Purpose Statement: Thesis Statement:

To inform my audience about the dangers of GMOs Today GMOs are a large part of the American diet and most Americans

dont know it, therefore it is important for us educate ourselves and others on the food we eat and feed to our families. I. Introduction: A. Attention getter (Definition?) You are what you eat, is an old saying that weve all heard before. However do we really know what were eating? B. Introduce topic Today Im going to be talking you about , GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, their plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses, or other plants and animals. C. Relate to audience, why should they listen Now why should you care about GMOs? Well because Most people in the United States don't realize that they've been eating genetically engineered food since the mid-1990s. More than 60 percent of all processed foods on U.S. supermarket shelves contain ingredients from engineered soybeans, corn, or canola. That includes pizza, cereal, chips, cookies, ice cream, salad dressing, corn syrup, baking powder, canned and frozen foods, sweetened juices, milk, tofu, meat, and baby formula. D. Build credibility (Ive done a lot of research) Ive done a lot of research on GMOs and was surprised myself on how little I knew about the food I was eating on a regular basis.

E. Preview main points: The main dangers of GMOs are there are many unknown long term environmental health risks and there is no enforced GMO labeling. Transition Sentence/signpost: Now that we know what GMOs are, let me share with the first danger of GMOs II. Body: A. Main Point 1 1. Announce main point There are many unknown long term environmental health risks of GMOs. 2. Supporting facts a. Are GMOs safe? Depends on who you ask. b. As far as we know GMOs are safe for humans. However, GMOs have not been adequately tested for their possible long-term environmental impact. Environmental scientists worry that genetically engineered crops are being developed too quickly without adequate testing. c. Latest concerns for GMO impact on the environment include the worldwide 40 to 50 percent decline of honeybees in the past year.

d. GMOs perpetuate the need for larger amounts of pesticides, thus worsening the development and spread of herbicide resistant weeds.

e. There are a lot of concerns with insect evolution. Certain crops may hasten the evolution of insects impervious to the pesticide. Such a breed of insect, by becoming resistant, would rob many farmers of one of their safest, most environmentally friendly tools for fighting the pests. f. Gene flow concerns. Many ecologists believe that the most damaging environmental impact of biotech crops may be gene flow. Could transgenes that confer resistance to insects, disease, or harsh growing conditions give weeds a competitive advantage, allowing them to grow rampantly? g. "Genes flow from crops to weeds all the time when pollen is transported by wind, bees, and other pollinators," says ecologist Allison Snow. "There's no doubt that transgenes will jump from engineered crops into nearby relatives." While this is a low probability event, ecologist say the risk is higher when factoring in the thousands of acres planted with food crops. Transition/signpost Now onto my second main point. B. Main Point 2 1. Announce main point- there is no enforced GMO labeling 2. Supporting facts a. Food corporations are not required to label their products as containing GMOs. Despite polls consistently show that a significant majority of Americans want to know.

b. Many states are considering GMO labeling laws. c. Connecticut and Maine have passed labeling laws, but the rules do not go into effect until other states establish the same requirement. d. The Grocery Manufacturers Association trade food corporation spent $22 million to defeat a law, California Prop 37, requiring labeling of GMOs. e. Big food companies push to label GMOs natural. The government affairs director of the Center for Food Safety said, Theres nothing natural about genetic engineering, by its own definition it is not a natural process. f. Big food companies want to ban labeling efforts. Transition/signpost In conclusion there is still much to learn about GMOs III. Conclusion: A. Review main points There are many unknown risks GMOs pose to our environments and the increasing effort to prevent GMO labeling is very concerning. B. Memorable, creative conclusion remember you are what you eat so how can you really know yourself if you dont even know whats in your grocery basket.

Works Cited Ackerman, J. (n.d.). Food: How altered?. Retrieved from http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/food-howaltered/ Anderson, K., Pohl Nielson, C., Robinson, S., & Thierfelder, K. (2010, February 02). Estimating the global economic effects of gmos. Retrieved from http://heartland.org/policydocuments/estimating-global-economic-effects-gmos Chan, C. (n.d.). 'frankenfood': There is no escape. Retrieved from http://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/2013/10/p-frankenfood-there-is-no-escape Cordeiro, B. (2013, August). Do gmos cause cancer?. Retrieved from http://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/issues/2013august/gmoscancer.html Kennedy, B. (2012, August 23). California gmo food labeling vote could shift u.s. food supply. Retrieved from http://www.environment.ucla.edu/news/article.asp?parentid=15535 Main, E. (2013, November 18). Big food wants feds to ban gmo labeling. Retrieved from http://www.cornucopia.org/2013/11/big-food-wants-feds-ban-gmo-labeling/ Upton, J. (2013, December 20). Big food companies want to call gmo foods "natural". Retrieved from http://grist.org/big-food-companies-want-to-call-gmo-foods-natural/