The environment is something that is very extremely fragile and unique. It is because of this that it is important that the environment be cared for. Damage that is done to the environment cannot be easily repaired. Plants are huge contributing factors in the environment because they are a source of food to all species. Recently, there has been a serious amount of tampering in our food source called GMO's (Genetically Modified Organisms). There is heavy debate about the safety and ethics surrounding the use of genetically modified organisms, and both sides are quite heated. .
So what exactly are Genetically Modified Organisms? GMO's are plants or animals that have been genetically altered with the DNA from bacteria, viruses, chemicals and other plants and animals. The purpose of this process is to make the animal or plant immune to herbicide or produce insecticide and grow faster for more profit (The NonGMO Project). A perfect example of a GMO food is the Hawaiian Papaya, which was created to solve the issue of the ring spot virus. The ring spot virus was killing the plant and sickening those who ate the fruits. The way the scientist made the papaya into a GMO was by taking a DNA extract from the ring spot virus and adding it to a papaya seed, essentially making the deadly virus now part of the plant and fruit (Hawaii Seed).
Changes in plants that have been genetically altered have the potential to pose a major threat to the environment and the ecosystem as a whole. The rate at which GMOs are produced and consumed continue to increase, and while this is happening, a large number of the population is essentially being used as test subjects for what long-term effects that GMO's may have, since foods being altered genetically is a fairly recent technology. A recent study showed that 93% of US soybeans have been genetically altered in order to make them immune to weed-killers which were actually killing the soybeans at the same time.