Forum
Human Cloning Foundation Hails British Scientists
Paralyzed
Walk Again
Childless Couples
Essays
The Benefits of
Human Cloning
All the Reasons to
Clone Human Beings
The Top Ten Myths
about Human Cloning
Human Cloning is the Cure for Infertility
Infertility is
a Disease
Books
People
Reports
Archives
Feedback
Donate
Links
Website Links
About Us
Contact Us
Site history
Site Map
Past Books of the Month
John Kunich's Books
Copyright
Illegal Beings: Human Clones
Feeding Prejudice
libfemme ( 10/10/2003, 05:06:26 )In 1968 Paul Erlich wrote in his book The Population Bomb that countries like india would never be able to feed themselves. Did that turn out to be true?A mere 6 years later, India was self-sufficient in cereal production. It even became a food-exporter in the 1980s.So how could Erlich have missed what was going on so badly?The Guardian said: "Worldwide mass starvation was averted because pioneering plant breeders such as Norman Borlaug developed new, high-yielding varieties of maize, wheat and rice. As the new varieties were planted, first in Mexico and then throughout the world, harvests soared. The green revolution, as it came to be known, saved millions from starvation. Though it didn't involve gene cloning, the green revolution still wasn't "green" in the modern sense. High yields demanded artificial fertiliser, chemical pesticides and new soil technology. But where would all the extra food have come from without these inputs? Organic farming has fed people for centuries but it hasn't the capacity to feed the world's burgeoning population. If all our organic waste were somehow diverted into spreading over our fields, it wouldn't be sufficient to fertilise half our current world cereal crop. Bulls*** may be unlimited in the GM debate, but on the ground, supplies are much more limited. The advances of the green revolution didn't come about overnight. They were the end result of decades of small advances by earlier generations of biochemists, soil biologists, geneticists and plant breeders. While Borlaug and his colleagues fought with (and against) nature to make more food, the western liberal movement had other priorities. Students marched to oppose apartheid, ban the bomb and throw the Americans out of Vietnam. No one worried about cloning - except scientists, who voluntarily gave up the technology until the safety issues had been dealt with. Why has cloning replaced bombs, wars and racism as an object of hatred? Has cloning destroyed cities or blighted the lives of millions? The answer, of course, is no. But it is owned by multinationals. This seems to be its biggest sin. Forget the fact that nearly all the food we eat in the west has been grown and distributed by big business. GM food is different because... well, it's not natural. But then hardly any of the food we eat is natural. It's all the result of centuries of genetic tinkering. Natural wheat is a weedy grass. A natural field is a meadow. The genome sequencing projects have shown how nature has been messing around with our genes for billions of years. And natural isn't always good. Salmonella is natural. So are botulism, cholera and typhoid. Nature doesn't serve humanity. The natural world is a vastly complex web of competing interests with no allegiance to any species or philosophy. Thirty years ago, cloning was science's brightest star. I thought it would save the world. In the end it wasn't needed - Borlaug and his colleagues applied technology that had been developed decades earlier. The world has moved on. Fewer starve but many still go hungry. In 20 years there will be 150m malnourished children in the world. Where will the science come from to prevent their suffering? "
This Message is being posted for educational purposes, as well as for comment and criticism, by the visitors to the HumanCloning.org Foundation website (www.HumanCloning.org ).
Disclaimer: Information provided on this web site is for educatonal purposes only. It is not a substitute for, nor can it replace advice from your own physician.
HumanCloning.org™ Established December 11, 2002.
Who's Afraid of Human Cloning?
Disease Prevention and Treatment