Systems thinking and Genetically Modified food
Systems thinking and Genetically Modified food
- 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 2, a system of research ethics and risk management most closely fits my understanding of GMOs, or rather the naive hope that all science operates from a system where essentially benefits of conducting a study outweigh any potential costs of the study. I think I identify most with this system, in an ideal world, this would be the system that takes into account a wide variety of stakeholders. For example, one would hope that in this Rothamsted GMO study, the risk assessment would consider all of the differing systems that Easterbrook identifies. I suppose potentially they did take them all into account, and decided it was worth the risk, but to Easterbrook’s observation, “The knowledge gain from this one trial is too small to justify creating this level of societal conflict”.To sum up the idea of the Principle of Complementarity, I understand this to mean that multiple things can be true at once. I appreciate system 2, because in theory, it takes that principle to heart and tries to come up with a diplomatic answer to a difficult question, and to take several different view points into account. However, I’d imagine that like most systems, this doesn’t operate without influences from other systems. So, in practice I can imagine that the idealist perspective I’m reflected on this system as being equitable and logical, is probably often skewed by influences from other systems – in this case I’m specifically thinking about capitalism.
- 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?
1) A system of scientific research: By studying how colonial organisms came to be, science can gain a deeper understanding about evolution, different life types, and even the ocean ecosystem. This system would likely view the knowledge as worth the cost of causes damage to a small amount of these organisms.
2) A system concerned with environmental preservation: In a similar vein as the article, there is a conflict between scientific inquiry, and preservation of the thing itself. For example with coral reefs, the process by which scientists gather specimens to study often irreparably destroy the organisms themselves.
3)A system that is focused on tourism, and possibly education: This system may include aquariums that house colonial organisms, or companies that host tours of coral reefs with hopes of educating visitors, and making money.