This is a blog for Biology 12 students to think critically and form opinions regarding social issues in their study of human biology.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
"Growing" meat for consumption in the laboratory
If raising cattle is proving to be detrimental to the environment, by causing mass deforestation and excess fossil fuel consumption, does it make sense to "grow" meat in a laboratory in order to help feed our rapidly growing population?
I do not think it makes sense to grow meat in a laboratory. Even though the meat may be edible it does not make it the right thing to do. I know that some people would agree with this because they may be vegitarians but I definetely do not. I do somewhat believe that killing animals is wrong in some cases, but it is not wrong if it is for food. I think that it is the same thing as genetically mutating animals and foods. Which is also a very controversial issue. I believe this will be a very important and also controversial issue in the near future.
I disagree with what Justin says. I think that it is disgusting the way large companies use, and throw out meat. Take, for example, the first nations or even the eskimos. They have a use for every single part of the animal that they kill. They do not waste anything because they do not know when they will be able to kill again. Growing meat in a lab, to me, seems like the more effective way of mass producing meat. For starters it would eliminate the chance of diseases effecting the meat. There would be no more H1N1, mad cow disease, and salmonella. Secondly, "Livestock currently take up 70 percent of all agricultural land, corresponding to 30 percent of the world's land surface (according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations). Labs would presumably require much less space." They say by 2050 the worlds meat consumption will have doubled. Where are we going to store all the animals that will produce all this meat? In labs.
"If every package of naturally grown meat by law should have the text, 'Beware, animals have been killed for this product,' I can imagine a gradual cultural shift."
I find this to be a very amazing ability to be able to "grow" meat in a laboratory, yet I do not think I could bring myself to consume it. The website posted below contains much of the information elaborated upon in Rhea's post. This article does make a few very clever possible scenarios of the future. One would presume that the meat being synthesized in the lab is beef, pork, poultry or fish, but who is to know what it really is. I would tend to lean to the more conventional side of this controversy and still maintain my consumption of meat from actual living organisms. Humans are still the superior species in the world so we still have the right and ability to hunt animals as we have done so from the beginning of time. Although the environment has had some issues because of agriculture, the health of mankind is of more importance in my opinion. If the synthesizing of meat is said to be done to help reduce harms to the environment, then how is one to know whether or not the manufactured meat is going to affect humans over time. It may be very detrimental to our health over the course of a few years. I would tend to say that the production of more organic meat to reduce environmental harms would be a better option that man-made meat. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34042394/ns/technology_and_science-innovation
I don't really think this is a good idea but i agree with Justin and Rhea on some things. I think that killing animals for food is not wrong. However I find it very interesting that we are actually going to be able to eat meat that was made in a laboratory. Will they make different kinds of meat? Such as beef and chicken? If they are making this meat in a lab and not cut meat from an animal how will they actually be able to clarify it as actual meat? It will be good knowing that there will be no madcow disease and salmonella as Rhea stated. But eventually this laboratory meat may not be any better. There may also be long term affect down the road. Would this meat be healthy for us? I'm not sure how they will make this but i would think that there would be many chemicals and preservatives in it.
The long term effects to humans are unknown to this, and it would be quite dangerous to send out right away. This will be on the shelf in the next decade, but it will be very controversial with the church and others. I agree with Rhea that it would be good to stop building new land for livestock, because soon there won't be much land left to grow. I'm not too sure how many people would actually want to want to eat meat grown in a lab, and the cost would probably very high. The scientists can keep improving these meats, but it won't be in supermarkets any time soon.
I believe that ""Growing" meat for consumption in the labratory" has advantages. In reference to Justin's comment that doing this procedure is involved with genetic mutation, I don't agree. I read in this website, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_vitro_meat, under the "Process," that people wrongly believe that in vitro meat is made by genetic engineering. The cells are all natural, and are grown in the lab. I also learned that this product will be very expensive if and when they start selling it; however, in the future, it is believed to become less expensive than traditional meat farming methods. Our population is growing, and I believe that this new way of making meat to be consumed will help to feed our world in the future.
I believe "in vitro meat", as Brianna said, could have many advantages. It can potentially eliminate the possibility of diseases in all the common meats being consumed by our society. This lab-grown meat is also supposed to be healthier in general, by hypothetically eliminating excess and unwanted fat on the meat. However, reading from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_vitro_meat#Health, it is mentioned that "no procedure has been presented to produce large scale in vitro meat without the use of antibiotics to prevent bacterial infections." There is a danger of this being an issue in the future because of the addition of unwanted antibiotics in our food. Whether this meat will even sell is another issue because of the undoubtedly high price and the fear of it being "too artificial" compared to our other meats, which could also be argued as being artificial.
I agree with Katie that it's quite amazing that we now have the technology to "grow" meat in a laboratory however I do not think I could eat it myself. Humans have been hunter gathers as far back as we can trace and I don't see the point in growing meat when we are able to have "actual meat". It's true as Rhea said that a lot of our meat now a days goes to waste which is wrong. I believe that the industries should find more effective ways to use all of the animal instead of just taking what they need. And although it's said that "in vitro meat" could eliminate diseases it doesn't mean that it will be healthy in the long run. Personally I would like to see how long it takes to get the laboratory meat on the shelves of grocery stores and see the publics response to it.
Sarita, I don't think you are seeing the "bigger picture" here. Our population is growing so rapidly that our planet does not have the physical space to house all of the people AND the "actual meat" AND the grains needed to feed them. I believe that this is an alternative since it would take up minimal space (you would not need to house the animal nor would you need to grow grains to feed them).
I agree with Katie that is amazing to think that we can "grow" meat but I also don't think i could bring myself to eat it. I realize the struggle for space and food we could be encountering in the years to come with our growing popluation and that this could help with the space and the need to feed our growing population, but i really think many people will have a hard time consuming this grown meat
this is from Micah: I agree with Katie that is amazing to think that we can "grow" meat but I also don't think i could bring myself to eat it. I realize the struggle for space and food we could be encountering in the years to come with our growing popluation and that this could help with the space and the need to feed our growing population, but i really think many people will have a hard time consuming this grown meat
12 comments:
I do not think it makes sense to grow meat in a laboratory. Even though the meat may be edible it does not make it the right thing to do. I know that some people would agree with this because they may be vegitarians but I definetely do not. I do somewhat believe that killing animals is wrong in some cases, but it is not wrong if it is for food. I think that it is the same thing as genetically mutating animals and foods. Which is also a very controversial issue. I believe this will be a very important and also controversial issue in the near future.
I disagree with what Justin says. I think that it is disgusting the way large companies use, and throw out meat. Take, for example, the first nations or even the eskimos. They have a use for every single part of the animal that they kill. They do not waste anything because they do not know when they will be able to kill again.
Growing meat in a lab, to me, seems like the more effective way of mass producing meat. For starters it would eliminate the chance of diseases effecting the meat. There would be no more H1N1, mad cow disease, and salmonella. Secondly, "Livestock currently take up 70 percent of all agricultural land, corresponding to 30 percent of the world's land surface (according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations). Labs would presumably require much less space." They say by 2050 the worlds meat consumption will have doubled. Where are we going to store all the animals that will produce all this meat? In labs.
"If every package of naturally grown meat by law should have the text, 'Beware, animals have been killed for this product,' I can imagine a gradual cultural shift."
I find this to be a very amazing ability to be able to "grow" meat in a laboratory, yet I do not think I could bring myself to consume it. The website posted below contains much of the information elaborated upon in Rhea's post. This article does make a few very clever possible scenarios of the future. One would presume that the meat being synthesized in the lab is beef, pork, poultry or fish, but who is to know what it really is. I would tend to lean to the more conventional side of this controversy and still maintain my consumption of meat from actual living organisms. Humans are still the superior species in the world so we still have the right and ability to hunt animals as we have done so from the beginning of time. Although the environment has had some issues because of agriculture, the health of mankind is of more importance in my opinion. If the synthesizing of meat is said to be done to help reduce harms to the environment, then how is one to know whether or not the manufactured meat is going to affect humans over time. It may be very detrimental to our health over the course of a few years. I would tend to say that the production of more organic meat to reduce environmental harms would be a better option that man-made meat.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34042394/ns/technology_and_science-innovation
I don't really think this is a good idea but i agree with Justin and Rhea on some things. I think that killing animals for food is not wrong. However I find it very interesting that we are actually going to be able to eat meat that was made in a laboratory. Will they make different kinds of meat? Such as beef and chicken? If they are making this meat in a lab and not cut meat from an animal how will they actually be able to clarify it as actual meat? It will be good knowing that there will be no madcow disease and salmonella as Rhea stated. But eventually this laboratory meat may not be any better. There may also be long term affect down the road. Would this meat be healthy for us? I'm not sure how they will make this but i would think that there would be many chemicals and preservatives in it.
The long term effects to humans are unknown to this, and it would be quite dangerous to send out right away. This will be on the shelf in the next decade, but it will be very controversial with the church and others. I agree with Rhea that it would be good to stop building new land for livestock, because soon there won't be much land left to grow. I'm not too sure how many people would actually want to want to eat meat grown in a lab, and the cost would probably very high. The scientists can keep improving these meats, but it won't be in supermarkets any time soon.
I believe that ""Growing" meat for consumption in the labratory" has advantages. In reference to Justin's comment that doing this procedure is involved with genetic mutation, I don't agree. I read in this website, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_vitro_meat, under the "Process," that people wrongly believe that in vitro meat is made by genetic engineering. The cells are all natural, and are grown in the lab. I also learned that this product will be very expensive if and when they start selling it; however, in the future, it is believed to become less expensive than traditional meat farming methods. Our population is growing, and I believe that this new way of making meat to be consumed will help to feed our world in the future.
I believe "in vitro meat", as Brianna said, could have many advantages. It can potentially eliminate the possibility of diseases in all the common meats being consumed by our society. This lab-grown meat is also supposed to be healthier in general, by hypothetically eliminating excess and unwanted fat on the meat. However, reading from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_vitro_meat#Health, it is mentioned that "no procedure has been presented to produce large scale in vitro meat without the use of antibiotics to prevent bacterial infections." There is a danger of this being an issue in the future because of the addition of unwanted antibiotics in our food.
Whether this meat will even sell is another issue because of the undoubtedly high price and the fear of it being "too artificial" compared to our other meats, which could also be argued as being artificial.
I agree with Katie that it's quite amazing that we now have the technology to "grow" meat in a laboratory however I do not think I could eat it myself. Humans have been hunter gathers as far back as we can trace and I don't see the point in growing meat when we are able to have "actual meat". It's true as Rhea said that a lot of our meat now a days goes to waste which is wrong. I believe that the industries should find more effective ways to use all of the animal instead of just taking what they need. And although it's said that "in vitro meat" could eliminate diseases it doesn't mean that it will be healthy in the long run. Personally I would like to see how long it takes to get the laboratory meat on the shelves of grocery stores and see the publics response to it.
Sarita, I don't think you are seeing the "bigger picture" here. Our population is growing so rapidly that our planet does not have the physical space to house all of the people AND the "actual meat" AND the grains needed to feed them. I believe that this is an alternative since it would take up minimal space (you would not need to house the animal nor would you need to grow grains to feed them).
I agree with Katie that is amazing to think that we can "grow" meat but I also don't think i could bring myself to eat it. I realize the struggle for space and food we could be encountering in the years to come with our growing popluation and that this could help with the space and the need to feed our growing population, but i really think many people will have a hard time consuming this grown meat
this is from Micah:
I agree with Katie that is amazing to think that we can "grow" meat but I also don't think i could bring myself to eat it. I realize the struggle for space and food we could be encountering in the years to come with our growing popluation and that this could help with the space and the need to feed our growing population, but i really think many people will have a hard time consuming this grown meat
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