Systems Thinking (Easterbrook)

• Which system (type of stakeholder) that Easterbrook identified did you find your own understanding of GMOs most aligned with? Why? What are some of the stakes of these stakeholders?

The system that Easterbrook identified that aligned most with is “A system of ecosystems and contaminants that weaken them”. I think that the effect GMOs have on so many other ecosystems besides crops and farming. There are so ecosystems that touch farming, which includes human survival, that GMOs can cause too much harm to. Spreading GMOs has already proven to negatively effect neighboring ecosystems, so to attempt it again, the scientists conducting the experiment would need to prove what steps are being done to prevent similar mistakes. A stake of this stakeholder is creating balance between interacting ecosystems, which means promoting scientific research that does not effect neighboring ecosystems and can be recalled if needed.

• Using your own topic for research, can you Identify 3 stakeholders (groups or phenomenon) with different perspectives, and then describe the system (the stakes) from which they are operating? For instance, if the subject is “Safari Parks”, 3 stakeholders could be (1) Animal Rights activists, (2) the region’s Board of Tourism, and (3) the local land itself. The first operates in a system of ethics around the treatment of animals; the second in a networked system of economic benefits for the community (hotels, food, and attractions), and the third, in an ecosystem that the safari park may put at risk, by introducing pollutants from animal waste and fertilizer, and ecological competitors such as escaped non-indigenous plant products used in the landscaping of the Safari Park.

For my topic, “bark”, some stakeholders include:

1. Trees that are protected by bark

   With bark, trees are operating in a system of survival. It protects them from the outside world, transports nutrients throughout its system, and maintains moisture in dry temperatures.

2. Animals who eat bark for nutrition

   Certain animals are known to strip tree bark for food, which includes beavers, black bears, mice, and squirrels, also operate in a system of survival.

3. Humans who can create medicine with bark

   Some of the earliest medicine created were made from bark. They have active ingredients, such as alkaloids, essential oils, carbohydrates, vitamins, and antibiotics that can be used in ointments, rubs, hair fluids, and other mixtures. Therefore, humans operate in a system of health and economic benefits for the human race.

Question responses:

1. I will be honest and say that I don’t know much about GMOs, but most of my understanding aligns with the stakeholders in group 7. The idea of “frankenfoods” is definitely something I have heard of, and, for the most part, people that I talk to and have been exposed to worry about the risks GMO foods pose to their health. They (and I) see organic and locally sourced foods as better for their (my) health and the environment overall. I worry about GMOs in general mostly because I don’t know much about the science that goes into them. Not knowing what my food is made of and what kinds of processes went into creating it makes me nervous. I think the majority of their stakes for these stakeholders deals with human health. It’s unclear if GMOs can have serious impacts on health. The reading cites allergies as an area of concern which definitely lines up with some parents I have talked to who worry about their kids being affected by GMOs.

2. Three stakeholders for DMZs:
1. The countries at war. They operate in a system of conflict with each other. Each believes they have a claim to the territory. Usually one side is the aggressor, trying to assert it’s claim to more territory, while the other is the retaliator, seeking to defend it’s land from outside forces.
2. Neighboring countries. They operate in several systems. One is systems of commerce and trade. Often neighboring countries are engaged in trade agreements which can be impacted by war or even the formation of the DMZ itself which may disrupt trade routes.
3. Wildlife. DMZs offer opportunities for wildlife to return to areas which otherwise would have had a greater human presence. This allows for the reclamation of lost territory, and even allows for certain species that may have been on the verge of extinction to flourish. One of the surprising results of several DMZs is the formation of wildlife preserves.

• Which system (type of stakeholder) that Easterbrook identified did you find your own understanding of GMOs most aligned with? Why? What are some of the stakes of these stakeholders?

When I hear the acronym “GMO,” my mind immediately goes to the environmental/health arguments laid out in system 7. I am not well versed in the topic, and I believe this association is mainly due to media coverage and the increased advertising of the term “non-GMO.” The main stakes are for immune-compromised people, who may be more susceptible to allergic reactions, those who have reported health effects that are not taken seriously due to the lack of science behind the topic, the GMO/food production companies who want to not only keep consumers safe, but also ensure they are staying up to code, and the public; people like me who may not be as educated on the topic, but have preconceived notions due to the PR around GMO, organic, and natural foods.

• Using your own topic for research, can you Identify 3 stakeholders (groups or phenomenon) with different perspectives and then describe the system (the stakes) from which they are operating? For instance, if the subject is “Safari Parks”, 3 stakeholders could be (1) Animal Rights activists, (2) the region’s Board of Tourism, and (3) the local land itself. The first operates in a system of ethics around the treatment of animals; the second in a networked system of economic benefits for the community (hotels, food, and attractions), and the third, in an ecosystem that the safari park may put at risk, by introducing pollutants from animal waste and fertilizer, and ecological competitors such as escaped non-indigenous plant products used in the landscaping of the Safari Park.

My topic is Canals within the larger topic of borders. The 3 stakeholders I can identify using this ready as context are:

Governments – the people in power to determine Transportation committees and assess economic impact. They uphold border agreements and the governance around how and who uses these waterways.

Environmental Groups – Canals are man-made structures/waterways and have an impact on the wildlife and pollution in the area.

Traders/Business Logistics – Canals transport goods, and businesses depend economically on their successful operation. I am immediately reminded of when the Panama Canal was not operational for some time over the summer of 2021 and how that impacted the global supply chain for months.

• Which system (type of stakeholder) that Easterbrook identified did you find your own understanding of GMOs most aligned with? Why? What are some of the stakes of these stakeholders?

It‘s hard for me to choose one single system. In my view, system 3 (a system of ecosystems and contaminants that weaken the,), system7 (a system of potential threats to human health and well-being), and system 8 (a system of sustainable agriculture with long time horizons) all align with my understanding of GMOs a lot. If I have to choose a “most,” the answer would be system 7 – a system of potential threats to human health and well-being. One significant stake in this system is the irreversible future. This stake appears in both system 3 and system 7. What’s more, from my perspective, GMOs are food for humans, so food safety must be the very first. Human beings rely on food to be alive. Mistakes in medical experiments are mostly under control in labs, but errors in GMOs would affect people all over the world.

• Using your own topic for research, can you Identify 3 stakeholders with different perspectives, and then describe the system from which they are operating?

1. Scientist doing research:  Focus on how different types of fenestras function for different kinds of animals, plants, and insects. The problem they would face might be animal protection during their experiments. Also, their research might pose a risk to ecosystems.
2. Artist doing art projects: Fenestra is treated as a biological pattern under this perspective.
3. Medical investigator: They would focus on potential diseases related to fenestra in human bodies. Their research might pose a risk to people.

Q1: Which system (type of stakeholder) that Easterbrook identified did you find your own understanding of GMOs most aligned with? Why? What are some of the stakes of these stakeholders?

System 8, A system of sustainable agriculture, with long time horizons, is the system I aligned with my understanding of GMOs. As a student with the food safety background and who graduated from an agricultural university, I have studied specific assessments and safety laws for GM foods. In fact, GM foods are subject to systematic and comprehensive safety evaluation before they are marketed. China has established a safety evaluation technology system that is in line with international standards, which includes nutritional and toxicological evaluations in the area of food safety. Therefore, after the safety evaluation of these products, there is no problem in terms of food safety.

As for sustainable agriculture, we rely on excessive inputs of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to achieve high yields in agriculture at present, which actually puts pressure on the environment, and this problem is becoming more and more prominent.In terms of labor demand, rural laborers are gradually moving to the cities and towns, and this contradiction is becoming increasingly prominent. To solve these problems, we need large-scale, mechanized and intensive cultivation, and GM crops can meet such needs. However, GMOs are helping to solve these problems, although I’m not a 100% supporter I think using GMOs to break through bottlenecks that other biological breeding technology occurred is necessary. We still need to evaluate of the effectiveness, the ability to compete for survival, and the evaluation of biodiversity, including plants, animals, and other aspects.

The stakeholders of system 8 might be farmers, government, enterprises and customers.

Q2: Using your own topic for research, can you Identify 3 stakeholders (groups or phenomenon) with different perspectives, and then describe the system (the stakes) from which they are operating?

Stakeholders of Satellites:

1. Users, satellites improve our living system for example safety, remote connections/communication, entertainment, etc.
2. Government, the initial idea of satellites use is for national security system and some military needs.
3. Rocket manufacturer and related services company, operating in a system of business. The system reduces launch costs and ramped-up orbital space tourism.

Q1: Which system (type of stakeholder) that Easterbrook identified did you find your own understanding of GMOs most aligned with? Why? What are some of the stakes of these stakeholders?

My understanding of GMOs is more aligned with the system 2 – A system of research ethics and risk management. I agree with what Howard Silverman mentioned in the video – “Seeing the world through the eyes of another”. System 2 aims to evaluate the input, output, outcome and impact in a relatively comprehensive perspective.

“Does the value of the knowledge gained outweigh any potential risk to participants or others affected by the study?” is a central question in system 2. This also requires stakeholders with different perspectives and standpoint to assess the result and impact.

In this case, 1) the researcher cares about the success of this pilot for a scientific breakthrough; 2) Environmentalists have concerns on GMOs negative impact on ecosystems. 3) the Governments of countries in which people are suffering from hunger hope that GMOs can help solve the hunger problem.

Q2: Using your own topic for research, can you Identify 3 stakeholders (groups or phenomenon) with different perspectives, and then describe the system (the stakes) from which they are operating?

In my topic – Code of Arms, 3 stakeholders could be:

1.Traditional noble family who owns the Code of Arms: They hope to pass down its code of arms from one generation to another. They care about how to keep the original design while manifesting each generation’s feature. Some of them might also want the privilege of owning the Code of Arms.

2. Family or Individual who wants to design its own Code of Arms: For the families or people don’t have the Code of Arms to inherit from ancestors, they might want to own one. So they will seek the design guidance and the registration procedure.

3.Government/Ministry of Culture: They need to think about how to inherit and advocate it as a culture.

Which system (type of stakeholder) that Easterbrook identified did you find your own understanding of GMOs most aligned with? Why? What are some of the stakes of these stakeholders?

I find myself aligned with the third system, “A system of ecosystems and contaminants that weaken them” the most. The biggest stake in this system is the irreversible future. Ecosystems are complex systems, and in the past, we had already cost a lot of mistakes (non-native species, culls of species regarded as pests, the DDT that killed bald eagles through an unexpected chain of food cycle….etc). I find anyone who feels confident in denying risk like this extremely arrogant and overly-confident, even if it’s coming from a scientist.

Using your own topic for research, can you Identify 3 stakeholders (groups or phenomenon) with different perspectives, and then describe the system (the stakes) from which they are operating? 

Puppets:

1. Animists – This group of people operates in a system of ethics around the treatment of puppets, as in this belief system, all things have spirit and souls.
2. Puppeteers – This group of people operates in a system to advocate the preservation of tradition and business of Puppetry. There might be a lot more different systems within this system as there are a wide range of culturally different practices of puppetry throughout the world
3. Parents and Educators – This group of people is the audience of the puppetry, or more the people who decided whether the children should be exposed to puppetry and learn things through puppetry (e.g. Sesame Street and other storytelling performances using puppets). There might be studies and research done on the use of puppetry and its impact on children’s development, which parents and educators might take into consideration when exposing children to puppetry.