The Toxic Consequences of the Green Revolution Sandra Wamsley

What was the Green Revolution? [Click on your answer.] A movement to bring the color green into the world. A movement to make things more environmentally friendly around the world. A movement to produce more food around the world.

The Color Green Not exactly. The movement was to give countries the ability to produce more food locally to be able to feed more people and solve the world hunger problem. It was started in the 1940s in Mexico, and after success there, moved worldwide. Continue

Environmentally Friendly Not exactly. The movement was to give countries the ability to produce more food locally to be able to feed more people and solve the world hunger problem. It was started in the 1940s in Mexico, and after success there, moved worldwide. Continue

Food Right! The movement was to give countries the ability to produce more food locally to be able to feed more people and solve the world hunger problem. It was started in the 1940s in Mexico, and after success there, moved worldwide. Continue

India Four years ago, the Green Revolution made this country able to feed itself using modified seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides. Now, the benefits of the Green Revolution are being weighed down by harmful consequences and chemical pollution.

The Green Revolution in India The Green Revolution gave India the resources to maximize their farming output, but the consequences of these chemical pesticides and fertilizers is polluting drinking water. The polluted drinking water is causing cancer concerns in Punjab. “The earth is now addicted to the use of these chemicals.”

Consequences in Punjab The chemical pollution has caused a rise in cancer as well as renal failure, stillborn babies, and birth defects. These effects have been attributed to the overuse and misuse of pesticides and herbicides. The problem is that rural farmers don’t know proper usage and disposal techniques.

Attempts at a Solution Organic farmers can sell their organically grown crops at more than twice the price, and get more profit because they don’t need to buy expensive seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. “The Green Revolution has devastated the entire ecosystem of our society.”

Attempts at a Solution Many farmers are trying to switch back to organic farming techniques in an attempt to salvage what’s left. “What are your achieving by feeding people at the cost of their health?”

Check for Understanding What kind of implications is this having for India? What is causing all of these problems in India? What do you think the Punjabi citizens should do?

Sources Pepper, D. (2008, July 7). The toxic consequences of the green revolution. US News Politics, Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2008/ 07/07/the-toxic-consequences-of-the-green- revolution Briney, A. (2010, May 5). History and overview of the green revolution. About.com Geography, Retrieved from http://geography.about.com/od/globalproblem sandissues/a/greenrevolution.htm