While teaching a basic lesson about genetics to one of my 7th grade students, I wondered why they didn’t introduce genetic engineering into the topic.  Genetic engineering affects most of life on the planet today.  Our oceans are polluted with glyphosate river runoff, our prairies/soil are being dangerously harmed, and  neighboring citizens exposed to the air where glyphosate spraying occurs, develop strange illnesses.  Cells are complex “cities” so to speak.  Each one runs itself with its many organelles each with a specific task.  Cell function is becoming disrupted by toxins permeating them.  A news article last week predicted that about one in 300 children from birth to 20 will get cancer.  Text books should teach about GMOs and the havoc they are bringing to our planet.  Sadly, I don’t believe this will happen.  If the text-book writers did introduce genetic engineering, it would be with a twisted lie about how they are helping to feed the world and produce more food.  In fact, studies have shown that intrinsic yields with genetically engineered seeds are not higher than regular seeds.  Back in about 1996, when GMOs were first being introduced to the world, I watched a documentary about using GMOs to feed the world and the struggle with ethics.  The problem was, “Is it ethical to alter the food in order to feed the world?”  The pervading problem was that they said they could supply more food, but it would be less nutritive.  By the end of the program, the solution was that it would be better to fill peoples’ stomachs with less nutritive food.  My solution is to teach everyone to become a sustainable farmer and grow their own food in some form or to support farmers that don’t use GMOs.