We hear a lot about the benefits of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and how they will improve our lives. We hear less about the consequences for the greater environment, and the long-term viability of solutions involving GMOs. A prime example is a Newsweek article by Lee Silver entitled "Why GM is Good For Us."

Silver begins by writing, "Farm-raised pigs are dirty, smelly animals that get no respect. They're also an environmental hazard." He explains that pig manure contains phosphorus that runs off into lakes when it rains, killing fish and promoting algae. His suggestion is to genetically modify the pig's DNA to reduce the phosphorus levels of its manure.

In reality, it is not pigs that are a hazard. The hazard is man's practice of keeping more pigs on a plot of land than it can sustain.

Not only has Silver failed to identify the real problem, but his proposed solution is also short-sighted. Such a genetic modification would only be a temporary fix, because other environmental problems would inevitably arise on that same overcrowded plot of land. Further genetic modifications would be necessary -- which might provide job security for Silver and his biotech colleagues -- but how much must the poor pig endure, when the real problem is unsustainable farming practices?

Silver's approach attempts to solve one isolated problem without considering the side effects or long-term consequences for the greater environment. It also demonstrates a certain scientific arrogance that ignores the complexity of nature, which has fine-tuned the relationships between organisms over billions of years of evolution. This mind-set believes that genetic engineering, a science that is now all of a few decades old, has somehow amassed the knowledge required to "improve" upon nature.

I have a thoroughly unscientific proposal: What about considering that polluted rivers and lakes may be a sign that mankind is acting in a way that is unhealthy for the planet? How about appreciating the complexity of nature, learning from it, and trying to live in harmony with it, rather than trying to shape it according to our whims with endless genetic tweaking?