so much to learn from the april 15 edition of michigan farm news :
article front page: 'long eared bat to be put on threatened list?' i'm rooting for the bats but i guess that's anti-farming and anti pesticide use
" ....the listing of the bat under the ESA (endangered species act) along w/the subsequent designation of critical habitat has the potential to pose undue regulatory burdens on american farmers and ranchers, according to the american farm bureau federation...
on page 2 guest opinion: mythbusting GMOs (they are safe, "glyphosate's toxicity to animals is less than vinegar to humans", GM seeds "increase profits and reduce chemical pesticide use", GM crops + biotechnology increase "protection of wild lands by focusing on sustainability and offer less expensive foods to consumers" and play " a large role in finding cures for many ailments that developing nations still encounter"
bottom page 2:
about activist groups -- "many environmental groups don't like animal agriculture. they want a vegetarian lifestyle. and they don't like large-scale farming. anything they can do to get rid of ranching and large farms would be a feather in their cap. but there's more to it. environmental organizations cannot raise money if they solve problems. they must make sure the problem remains, or they can't produce the glossy ads and pamphlets and hold fund-raisers" by don stuart former american farmland trust pacific northwest director
the week may 8 2015
p.5 about supreme court/same sex marriage "the decision won't be based on a dispassionate reading of the constit. the 5-4 or 6-3 ruling will be a reflection of the political orientation, values, and visceral feelings of each justice; as their 'questions' showed this week, every justice except perhaps anthony kennedy came into this case w/ his or her minds made up....'it becomes increasingly difficult to contend w/a straight face that constit law is not simply politics by other means says u of chicago law professor justin driver and that justices are not merely politicians clad in fine robes.
it was not always thus. until recent decades, the court's landmark decisions often came in 1 sided rulings (brown vs board 9-0). presidents sometimes nominated distinguished jurists w/indistinct ideologies such as byron white and davis souter, whose philosophies evolved over time. that hasn't happened since r reagan appointed kennedy, and it isn't likely to happen again. so let's drop any remaining pretense that the justices are impartial arbiters calling balls and strikes on the issues that divide us: gay marriage, obamacare, voter ID, campaign finance, religious freedom, et al. they call 'em as they prefer to see 'em. by william falk.
p17 isaac asimov
anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge'
from barron's may 11 2015 mailbag p. 42
the editorial explained clearly the environmental trade-offs asso w/the use of ddt. it did not however provide enough perspective on the high price that humanity pays for abandonment of that amazingly effective chemical.
the johns hopkins malaria research institute estimates that over 1 million people die annually from malaria, a preventable disease. the world health organ says that 90% of the victims are children under 5 yrs of age. this has been going on for decades.
yes, eagles, ospreys, and pelicans are thriving. but children in poor countries? not so much. federick a lehrer, jupiter fl
about activist groups -- "many environmental groups don't like animal agriculture. they want a vegetarian lifestyle. and they don't like large-scale farming. anything they can do to get rid of ranching and large farms would be a feather in their cap. but there's more to it. environmental organizations cannot raise money if they solve problems. they must make sure the problem remains, or they can't produce the glossy ads and pamphlets and hold fund-raisers" by don stuart former american farmland trust pacific northwest director
the week may 8 2015
p.5 about supreme court/same sex marriage "the decision won't be based on a dispassionate reading of the constit. the 5-4 or 6-3 ruling will be a reflection of the political orientation, values, and visceral feelings of each justice; as their 'questions' showed this week, every justice except perhaps anthony kennedy came into this case w/ his or her minds made up....'it becomes increasingly difficult to contend w/a straight face that constit law is not simply politics by other means says u of chicago law professor justin driver and that justices are not merely politicians clad in fine robes.
it was not always thus. until recent decades, the court's landmark decisions often came in 1 sided rulings (brown vs board 9-0). presidents sometimes nominated distinguished jurists w/indistinct ideologies such as byron white and davis souter, whose philosophies evolved over time. that hasn't happened since r reagan appointed kennedy, and it isn't likely to happen again. so let's drop any remaining pretense that the justices are impartial arbiters calling balls and strikes on the issues that divide us: gay marriage, obamacare, voter ID, campaign finance, religious freedom, et al. they call 'em as they prefer to see 'em. by william falk.
p17 isaac asimov
anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge'
from barron's may 11 2015 mailbag p. 42
the editorial explained clearly the environmental trade-offs asso w/the use of ddt. it did not however provide enough perspective on the high price that humanity pays for abandonment of that amazingly effective chemical.
the johns hopkins malaria research institute estimates that over 1 million people die annually from malaria, a preventable disease. the world health organ says that 90% of the victims are children under 5 yrs of age. this has been going on for decades.
yes, eagles, ospreys, and pelicans are thriving. but children in poor countries? not so much. federick a lehrer, jupiter fl
