In the beginning, modern man acted as a hunter-gatherer. Then he settled down to farm (took him a while though) and all hell breaks loose. Though we had understood domestication for some time, widespread use led us into the agrarian societies which have propelled us into our modern state.
It might be argued that agriculture is unnatural. While we were able to finally stop moving and maintain a permanent camp, there were many health problems associated with a large group of people living together. The boom in population agriculture allowed has been no help. Except somehow we survived ourselves and control a good deal of earth's surface. Scarily enough, we are working to control more.
So natural is the state existing before agrarian society. Stone tools and wooden spears. Little relative safety, maybe following herds for food. Where are the elderly and the disabled in society? What did they think of people who did not look or speak the way they did? I am certain that they never had the understanding we now share.
In the modern age, we can understand our world. We control not only plants and animals, but also chemicals and minerals. We are able to traverse great distances in small amounts of time, to grow more than enough food for consumption and still have more tomorrow, and we have time to explore, relax, and play. I never worry about bears or shelter. I like sleeping on my soft matress and being able to communicate with millions of people around the world. These are gifts that we are very lucky to have. Pollution is a by-product we've had to deal with since settling into farming villages, and something which we are constantly getting better at dealing with.
So don't tell me that something is better because it is "natural." First of all, unless you are offering me raw dog, it probably isn't. Man-made society has grown and evolved and will continue to improve not only its own living conditions, but also our surrounding ecology.
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I like this post.... and I agree with your perspective.
It's sad that agriculture is the only industry people try to prevent the advancement of through technology.
Uhh "the only industry"? Agra-science has got to be one of the most well funded sciences there is.
Uhh "the only industry?" Look at the plight of the modern Electric Car
Franken-Food or genetically altered crops could cause some major problems. The DNA structure of indigenous (to this planet) plants have evolved since forever. If you take and alter something like corn so that it glows in the dark and by cross pollination with other crops near by it becomes part of the seed crops through all successive generations, you don't know if you haven't started a self destructive mechanism which will doom all corn crops one hundred years from now.
Restoring Faith In Humanity One Acquaintance At A Time
I'm sorry... the last time I checked modern advances in the transportation industry have made it one of the most embraced industries in the U.S. Everybody wants to get there faster, cheaper, cleaner. The electric car's very existence is an example of that, failure or not.
Few people embrace the advances of technology in agriculture... your post only illustrates my point that people resist it.
Someone argues your point so that makes it proof of resistance. Uhh Okay.
The movie Who Killed the Electric Car illustrates how a promising upstart technology can get killed by special interests like Operation Iraqi Liberation (check the acronym).
How vapid minded of you to expand my case in point of the electric car into the entire transportation industry, which was instrumental in getting it killed in the first place.
Resorting to Deflating Humanity One Ego At A Time
How silly of you to refer to one example (which isn't even applicable) when I'm discussing an entire industry which is discriminated against. Gee, guess you couldn't come up with a valid example, so you just made something up. Great plan.
The electric car is a useless invention which was never fully developed, wastes energy by the bucket load, and clearly needs to die. Just like "the hydrogen economy" idea, which is just as ridiculous. If you think about the energy movement through the complete system, you will understand why these ideas use more total process energy than modern internal combustion engines (ICE). Next time, don't try to discuss machines based on one political documentary when you are talking to a mechanical engineer.
In your original reply you said agriculture was the "only industry" which people didn't support, rebuke of a statement like that only takes one example, the electric car is a valid example. Unless you saying so or not so makes it so or not so, then if so why do you waste your time with mere mortals like me?
You brain farted when you said "only industry" admit it.
Distorting Farts Of Humanity All Of The Time (just like the MSM and engkatiemarie)
No... you misquote me. I said agriculture is the only industry in which most others do not support the advance of technology. And you have yet to inform me of another. The electric car is not an example of an industry...
You've completely missed my point. There's a blog coming about this topic at some point in the future. Stay tuned.
Two brain farts don't change anything. You misquoted yourself just then and tried to hide the fact that you are wrong by embellishing what you said with the word "most".
Restoring Faith In Humanity One Acquaintance At A Time
Interchange "quote" with "state" and the meaning becoming correct.
Sorry for the typo.
You have yet to prove me wrong. Name an industry and I will recant my statement.
These are as specific as I will permit:
http://biz.yahoo.com/p/sum_conameu.html
(I consider agriculture to include anything that has to do with producing the raw materials for the food you consume, in the broadest of terms... so for example, agricultural chemicals would be an industry, part of the broader agricultural industry, that people are against because it "interferes" with their food.)
HA HA!! Got you good!! Wrong reply backing up your wrong reply in Schip Recipient & the Attacks of the Right Wing Republicans!!!
Restoring Faith In Humanity One Acquaintance At A Time
Industry that does not support technological development?
The world is waiting with bated breath for your response.
When was that even the question?
I won GIVE UP!
Restoring Faith In Humanity One Acquaintance At A Time
Dude/Dudette, stop being a douchebag about it.
I never thought of it that way, but it's a good point. i still think that certain products containing less chemicals and other additives are better than others and help towards a better lifestyle but it's interesting to see another side of the topic.