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Re: The Limits To Growth
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Subject: Re: The Limits To Growth
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From: Max Jacobs <mjacobs@bionomics.org>
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Date: Fri, 22 Nov 1996 20:15:48 -0800
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Article: 16563 of alt.sustainable.agriculture
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Newsgroups: alt.agriculture.misc, alt.org.earth-first, alt.politics.economics, alt.politics.greens, alt.save.the.earth, alt.sustainable.agriculture, sci.agriculture, sci.econ, sci.energy, sci.environment, talk.environment, tor.general
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Organization: The Bionomics Institute
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References: <574h3l$b6h@cybernews.cyberus.ca> <AEBB37A7-5002F@128.112.44.101>
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Reply-To: mjacobs@bionomics.org
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Xref: newz.oit.unc.edu alt.agriculture.misc:6591 alt.org.earth-first:7003 alt.politics.economics:93657 alt.politics.greens:24064 alt.save.the.earth:26490 alt.sustainable.agriculture:16563 sci.agriculture:16346 sci.econ:61020 sci.energy:59068 sci.environment:113034 talk.environment:78746
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> Ken Purchase wrote,
>
> >I have to say that I agree with the theory that there isn't enough food,
> at
> >least not enough quality food to keep up with population growth. Sure we
> do
> >have hydroponics and we also have new chemicals and pesticides that make
> >things grow bigger, faster and with less interference, and we also have
> cancer
> >rates which are increasing as a result.
>
Actually, in hydrophonics there isnt as much a need for pesticides
because there arent as many bugs inside as there are outside (other than
cockroaches, and they arent known to attack crops, just kitchens). The
only artificial ingredient in hydroponics is light. They just douse
their seeds with lots of artificial light and continously clone the
crops (that is at least how one English hydroponic factory does it). So
hydroponic crops are actually going to be better for you than most
normal crops and due to the risky nature of organically grown food
(risky in the way that bugs could destroy them) hydroponics would be a
great way to feed the world.
Now for the cancer question. Elizabeth Whelan of the American Council
of Science flatly states in her book "Toxic Terror" "there has never
been a documented case of human illness or death in the US as the result
of the standard and accepted use of pesticides." This finding has been
backed up by the American Medical Association. And do you realize that
cancer rates have been falling over the last forty years? Stomach
cancer has dropped 75% and rectal (ouch) cancer has dropped 65%. So its
not like we are killing ourselves, we are actually living healthier
fuller lives now.
Now for the final issue, food shortage. Where do you get the idea that
there isnt enough food in the world or that it isnt keeping up with
population growth. It is a fact that food production has gone up 40%
faster than population growth since 1950. The only reason that there is
a danger to the poor countries in the world in regard to food is because
they have poor infrastructure and/or a civil war. Even in Russia (part
of the 2nd world) there are very few paved roads outside of of cities
which makes it hard to deliver the food. And in places like Somalia, it
is very hard to deliver food when a) there are few roads and b) you have
to worry about getting killed by a roving gang. That is why you see
hungry people in developing countries, not because there is any kind of
a food shortage.
Max
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