human waste and waste from the farm animals. These natural fertilizers do not contain harmful ingredients and it also allows farms to ‘go green’ in a sense that the waste is not going elsewhere. Another environmentally-friendly practice that organic farmers use is tilling. Tilling stirs up the topsoil of farms and makes it so that the soil does not become compact. Compacted soil can result in soil that is unable to create a run-off surface. If this happens, the water will be unable to seep into the soil and irrigate the crop. Tractors passing over soil can cause this compaction to occur, which is why tilling is a more effective way to stir up the soil. And as a bonus, tilling can help get rid of weeds, so it is a win win. Pesticides and preservatives are not only harmful to human beings, but they are also harmful to our environment and ecosystems. Pesticides used in organic farming may run-off and contaminate nearby bodies of water. If enough contaminated run-off from pesticides and artificial fertilizers get into water, it is able to poison animals and fish that live there. According to Raloff, recent studies have demonstrated that exposure to hormones has a substantial effect on the gender and reproductive capacity of fish, throwing off the natural cycle, (1). This is not only harmful to the animals that live there, but if enough fish are dying because of poisoned run-off, the fish industry could suffer and it will affect humans as well. The same chemicals that poison bodies of water could seep into our groundwater and affect the well water we drink and use daily. This does not happen with organic farming, because no chemicals are ever sprayed on the fields and there is much more run off because of tilling practices. Organic farming does not only include crops. There is also organic eggs and meat produced by livestock raised on organic farms. During normal farming of animals, conventional farmers use medications, hormone shots, and antibiotics to promote the health and growth of the animals on their farm. On these conventional farms, animals are forced to be crowded together in dirty, indoor spaces. The living conditions make it necessary for these animals to receive regular medication to fight of diseases that may be caused by their poor living conditions. Because so many animals are crowded together, their manure accumulates rapidly and for convenience for the farmer, is sometimes poured into lagoons which can leak into local water sources and may contaminate our water. Scientists are studying the question that if humans eat hormones found in the meat of animals injected with hormones, if it can affect our human hormones the same way it affects the animal it was injected into. â€Å"Scientists believe about two-thirds of American cattle raised in for slaughter today are injected with hormones to make them grow faster and America’s dairy cows are given a genetically-engineered hormone .. . to increase milk production,† (Raloff, 1). These injected hormones are also a scare because if the animal is digesting them, it means that these chemicals are also in their manure, which is spread on the fields of crops we eat and may be dangerous. Not only could it affect the crop, but also the topsoil, and in turn the groundwater. And again, if it gets into a water source, it has the opportunity to harm the aquatic life living there. In one case, cattle injected with artificial growth hormones revealed serious health problems. These included deformed calves and an increase of a bacterial infection in the udder. In order to treat the infected cows, it needed antibiotics and eventually became reliant on them. Cattle are often forced to produce so much milk that they cannot keep up the nutrients they are losing in the milk and the amount they are given in their food. This imbalance causes them to become malnourished and it makes it easier for them to get more diseases. This type of mistreatment and malnutrition does not happen on organic farms. Healthy plants and animals are more disease resistant. This fact means that as long as the plants and animals are kept clean and healthy, there is little to no need for use of antibiotics or medications. Organic farmers keep the facilities clean to reduce the amount of diseases caused by poor living conditions. Organic farmers allow livestock to live in outdoor conditions with plenty of grazing room. This extra room can greatly decrease the number of diseases in the livestock because they won’t be crowded together to closely. On a conventional farm, livestock is kept indoors and fed possibly unhealthy grains made to make them grow. This is not the case on organic farms. Livestock is kept on a balanced diet and fed using a rotational grazing process. Rotational grazing means that once the livestock has eaten all the grass and vegetation from one field, the farmer will move them to another to allow the vegetation to grow back. This helps maintain the health of the farmland and also keeps the livestock happy by keeping them in an area with enough food, if the livestock is well fed, there is less of a chance that it will get sick as well. If livestock are kept healthy, there is no reason to give it medications, which may not be healthy for the consumer. Organic foods are never bioengineered. Bioengineered foods are foods that are manipulated through their DNA to have traits that are desired. For example, many foods are bioengineered to be resistant to insects, herbicides, and diseases. These crops may seem like a good idea, but many have wondered if these genetically altered crops could be harmful to humans. Crops resistant to bugs and weeds have caused Mother Nature to fight back with â€Å"superbugs† and â€Å"superweeds†, bugs and weeds that have evolved to overcome genetically altered plants. Cases like this cause scientists to turn it up a notch and create a new crop that can defeat the â€Å"supers†. But when is enough enough? Soon the weeds and bugs could become resistant to every type of herbicide resistant plant. There are many health scares associated with bioengineered foods. One is that if a gene is injected into a crop to make it have a more desirable trait, this gene may cause an unexpected danger to the consumer. One such danger is allergic reactions. For example . . . â€Å"bean plants that were genetically modified to increase cysteine and methionine content were discarded after the discovery that the expressed protein of the transgene was highly allergenic† (Villano, 1). Sometimes these dangers can be detected before it is introduced into the public, but sometimes it is not found until several people are affected. Another health risk concerned genetically engineered foods is that for most plants, it is simple to tell that the genetic altering caused an unusual problem in the crop, but in some cases, this is not easily seen. If it is a very obvious problem, the crop may be discarded immediately based on the appearance. However, if the genetic altering caused a problem in low or uneasily seen genes, it may become a problem for the consumer especially if the mutation is in the edible portion of the plant. Again, most of the time these problems would be detected before it is presented to the public, but it may not always be found that soon. This is a very dangerous risk to take. In addition to not being bioengineered, organic food is never exposed to radiation. Food irradiation is frequently used on conventional food because ionizing radiation is can be used to kill bacteria and other germs that may be found in certain foods. These conventionally grown foods are passed through radiation waves on a convention belt. This type of radiation attacks the unwanted organism’s DNA beyond its ability to repair. It can also be used to stop the natural ripening process of fruit in order to prolong the food’s shelf life, and it can be helpful in managing bacteria and other harmful organisms There is much criticism about ionizing radiation. One concern is that irradiation may disguise spoiled food by means of altering the natural growth process of the food. The radiation prolongs its shelf life, but there is reason the food has an expiration date. Some believe that the natural decay of food should not be tampered with. Another scare to some critics is that these chemical changes may not be healthy for the consumer. There are many regulations and inspections in food plants that use irradiation practices, but many critics believe that there is not enough extensive research done of the subject. Critics have several arguments against food irradiation. They argue that food preservation techniques are inefficient because it is unable to undo food spoilage that happened before the radiation treatment. This means that the food is ‘stuck’ in a certain stage of maturity that may not be ideal for the consumer. Another argument is that the radiation process, while getting rid of unwanted organisms, may also remove nutrients that are vital or helpful for the consumer. There are several risks associated with buying conventional foods. These foods may contain pesticides, chemicals, additives, or preservatives that are not natural and may be very harmful for the consumer. When buying organic food, there is never a risk of ingesting any of these harmful substances. Organic farmers use only natural methods of keeping insects, diseases, and weeds away to unsure safety for the consumer. Unlike conventional farms, organic farms are more diverse, more conservative, and use reusable and environmentally friendly practices to keep the earth in good physical shape for years to come. Instead of being concerned with convenience, organic foods focus on health. There are never artificially introduced hormones, sewage sludge, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation exposed to organically grown foods. The most disturbing fact about conventionally grown foods that is that little has been tested in the procedures used to grow the food conveniently. It is not proven that food exposed to radiation, bioengineering, pesticides, herbicides, medications, hormones and antibiotics given to livestock are harmless to humans. Many critics believe that these practices could cause extreme damage to humans in the future if it is not tested more thoroughly. So why not play it safe? Organic foods have none of these health risks and actually have higher levels of minerals, Vitamin C, and antioxidants.

Personal Narrative- Defining Self Essay -- Personal Narrative, essay a

Who am I? Such a simple question: such a profoundly difficult one to answer. I could tell you that my name is Rob Jones, but that would only be my name. I could tell you that I would like to become a professional author and that I have strong linguistic skills and an artistic flair. But these are merely reflections of who I am: gifts I possess and talents I have perfected. I suppose I must start by telling you what I am. I am a human being. As such, I have several distinctive and inseparable parts. There is my physical side: namely my body with all its many tangible parts. This is not really me, though on this side of the great veil I couldn't survive without it. You may as well say that this body is merely a suit that houses the real me. But who is the real me? I have a second side to my being, a mental side that consists of intangible things such as my thoughts, feelings, emotions, knowledge, and wisdom-in short all the things that I have ever thought, experienced, known, or felt. Yes, this side relies on my physical side, my outer shell, to interface with the outer world. ...

1984 First Five Chapters Summary Essay

Readers are introduced to Winston Smith, his living situation which although called Victory Mansion is not lavish; it is a run-down apartment complex. Readers are also introduced to Big Brother, the government’s authority figure and figurehead for the Party. The telescreen always watches its Party Members, looking for traitors among them. Winston brings out a journal, out of view of the telescreen, because it is considered an act of rebellion against the Party. He writes about the films the Party makes, the dark-haired girl from work and O’Brien, someone he believes is against the Party. Winston believes the Thought Police will knock at his door, but it turns out to be Mrs. Parsons, his neighbor. Winston helps her with the Parsons’ plumbing and her children accuse him of thoughtcrime. Her children are upset that they couldn’t go see the public hanging. He goes back to his apartment and hides the journal. Winston then dreams of his mother and a sinking ship that he feels responsible for. He then dreams of a Utopia free from the Party where he is with the dark-haired girl from work. He wakes up to a whistle for the â€Å"Physical Jerks†, the Party’s regulated physical exercise. Winston is yelled at from the telescreen by the exercise manager. After the â€Å"Physical Jerks† Winston goes to work at the Ministry of Truth where he updates Big Brother’s orders and Party Records so what Big Brother says is always true. He makes up a story about a fictional person, Comrade Ogilvy, as a ideal Party Man who died. Winston then meets up with Syme, another Party member who revises the Newspeak dictionary. Syme talks about the aime of Newspeak is to erase words. Winston knows the Syme will be vaporized because he is too intelligent. Parsons, Winston’s neighbor, visits Winston to get their apartment’s dues. Parsons laughs about how his children treated Winston the previous day. The Ministry of Plenty announces an increase in production but Winston knows the increase is actually a lie. Winston believes he is being watched by the dark-haired girl, who he thinks is a Party agent. Chapter 1-5 Responses 1. I like Winston so far even though he seems very weak, which is just a result of the Party’s oppression. The Party seems to be everywhere, impacting everyone. 3. The movie, The Truman Show, is based off of the movie 1984 in the way that someone is controlling and watching over the protagonists lives. They have no privacy or choices. 6. I was very surprised that the exercise manager called out to Winston. Up until that point I believed the Party always watching was a scam to making people follow the Party. 7. I would like the next chapter to develop into Winston investigating the Party and trying to rebel more against them.

The Social Bond Theory - 854 Words

In 1969, Travis Hirschi developed what is known as Social Bond Theory. Hirschi built on the work of other social control theorists and was able to provide a better picture of what social bond is. In Social Bond Theory there are four basic elements that make up social bonds. They are attachment, involvement, commitment, and belief. It is these four bonds that all humans hold and ultimately determine conformity or deviant behavior(Agnew, 1985). The four bonds are imperative in determining a person’s conformity or deviance to society. When bonds are weak, Hirschi saw that a person becomes â€Å"free† to engage in delinquency (Williams McShane, 2010). The first bond, which is attachment, deals with the relationship one has with parents,†¦show more content†¦In essence, belief deals with and individual’s conception of right and wrong and the belief that society is generally fair in the rules it holds. Obeying the law and its authorities is a big part o f belief. The more an individual obeys and conforms to these laws and rules, the less likely they will engage in deviant behavior. The weaker the belief system of and individual is, the more likely deviance will occur. When looking at belief one can see that an individual has a common set of values held by society. This would make it a consensus theory on the grounds that all of society has a common set of values. When looking at these bonds researchers are clear that all these bonds affect an individual and society. These bonds show that all individuals exhibit some bonding to society and researchers are then concerned with how much bonds need to be weakened before criminal behavior starts to take place. However, what is unclear to researchers is how the weakening of one bond can affect the strength of the others. Another concern researchers have is what kind of effects the varying degrees produce (Williams McShane, 2010). In classifying Social Bond Theory, the first point to identify is that it is representative of the Positivist School of thought. It has a focus on human behavior and pathology and believes that rehabilitation through the increasing influence of schools, family,Show MoreRelatedThe Theory Of Social Bonds1159 Words   |  5 PagesThe Theory of Social Bonds Why do people abide by the rules? Travis Hirshi in 1969, believed that criminal behavior is controlled by societal ties or social bonds. The Social Bond Theory states that humans behave conventional through the power of internalized norms, conscious, and the desire for approval. When the individuals bonds breaks between the family, friends, or school, the individual then becomes free to engage in deviant and or criminal activity. This theory can be broken down into fourRead MoreThe Theory Of Social Bond Theory910 Words   |  4 PagesEven though all four components of the social bond theory are important, but I consider attachment to be a key component. With the lack of attachment in one’s life, there is no difference between doing a good or bad act as you do not have someone to impress or do not care what one might think about you. And due to the absence of attachment one might commit crime because they do not have strong ties with families and friends. Strong ties with fam ily and friends sometimes held you back from committingRead MoreSocial Bond And Social Learning Theory1570 Words   |  7 Pageson which theory of crime is most accurate. Currently, social bond and social learning theory are two of the leading theories in the criminological world. Between these two theories there are a variety of differences and similarities. In addition to these theories Gottfredson and Hirschi have published a book where they use the concept of self control to describe crime. Analyzing these three theories can be important to understanding the current criminological world. Social bond theory shows an interestingRead MoreWhat is the Social Bond Theory?1154 Words   |  5 PagesThere are many theories that try to explain why crime is committed. Theres the strain theory, the Social disorganization theory, the Different association theory and many others. But the one that I think best explains why crime is committed is the social bond theory. It is very straightforward and it explains what leads to a crime. The social bond theory states that a persons view toward a society determines if a person will be a criminal or not. This theory has some downsides to it but I willRead MoreSocial Control And Bond Theory2770 Words   |  12 Pages Social control/bond theory was developed by Travis Hirschi in1969. The social control approach is one of the three major sociological perspectives in understanding crime in our contemporary criminology. The theory holds that individuals will break the law as a result of the breakdown of the social bonds (Akers Seller s, 2004, p. 16). Control theorists believe that an individual conformity to societal social values and rules produced by socialization and maintained through social ties toRead MoreCriminology Theories And Social Bond Theory1887 Words   |  8 Pages Theories of Criminology Fall Term Paper: An Overview of Criminology Theories and Theorists The theory of Travis Hirschi, which is the social bond theory focuses on the concept of the causes and the acts of delinquency, which is what this theory is extracted from. This theory emerges when an individual’s bonds to the society and the community around them are weak or broken (Topak, 2017). The social bond theory can be described as the belief that socialization and personal relationships are significantRead MoreSocial Bond Theory Essay2308 Words   |  10 PagesSocial Bond Theory Kevin Pascual Sociology 100 10/25/12 Social Bond Theory In 1969, a man named Travis Hirschi wrote and proposed something called the Social Control Theory. This theory can be applied in numerous kinds of ways when trying to address and solved social problems dealing with adolescents delinquent behavior. Before we can try to apply the Social Bond Theory, we must first understand the components and definition of the theoryRead MoreDurkheim s Theory Of Social Bonds1339 Words   |  6 Pagesestablished many sociological theories throughout his time that still are relevant today and have been studied by many sociologists during his time and now currently. One of the more popular theories that has been altered slightly but still used today is Durkheim’s Anomie Theory. The Anomie Theory has been studied by many other famous sociologists such as Robert King Merton and Robert Agnew. It eventually branched into what is now known as the Strain Theory. Currently, these theories are being changed andRead MoreThe Social Bond Theory Is One Of Ma ny Theories Under The1092 Words   |  5 Pages The social bond theory is one of many theories under the umbrella of control theories. Within the control theories, there is not an exact socio-historic background but there are few assumptions. Control theories take a different approach to crime than most other criminological theories. Instead of looking to solve the popular question of why people commit crimes, it looks to answer the question of why most people do not commit crimes. This theory believes criminal motivation is in fact not an individualRead MoreTravis Hirschi Social Bond Theory980 Words   |  4 PagesProtected* Populations – Examples include, but are not limited to: Children/Minors (under the age of 18) (Exception – projects conducted in established or commonly accepted educational settings involving normal educational practices. Contact IRB office for guidance.) Prisoners (now includes non-publicly available secondary data) Pregnant women Fetuses and products of labor and delivery People with diminished capacity to give consent Mentally or