Bananza!

            I found Lalita’s articles on GMOs (genetically modified organisms) to be pretty fascinating. But one in particular struck me more than the others- it is an issue that could end up affecting me in the future. When I think about food sustainability problems in other countries, like golden rice grown in Africa to feed millions of people, I don’t quite feel a personal connection to it since that is a food I rarely encounter. But when I hear that my favorite fruit could soon disappear from grocery stores, it hits home. “We Have No Bananas” is a piece that begins with the history of this delicious fruit.
            I never realized that only one type of banana is sold at most stores. Think about apples: there’s Honey Crisp, Fuji, Red Delicious, Granny Smith, etc. And pears: Green, Red, Asian, White. It never even occurred to me that different types of bananas existed, let alone thousands of them! According to this article, a variety of bananas called Cavendish, which was discovered in southern China in the nineteenth-century, represent ninety-nine percent of all banana exports because of their high yield, thick skin, and large bunches.
          In America, we get almost all of our bananas imported from Latin America. But why not China? Isn’t that where the bananas originally came from? As it turns out, Cavendish bananas are too good to be true. They have been completely wiped out across Asia due to a pestilence called Tropical Race Four (a soil-borne fungus). What scares me the most about this article is that scientists believe this destructive fungus will soon find its way to Central America. What would this mean? Potentially, no more bananas.
           Most babies are fed off of bananas as one of the first foods they are introduced to because they are soft and comforting. Bananas have been a part of my life ever since I can remember. They are nutritious, delicious, and can be baked into dozens of recipes (chocolate chip banana bread anyone??). And this piece reminded me of that. It has a way of drawing the reader in with a compelling story that most Americans would be affected by. It gets people thinking: what can be done to protect these fruits?
          This is where the article relates back to GMOs. Scientists are in the process of developing genetically modified Cavendish bananas that are resistant to Tropical Race Four. If they are successful, then the banana crisis would be over! Or would it…What if these new bananas don’t taste the same as the natural Cavendish. Or what if they cause health risks to humans (digestive problems, cancer). These are the kinds of problems that have arisen over GMOs in the past, and are likely to arise again. So in my mind, the real problem goes way beyond bananas. It goes beyond fruits and vegetables, even beyond food itself. The real questions: What happens when we mess with nature? Is it really possible to eradicate all the obstacles that surround the global resources (like food) needed for human existence? If so, then how?

I'll Never Forget That One!

What kinds of “real world” stories stand out most to us? This is ironically one of those questions that’s been pestering me for a long time. Seriously, why do we care? Whenever I hear a story like “the child with two heads” or “the man who climbed Mount Everest,” I get really intrigued. But then I wonder why. My theory (and I can probably speak for many people) is that the stories or events that people just can’t get out of their minds are the ones that are simply rare. How often do we hear about a fifteen year old graduating college? Almost never! Most college students are somewhere around twenty years old- nowhere near as young as fifteen. And that’s why it’s so fascinating.

            The average, mundane stories are easily forgotten. “Do you remember that one time when you saw a red car on the way to school?” Uh…not likely. Why? Because on any given day, I probably see ten to fifteen red cars. They’re everywhere. Now, if the scenario were to be changed to, “remember that one time when you saw a giant red piano in the street on the way to school?” then the chances of it standing out to people are much more probable because that just doesn’t usually happen.

            The stories that stand out also depend on the person they’re being told to. It’s people’s different experiences with life that also determine a story’s “wow factor.” The story about seeing the red car, for instance, would probably seem unbelievable to someone living in a developing country where they rarely see cars. But in a city like Chicago, you can’t walk two blocks without dodging fast-moving vehicles.

            A story is what people make of it. If it seems too good to be true, or just plain rare, chances are that it will draw a lot of attention.