Re: CONFESSIONS

Fred Thompson wrote:
> 
> I am using POISON to kill ants in my kitchen. Because traps failed, I am
> using POISON bait to kill rats in my attic. I have a genetically
> modified Asian Gray Wolf (dog) as a pet. (I admit that mine is not one
> of those "Frankenstein" dogs that I see others walking down my street.)
> I eat only genetically modified foods that have been manipulated
> genetically by mankind for thousands of years. Included in my diet are
> hybrids, disease resistant varieties, and inter specific (diploid)
> crosses. One of my heroes is Luther Burbank, who "played God" for the
> benefit of all mankind. I regularly CLONE perennials by rooting cuttings
> with the help of CHEMICALS. I live in an area where the mix of genotypes
> was extensively altered by the introduction of cattle several hundred
> years ago. I'm afraid that the mountain lions and bears were
> exterminated, so my ecosystem is UNNATURAL (not subject to natural
> perdition). I live in a house in a small city with sinful use of
> petrochemicals, water and sewage systems, electricity, and life
> sustaining services and amenities of all kinds.
> 
> I sin against Nature many time daily. I don't want to stop. Hundreds of
> millions of people benefit from the use of chemicals, genetically
> modified food, and unnatural, manmade environments daily. What can be
> done to save us?

Indeed Fred we live in an "imperfect" world and  we can hardly return to
the natural state unless we go back to roaming naked on the African
plains with just a  sort of rungu (a stick with a nice hefty knob on one
end for donging things on the head and maybe also a pointed end for
digging up roots). One problem is that there are now so many of us I
fear we could only fit on those plains by standing shoulder to shoulder,
which wouldn't leave much room for the food <G>

I live much the same as you, making use of the amenities of civilization
and I must say I enjoy them, particularly the refinements of having a
proper sewage system I was brought up on an African farm with just an
old-fashioned privy)

What I am concerned about is the unbridled, and in my view very largely
unnecesary use of chemicals in the general environment, as there seems
to me good evidence that this is impoverishing life on earth generally
and exposing human beings to quite unnecesary health risks (particularly
a greater possibility of suffering cancer and serious allergies). To
this end I avoid as far as possible chemically-raised produce or raise
my own spray free. The sad part is that there is increasing evidence of
the poor track-record of so much of this chemical use, partly because it
has been abused by being inappropriatly applied or simply overused
largely through pure ignorance, and partly from an imperfect
understanding of natural protection mechanisms. I used to spray
regularly at one time, though always fairly moderately, but after
several years of steadily diminishing chemical use around my property I
am astonished at how few problems my garden now has. This suits me fine,
as I am both lasy and careful with my pennies and find spraying a bore
and sprays mighty expensive.

I have also learnt that the lasy way of caring for my soil with a
no-till regime is apparently infinitely superior to all that digging and
generally bothering the soil.

As to genetical manipulation of our food. I think a considerable
disservice has been done to the public understanding by confusing
genetically-modified and genetically engineered foods. I have no quarrel
at all with the former, which is the sort of plant and animal breeding
you are alluding to, as this has produced many superior crops and stocks
with scarcely any disadvantageous impact on the rest of the environment.
(occasionally a new hybrid may be so vigorous and successful it can set
out to dominate its environment, but that's about all). What I AM
concerned about is that the products of the very new and at present
extremely crude technique of Genetic Engineering are being rapidly
spread into the environment with totally inadequate testing, solely to
make the quickest money possible for the companies developing and
promoting them. (In this opinion I have the backing of some of the
world's leading scientists). 

Already problems for both the environment and human health have begun to
surface from crops and animal products already in the market place,
leading to their rejection by large sections of the public. I for one am
not inclined to risk my health by buying them and am carefully vetting
any products I buy to try and ensure they are from as yet uncontaminated
sources.

I really hope saner methods will soon begin to prevail in civilization
generally. Already a good move has been made in some European countries
to limit the sale of horticultural chemicals to the general public, and
farmers, even if they are not  inclined to try and do without any form
of chemical protection for their crops (as organic growers are already
doing with considerable success), are learning techniques like
integrated pest management, which makes use of environmental
manipulation  and so greatly cuts down on chemical use. 

Perhaps we shall yet be able to remove many of the "occasions of sin"
from our environment and be all the happier and healthier for it.

Moira
-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand. (on the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
Lat. 41:16S Long. 174:58E. Climate: Mediterranean/Temperate
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