This morning , while contending with my insomnia, I saw a news report on PLA, a plastic derived from corn starch instead of petroleum. I think this is great. Today plastic, five years ago a heating fuel from something that for hundreds of years was a foodstuff and a buzz source only. I see so much more good emerging from genetic engineering compared to the percieved evils. I just hope it doesn't impact the whiskey market :>)

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), February 08, 2002

Answers

Jay is this the biodegratable stuff? I thought that had been around for years! I know they make fibers to be spun out of old milk bottles, it can be used with socks to keep heels and toes from wearing out too fast. Also there is a substance cassed cassin (I think). It is a byproduct of milk, a protein I think. It is like like a plastic, they make knitting needles out of it. I had a pair and they tasted pretty good. One broke, usually that means you throw them away. These you sharpen them and reuse.

I remain reserved on the genetic engineering.

Susan

-- Susan in Minnesota (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), February 08, 2002.

Jay, I think I saw the same piece...all that from corn...Wow! and what was that from the [altered] goats milk.

It can't happen soon enough.....to diminish the gosh awfull consumption of KING OIL....

-- Jim-mi (hartalteng@voyager.net), February 08, 2002.

Susan,

Think of g.e. as nothing more than agronomic husbandry with less margin of error. Primitive husbandry is nothing more than layman's attempt at g.e.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), February 09, 2002.

Jay, I understand your point and you know I appreciate the science of it all. I have known several GE's in my life but..... I think of food produce and third world countries and hybrid's and the fact that we don't allow it in "Our" country for human consumption but it is o.k. for those others to grow it and eat it. It is too similar the the DDT thing and other ban chemicals. We don't allow them to be used here but we'll make it and ship it to anyone who wants it and they can use it and grow with it and we'll buy what they grow with the ban chemicals attached. I see both sides of the issue and that is what makes it so hard for me. If you can give me some reassuring words I would love it.

Susan

-- Susan in gloomy Minnesota (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), February 09, 2002.

Jay, have to agree with Susan on this one. Call it what you will, but primitive husbandry isn't at all close to g.e. and you can't dress it up to be. g.e. evolves to cloning and dead zones and new diseases being discovered because of what they've been introducing into the system. Got too many articles to back me up on this one, Jay, and you know it. But, introducing new ideas for our "throw-aways" is commendable. We have far too many projects stopped dead in their tracks because of the current "monarchy system". Thus, less fuel effeciency, higher prices. Less solar and wind power, keeps the dependency on oil. It is designed that way. Only the "little" people, doing independent changes will ever change the way the current system works. Randi

-- Randi Scott (randoo21@hotmail.com), April 08, 2002.

Randi,

As you and I learned from our many discussion over the years, we don't always share the same views, however our debates are wonderful. Ya'll might change my views on some things, but my concern of the impact on the whiskey prduction being affected still stands :>). And I am willing to "wait and see a little" before deciding my final position. Sometime I would like to look at your files on this.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 08, 2002.