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Re: Re: War, Death, Pestilence, Famine and Hangnails.
by Anonymous-Coward on Jul 16, 2002 - 12:34 AM
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I wasn't trying to suggest that you did not look into these things, Bettie. My comments about checking the data underlying the conclusions was a blanket observation. One of the big problems with living in the "Information Age" is that there is no way to check the veracity of all of it (particularly on the net). Anyone, given a few spare minutes, can find "evidence" to support anything they like if they are selective enough. That's why I endorse the scientific method. I only wish more scientists did the same.
I could not agree with you more about minimising our environmental impact, or at least going about our agriculture in more sensible and efficient ways. Unfortunately, the problem as I see it is not that there is too much livestock (there is, but cows and pigs actually produce negligible amounts of greenhouse gases, especially compared to the factory down the street that is "processing" them), rather, there are too many people. Six and a half billion and counting. Numbers don't seem to impress anyone, so I will not go on and on about what a STAGGERINGLY HUGE population that is, but I will snort in disgust at how human beings seem to think that their "biological imperative" to churn out more and more wastes of skin outweighs the rights of every other living thing in the Universe.
Also, I can and will argue the cause of milk (human, bovine, or what-have-you). You can apply the argument that you made to the consumption of just about anything. Grains don't produce seeds with your consumption in mind... they are minding their own business trying to reproduce themselves. The seeds, leaves, fruit, et cetera that they make is specifically produced BY PLANTS, TO MAKE MORE PLANTS. The reductio ad absurdum of this line of reasoning would indicate that we should be cannibals (or eat human by-products) if we are to eat at all. I agree that mother's milk is best for infants, but to vilify milk for anyone after they are weaned does border on over-reaction until the results come back from the lab. Incidentally, I was bottle-fed myself and never touched a breast until I was nineteen years old, so it is possible that my perception of the situation is affected in some way by all of that.
Still, overall, I think we are on the same page about things (or at least reading the same book). I might quibble over the occasional point, but I do agree wholeheartedly with the majority of what you have presented.
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Re: Re: War, Death, Pestilence, Famine and Hangnails.
by Monolycus on Jul 16, 2002 - 12:37 AM
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And, GOD DAMN IT! I was logged in when I wrote the above. This is really starting to piss me off! I am, I was, I will be,
one irritable,
~Monolycus.
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