On Wed, 22 Dec 1999, Dave Miller wrote:
> Jim Sealy Jr wrote:
> >
> > Either way we're planting soybeans and corn come spring
> > because people have to eat and it's simply not possible to fill the
> > volume needed with pure organic. We'd have to plow under the world.
> > Which prairies, and forests do you want cleared and planted if we give
> > up chemicals and GE?
Interesting ploy by agribusiness, all those people to feed or hold hostage
over their daily bread. Before during and after WW2 US citizens were more
independent amd self-sufficient. So many grew their own food then and
could still, on urban lots of large farms. Why have so many in this
country lost sight of this valuable option that they have ready access to?
A little knowledge of permaculture and organic agriculture makes it easy.
> Jim, I might be way off base here but last I checked, provisions to feed
> the world are not the problem, food distribution and politics are. We
> have the land space to feed the world only most of it goes toward
> feeding cattle, a serious mismanagement of said land use. Without the
> cattle (used for meat and milk) we could use the grains to feed billions
> and ALL without a genetic engineering need.
>
> As yet, I await a rational arguement that defines the reasons for
> harvesting grains and taxing our water supply (not to mention excess
> methane and runoff from animal waste) all for the purpose of feeding
> animals for slaughter.
>
> Fish farming in the aquaponic sense seems a much saner route. Anything
> that is a fairly closed loop works for me.
>
> While I choose to generally avoid animal products/derivitives I do
> understand that the world needs to eat AND that not all folks feel as I
> do.
>
> When you ask me to believe that we must "plow under the world" I sense
> that we either have a population explosion in which case I state that we
> must be prepared to die like all other species on the planet, or modify
> our reproduction mechanisms or at least temper our diet.
>
> I find the latter the easiest though birth control is also possible
> short of pissing off some religious beliefs.
>
> I respect and expect the opinions of those who can convince me
> otherwise.
>
> Recycler Dave
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