gristle’s Recent Comments

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  Beautifully done Jim. As usual. You are a talented writer with a clear vision. Not only has industrial agriculture not fed the world it's making it more difficult as it destroys land for future growing and hastens desertification, all while poisoning and polluting our waters of every imaginable kind killing much more in that way. Roundup ready crops have not lowered herbicide use. They've increased it (while also breeding resistant superweeds). Part of the patent on the seed is the farmer has to buy the brand name of Round-up rather than the generic version. Choice? Not with the way subsidies work (carefully crafted with the help of the revolving office doors at Monsanto, the USDA, FDA, EPA and various lobbying groups hired by Monsanto and friends — essentially using subsidy money provided by taxpayers to lobby for more subsidy monies). Lands are locked into growing only subsidy crops by governmental fiat. Banks won't loan unless certain crops are grown and that includes government crop insurance for only brand-name patented seed. Not blame the companies? Pfft! They aren't just in it because they are market driven. They drive the market. They also abuse the courts to force and bankrupt people who resist. They want nothing less than total control over the us. As Kissinger famously said, "Control oil and you control nations; control food and you control the people." http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/11853 The chains of hunger...On Why are (some) farmers afraid of Michael Pollan? posted 1 month, 2 weeks ago 26 Responses

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  Definitely unplug the toaster. I learned that lesson well when I was, fortunately, at my mom's house, alone, and her toaster decided it didn't need to be turned on to heat up six hours or so after she'd left for the day. Her toaster cozy caught on fire and would have burned the house down. I've seen other people stack papers and other things on their toasters. In our own home we just decided to do without after the last one died. More room, less worries. Microwave was the next thing to go.

  On Ask Umbra on power-strip alternatives posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago 8 Responses

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  Seriously, what's happened to good journalism? Instead agencies such as AP and AFP just quote what industry wants them to. Shills of a different kind. All of them useless and without integrity or legitimacy.

  On Supporters defend organic food after study finds it isn't more healthful posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago 4 Responses

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  The "FSA" who is behind this scam is basically just another governmental agency owned and operated by shills for the GMO industry with Monsanto the biggest recipient of the largess of slamming organics. The "Study" was just a review of selected studies that backed their preconceived result. When real funding comes to study organics honestly it will be obvious what a sham this report has been.

  Organics are and always will be more nutritious, among their many other positive attributes over industrial foods the profit-driven wish us to eat.

  On Supporters defend organic food after study finds it isn't more healthful posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago 4 Responses

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  Pfft! Even if true, salmon are no more meant to eat corn and soy than cows and other domesticated animals are (including humans; at least not as currently grown and over-processed). And just like the cows, pigs, chickens, eggs, milks, cheeses, and so on, feeding fish an unnatural diet of corn and soy changes their Omega 3 to 6 balance which is not good for anyone or anything. The difference between pastured and factory farmed animals nutritionally is huge just as it is between wild and farmed salmon, and feeding salmon land foods will only increase that difference. We are not God or Mother Nature yet we insist we know better and can beat it.

  Further the idea advanced is that vegetable proteins don't count when the truth is those can either be eaten directly by humans or those lands can be used to grow other plant-based crops (such as kale which is perhaps the most nutritionally dense food on land and includes omega 3s) while keeping lots of destructive crop chemicals needed by the industrial GMO grains & soy from washing off into the oceans killing off so many other lifeforms (and industries) with the many deadzones they've created.

  Forego the fish. Eat more greens (including seaweeds).

  On Taras Grescoe on factory salmon farming posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago 3 Responses