The word Euthanasia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

The word Euthanasia - Essay Example Encyclopedia Concise Britannica (2004 Edition) archived facts that euthanasia is painless killing of a person who has a painful, incurable disease or incapacitating disorder. Most legal systems consider it murder, though in many jurisdictions a physician may lawfully decide not to prolong the patient's life or may give drugs to relieve pain even if they shorten the patient's life. Associations promoting legal euthanasia exist in many countries. The legalization movement has gained ground with advancing medical technology, which has been used to prolong the lives of patients who are enduring extreme suffering or who are comatose or unable to communicate their wishes. Euthanasia was legalized in The Netherlands in 2001 and in Belgium in 2002. In 1997 Oregon became the first state in the United States of America to decriminalize physician-assisted suicide. Euthanasia, derived from Greek for "good death," refers to the termination of the life of a person suffering from a painful and incurable medical condition. It is also widely known as "mercy killing,". According to Doudera, A. Edward, and J. Douglas Peters, (eds. Legal and Ethical Aspects of Treating Critically and Terminally Ill Patients) Euthanasia is distinguished from suicide by the necessary participation of a third party, typically either a physician or family member. Twenty-first-century disputes over euthanasia are often seen as a by product of advances in biomedical technology capable of prolonging a person's life indefinitely. Indeed, the moral and legal aspects of euthanasia are extremely complicated, as experts distinguish between active and passive euthanasia as well as voluntary and involuntary euthanasia. Additional issues include the definition of a "terminal" illness and whether pain, an intractable disease, or both, are required to make the practice morally accepta ble. Such complexity has led to a variety of legal positions worldwide. The United States officially forbids euthanasia, while some European countries, such as Switzerland, Germany, Poland, and Norway, are more lenient allowing for a variety of mitigating circumstances and reduced criminal penalties. In 1993 the Netherlands passed a law prescribing guidelines for medically assisted suicide; Uruguay has exempted mercy killing from criminal prosecution since 1933. MERCY KILLING: THE ORIGIN & ITS CRITICAL ANALYSIS Mercy killing, (Humphry, Derek. Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying. Eugene, Ore.: Hemlock Society, 1991, Re ed 2006) practiced since time immemorial, has been debated throughout history. Ancient Greek, Indian, and Asian texts describe infanticide as an acceptable solution for children physically unsuited for or incapable of living. In Plato's Phaedo, when Socrates drinks hemlock, a poison, he maintains his dignity in death, an action immortalized in the modern pro-euthanasia organization, the Hemlock Society. While many other Greeks, including Aristotle and the Stoics, sanctioned

Green biotechnology, government policies, taxes, barriers and all that Essay

Green biotechnology, government policies, taxes, barriers and all that include government policies for green biotech. deadline 2 - Essay Example Regulation of Green Biotech The potential for human health risks and environmental damage has necessitated the need for the government to monitor and regulate the release of genetically modified (GM) organism in the environment and commercialization of GM food products. The Brazil government uses the precautionary principle in the regulation of biotechnology products. This is with respect to the environmental safety and consumer health. The precautionary principle is used when there is a threat of severe damage to human health or the environment. Innovation in agriculture biotechnology depends on the strength of intellectual property rights. The World Intellectual Property Organization manages and protects international intellectual property and ensures countries commitment to fight biotech piracy. Governments have established transparent judicial mechanism to enable firms to complain about intellectual property violation, and provide resources to the enforcement of property rights ( Gaisford and William 61-69). In U.S, the efficacy and the safety of an agricultural product should be demonstrated to regulatory agencies before it is commercialized. The agencies also conduct a risk assessment to ensure safety of GMOs in laboratories or green house (Joyia 20-21) Barriers to green biotechnology The lack of appropriate technology is a great obstacle in the attempt to apply biotechnology to benefit the developing countries. This is brought about by technologies being developed in advanced nations and take time to diffuse to developing countries. Another problem is the issue of intellectual property rights. Companies in advanced nations own most of the patents for green biotech. These companies have to be adequately compensated in order to allow access to their invention. Other obstacles to green biotech include the lack of marketing mechanism, poverty and disparities between nations, local and regional politics, biosafety issues, limited infrastructure for exploiting biotechnology, and the biotech debate waged in potential donor countries (Acquaah 460). Ways in which Green biotech can be best traded? Most developing countries can adopt transgenic crops to increase food production in the market and bring in more money to the farmer. Green biotechnology may not be the ultimate solution to hunger and malnutrition, but it can bring about increased, environmental friendly, sustainable and economically profitable agricultural growth. Most developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, for example, have high hopes of producing high yields of transgenic crops to reduce threats of food security. Food insecurity is brought about by drought, insect pest infestation, viral and fungal diseases that result into severe crop loss. The potentiality of agricultural biotechnology in Sub-Saharan countries lies in producing hard crops to withstand the various natural risks. The sub- Saharan biodiversity resource provides possibilities for developing new genetic traits. These traits can be used in transgenic crops through regulatory processes and well- funded innovative research to create environmentally friendly and new varieties that are harder than existing varieties. Cases of scientific success in developing countries show that green biotech can change the local economy and reduce food security concerns. The famous example of technology beneficial impact on agricultural production is the green revolution. In Kenya, scientists have developed