From a discussion taking place on a Buddhist site...

[Guest guest]

Well, I've read Margaret's book and the poorly written wire article

referenced: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N06702090.htm

and have these opinions and comments, the first being a quote from Bill the

Cat: ACK!

 

Next, Oryx and Crake sci-fi has existed for decades in Asia and even in

one Chinese Veggie restaurant in Philly, where soy products are sculpted

into meat dishes and when done well, no one can taste the difference. This

culinary technology has had negligible impact on global warming however

(see British physicist Alan Calvert's comment in the Reuter's wire).

 

The thought of producing genetically-mutated sheets of lab-grown meat

products (even if this theoretical PHD Thesis is possible) is just as repulsive

as producing the genetically-mutated animals we have today, although the

slaughtering cessation of millions of animals has a hopeful note. However,

the cells must come from some poor cow somewhere no? Think of the

years (perhaps decades) of lab research needed to make this a reality,

and of the additional domestic animals that would " be part of " in that

research. Then there is the expense of this research to be born by the US

taxpayer.

 

But one can't tell from the article if this is all more sci-fi then sci-fact,

and if I

were writing the novel this plot twist would come about as the last living

cows were being cloned and compacted into " cell packs " to keep the

McDonald's Moon Base population happy with meals. (Meanwhile, Earth is

a barren hot rock with only one Burger King left standing).

 

And after just returning from the Asia for Animal's conference in Singapore,

and meeting hundreds of hard-core animal activists (lovely people), I doubt

this approach would seem remotly reasonable to them. What might be

reasonable (and I will copy this group to verify) might be to repurpose

global farming into soy-like products (or others)that resembled the taste and

texture of meat, as a way to wean the world hunger from real flesh. If it is

true that vegtable production is better then meat production for the world's

health (and I persoanlly have no way of knowing, as I am a cartoonist and

not a scientist) then this seems a reasoanble way to go. Of course this

would take the cooperation of world goverments, global corps, and many of

the actual inhabitants of the planet. If one looks at the Kyoto process for an

example of sucj cooperation needed, I'd say this won't happen in this

lifetime, nor the next (but maybe the one after?).

Cheers,

JiggyMutt, ANPO Chair

http://www.animalnepal.org

 

 

 

bounce-shambhala [bounce-

shambhala] On Behalf Of Gary Kellam, CHt.

Wednesday, July 13, 2005 6:57 AM

sangha talk

Re: Lab Burgers

 

Has anyone else read Margaret Atwood's " Oryx and Crake " ?

 

In that future, 'chicky-bulbs' (drumsticks, thighs, breasts) are grown on

genetically-modified plants. No pollution, no factory farms, no cruelty,

no killing, no waste of resources, etc., etc.

 

At 03:46 PM 12/07/05 -0600, Miles Parker wrote:

>Sorry re: 1-post but I have to add that it does seem kind of creepy...

>

>On 7/12/05, Miles Parker <milesparker wrote:

> > Well, if it made filet mignon as cheap as hamburger I wouldn't

> > complain. Seriously I think there is (at least) one other issue that

> > I've heard vegetarians mention - that meat products represented very

> > expensive food as far as resources used goes. That is, one acre of

> > crops can support n people whereas many less if that acre is used to

> > support animals. (This ignores of course the fact that much grazing

> > land is unsuitable for crop agriculture.) I'm sure someone out ther

> > has the figures. I don't neccessarily agree with this POV, but I think

> > it is an interesting one. Presumably lab-grown meat would have a

> > significant effect on this issue but would not wholely out-weigh it.