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[Food Inc] Monsanto: Evil corporation, or the Evilest corporation?
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Edit: Fuck you Thanatos.
I just think it's funny that you guys made Agent Orange back in the day, that's mostly where my thread title came from.
Also, you have to admit the genetic patenting of seeds is bullshit when it comes to how agriculture works. You can't prevent seed cross-contamination. Farmers who don't buy your seeds still end up producing them whether they like it or not, and now they can't legally use or sell them.
I rather suspect - especially given the NYTimes article above - that while Monsanto is indeed pulling a lot of patent law bullshit, it has much less to do with agricultural devastation than corn-related policies.
For which three hypotheses have been posted, actually: Iowa caucuses, regulatory capture, and Nixon-era mistakes.
So... which one? (or: which one has most effect?)
Isn't the analysis Zakkiel posted based on a global diet, not just American? I mean, American dietary distortion obviously plays a part, but have American corn subsidies distorted world dietary patterns too? O_o
Welcome to politics my friend. Nothing changes till the shit has already hit the fan.
Azulan Saul Tigh
The extra land is mostly required to produce cereals, not meat. Although Americans eat a tremendous amount of meat, most of the world does not. The extrapolation assumes global dietary habits remain constant. Unless you plan to put everyone on the diet of a twelfth-century Chinese peasant (far worse nutritionally than even our present much-decried eating habits) you are going to have to wipe out most of the terrestrial ecosystem to create the organic utopia.
EDIT: Beat'd by Ronya.
Meaning there's no solution. For every American who starts eating organic there is at least one Indian or Chinese person who switches to a meat based diet.
Seems like this issue is the core of how Malthus works in the modern world. We already have too many people to feed ourselves in a sustainable way.
I know that cynicism regarding this issue can be seen as trolling, but there's a two hundred year tradition of cynicism over this subject. At this time Humanity is genetically and culturally hardwired to reproduce as much as possible. The only way we can prevent people from dying is by steadily increasing the amount of food. Over the past thirty years the solution has been chemical fertilizers, industrial farming, monocultures and the like.
I know that it's easy to blame the corporations for screwing us over, but they've actually been helping the world by pushing the corn price down through the advancements in fertilizer and the like. Megafarms didn't organize the spike in the price of staples that occurred in 2007; they're not that smart. It is simply impossible at this point to feed ten billion people with today's technology. Perhaps genetically modified food will save us, but otherwise we can't feed them.
The only solution is to simply eat less meat, due to the inefficiency of the market. But meat itself is another instance of cultural hardwiring. People in the western world eat a meat based diet. It's considered a luxury, and as such many in the developing world are switching over to a meat based diet. If China or India clamp down on meat consumption people will wonder why the western world is allowed to meat; if any government in the west tries to clamp down on meat consumption they would be thrown out on their rears in seconds. Food will simply follow the curves of supply and demand until we reach an equilibrium point. The people who can't afford the equilibrium price die. If our current practices result in a reduction of available farmland, supply is reduced and more people die. The cultural and genetic forces pushing humanity in this direction are too strong to be resisted. We're fucked.
Malthus' work is also the main reason that economics is known today as the dismal scientists, fyi.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlUsiKfeDfo&eurl=http://areasofmyexpertise.blogspot.com/
http://www.ugo.com/movies/babylon-ad-video-gallery/?cur=vin-diesel-dungeons-and-dragons&morepics=1
Of course they wouldn't all go out of work. Corn prices woudl simply rise until farmers could make a living selling corn again. Only there would be fewer of them, and alot of people wouldn't be able to afford it (IE Ronya's point).
I guess in the end what would happen is that the US would feel bad and start buying corn off the market to feed the starving. Demand would rise, the farmers would all go back to work, and we'd have the same situation again. I suppose that this is the best case scenario, seeing as it would prevent starvation and all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlUsiKfeDfo&eurl=http://areasofmyexpertise.blogspot.com/
http://www.ugo.com/movies/babylon-ad-video-gallery/?cur=vin-diesel-dungeons-and-dragons&morepics=1
I hear you can do that.
Food Inc also addresses the unique, traditional American concept of the farmer. We still envision these farming families plowing and tilling and selling their goods, when in fact, the majority of "farming" is owned by like three gigantic agricorporations.
Most of whom readily shit on individual farmers, because they can. Farmers can't afford to lose their business, so they get to extort the farmers to do whatever they want them to do.
A lot of the ethical consequences of the current way the business work doesn't have anything to do with the idea of producing enough food to feed people, so I don't know why that keeps getting brought up. A lot of it has to do with forcing these companies to work in an ethical manner. They need to clean up their operations and not function like Microsoft did in the 90's.
"You Guys."
I wasn't even born when they made it 40 odd years ago, so I don't entirely see how that's relevant. I don't work in GMO development. I won't defend the patenting of seeds or anything like that, it isn't even close to my department.
There's a guy who sounds exactly like you who I work with. Did 2 years in the peace corp, grows his own food, brews his own beer/wine, rants and raves about the plight of the small farmer. Yet, works at Monsanto and generally does absolutely nothing but blather via his Facebook.
Eh, this is what worries me. It really just like the economic crisis. Even though it's clear we're in an unsustainable bubble, nobody in charge wants to do much.
Except if the current agricultural model collapses, I anticipate a lot of people getting sick or starving.
I can't wait till we pollute the oceans so much the dead zones become huge and start fighting for supremacy with the plastic-sub-continents.
Then we're REALLY fucked.
I think the overpopulation problem is exaggerated for the most part. Population growth in most 1st world countries is leveling off or declining. It's actually a big problem for much of Europe and Japan as their populations are aging too fast with not enough young people to work/pay taxes. In the developing world, China is often mentioned but their one child per couple rule has curbed the growth to near 1st world levels. Places like Sub-Saharan African countries will need a much better economic infrastructure to actually sustain their high population growth.
WW3: Allies vs. the Axis of Plastic.
Oh i am with you in that its mostly exaggerated. But whenever i hear someone talking about sustainability i always hear alot about limiting our eneergy use, using public transport, eating less meat ect. All of those are great ideas by the way. However if we reduce the population, wouldnt that mean we could live more sustainably while being able to drive, or have a hot shower or a hunk of rare beef? I mean whats better - more people living efficently but crowded and on a vegan diet, or less people living better eating some red meat with a car and a house with a bit of land to walk around on?
If a recent article on BBC.com is to believed, 1/6 of the world's population is already starving.
Even if nothing is done to prevent a massive collapse of the food industry, and even if even more people starve than already are, at least the people of future generations might learn from the mistakes of the past.
I think you misunderstood my tone. When I said "funny" I meant literally funny in the context of the film. Food Inc. only refers to Monsanto in a segment where it discusses specifically the genetic patenting, but then throws in the fact that Monsanto also made Agent Orange to make them sound much more evil. My thread title is basically a joke about that.
And in case you don't know, I'm a lot like Thanatos. I eat meat, and am definitely not a radical or a hippie. The film has made me look more into what I buy, though. And I'm now seeking out more locally produced stuff (which isn't too hard where I am).
Would it make a profit? Is the midwest good for those other crops?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlUsiKfeDfo&eurl=http://areasofmyexpertise.blogspot.com/
http://www.ugo.com/movies/babylon-ad-video-gallery/?cur=vin-diesel-dungeons-and-dragons&morepics=1
If they can't make a profit with other food, then they'll need subsidies. Essentially you're suggesting tthat the government spreads the subsidies around. That might work in weakening the monoculture, but it would be extraordinarily complicated in switching that out. Plus there would be the cries of 'socialism!' and 'the gub'ment shouldn't be telling me what to eat!' which are ridiculous but does make the plan politically impractical.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlUsiKfeDfo&eurl=http://areasofmyexpertise.blogspot.com/
http://www.ugo.com/movies/babylon-ad-video-gallery/?cur=vin-diesel-dungeons-and-dragons&morepics=1
Population reduction takes time and partly relies on government action.
Lifestyle choices take less time. They are something you can do right now.
And they don't have to be extreme.
It's not necessary to live like a hippie on commune. It doesn't have to be about some abstract moral imperative. Some bike to work because they like the exercise or like the sights and sounds along the way. Some eat local/organic because they're foodies or they want to eat healthier.
Meanwhile there would be fuck all cries about socialism unless the government giving massive amounts of money hand over fist to corn farmers has been conveniently separated from that definition. That's even assuming other crops need it, considering they're doing just fine against corn without near as much subsidization. Which isn't to say crops like sugar and wheat couldn't be doing significantly better.
Would you agree that reducing the population over time throught the use of government incentives would be a good idea? I personally think it is, but im open to persuasion. However in Australia where i live the government actually gives you money if you have a child.
Which i think is an extremley stupid idea.
I also agree wholeheartedly with your second point. I walk to work and get down to the local markets whenever i can. Mind you this doesnt exactly make me a paragon of sustainability either.
My biggest issue with this is you start selectively breeding your population for a lack of long term planning and lack of restraint.
Borderlands 2 PA Xbox Metatag - Bazillion Guns
Is this with regards to the baby bonus thing? or my hypothetical incentive not to have kids?
If this is anything like the U.S. (and it sounds exactly the same), it is a tax break so a family can be able to afford such niceties like diapers, formula (if need be), baby clothes, etc.
Raising a kid is fucking expensive... the tax break for dependents helps. I understand that it does not help with overpopulation, but it isn't meant to.
Reading the tax site i am fair certain that it is just a lump sum payment. Although it may soon be changed into fortnightly installments. So cash not vouchers.
Alright... is it income dependent, then? Or is it for everyone? It just seems odd is all.
Is a larger release expected soon?
Now, all they know how to do is replace what topsoil used to do with a shitload of fertilizer, which is necessary because corn is such a fertilizer-intensive product. It is fucking horrible for the soil, unlike any number of other crops they could be growing, but it's so easy to genetically engineer that it's what the food megacorps like to use. They in turn lobby the government to maintain the massive subsidies, create frankencows, frankenfish, frankenpigs, and frankenchickens that survive on it (instead of what they're supposed to eat), and saddle us with frankenfood that is fucking awful for us, but is incredibly calorie-dense, and doesn't fill us up.
It's fucking terrible all around.
And one of the two guys they were talking to in that interview with the filmmakers is Michael Pollan, who wrote The Omnivore's Dilemma, which is a fantastic fucking book if you want to understand this stuff.
Also, I would love to see your evidence that "frankenfoods" are awful for us.
EDIT: Yeah it isn't. Trans-fats are a product of the hydrogenation process.