TPO 21

The article states that genetic modification can be a positive change in the improvement of trees and provides three reasons of support. However, the professor explains that genetic modification might seems to be a good idea at first, but it might cause a lot of problems. In order to elaborate her idea, the professor refutes each of author's reasons.

First, the reading claims that genetically modified tress are more likely to survive than their unmodified counterparts. The professor refutes this point by saying that at first it might seem that genetically modified tress are more resistance to some particular kinds of pests, but we can not modified them to resist all unknown pests. On the other hand, when a new pest is been introduced to wild trees, since they are genetically diverse, unlike genetically modified tress who are genetically uniform, some of trees have the ability to withstand this new pest. Some of them might wiped out but some of survive. In the contrary, if this unknown pest has been introduced to genetically modified tress, all of them would wiped out. Thus, unmodified tress can survive in the case of introduction of new pests.

Second, the article posits that genetically modified tress promise to bring a number of economic benefits to those who grow them. However, the professor says that genetically modified tress are much more expensive than other trees. According to the professor there is only one company who provides these kind of tress and they charge every time that farmers want to plant new plants.

Third, the reading says that genetically modified tress can prevent overexploitation of wild trees. The professor opposes this point by saying that these new trees are being planted in indigenous trees inhabitants and because they are more competitive than other trees to get water and nutrition out of the soil, they might wipe out indigenous trees.