http://i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=15001
Good article, even if it is a little presumptuous that we should be turned-off by all the different incarnations of “meat by-product”. If you look at it objectively, you’ll admire the lack of waste enjoyed by the food “manufacturing” industry. Really, the only ones we have to blame for the scarcity of so-called “real food” is ourselves. We’ve continued to reproduce to the point where we’ve been successively staying ahead of the food production curve, to the end that we constantly find our favorite foods in short supply (and therefore overpriced).
Of coarse all this growth is good for business, so I would suppose that our corporate masters have had a hand in excellerating this growth trend. Oh, I know, there are those butt-heads out there that would point out that the US is actually shrinking. Unfortunately the “every family producing 1.5 children on average” statistic, is nothing but an old wives tale. The fact is, the only thing that is occurring, is that our RATE of growth is slowing. We are still growing far too fast. Just look at Europe. If Europe had shared our wanton urge to produce offspring than there wouldn’t be a single undeveloped patch of land in the whole sub-continent.
In any case, this is what some of us HAVE to eat. And more of us will HAVE to eat it as time wears on. And as time wears on some of us will HAVE to eat worse things.
And no amount of conservation will reverse the trend. No amount of forest, ocean, water, wildlife, marinelife, grain, or any other conservation will reverse the trend. Even if they turn to culturing the meat itself in huge vats, or if we turn to eating kelp or algae, this too will be futile. When every man on this planet gets only one gallon of water to use a day, our numbers will still grow to the point where that gallon is required for two men, and so on, until there simply isn’t enough water anymore. Conservation is only a way of slowing down the inevitable. Eventually it will come down to population control.
Another frightening thing about the failure of conservation is that scarcity of something relates directly to that item’s inherent value. Many of these resources that we hear about being wasted, our forests, our clean water, our land, our petroleum; Many of these things are being wasted or destroyed on purpose, and for the express reason of driving up the value of these things. It sounds oxymoronic, I know, but it is a time tested business practice.
For instance: I own huge number of petrol wells. Petrol is relatively plentiful. Because of this, the price I have to sell it at is pretty low. Now if I decide to do something to destroy the petrol of my competitors, or in the very least prevent them from pumping it; there is suddenly less petrol available for purchase, therefor causing the value to climb significantly. Now I can sell MY petrol for a higher price.
It’s evil. But these are the kinds of decisions men can make when they are a part of a group, and do not feel individually accountable for their participation. The guilt is diffused. And specifically, the groups I’m referring to are boards of directors for large corporations.
SARACANITE 