From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Guag Meister
Many times what people want and what is are not the same. Absolutely right, the consumer gets what they demand. The consumer gets what the consumer demands. Sorry out there but my feeling is the average consumer is not capable of intelligent choices after exposure to the mass media. Best Regards, Peter G. Thailand Hello Peter, Thank you for the New Years greeting and everyone else as well. I agree with your summary about choices. I just returned from one week in Puerto Rico and have many observations. As most everyone knows, Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the US--a tax haven to avoid paying taxes, but offering/ receiving incentives to placate the populace. Although their indigenous culture included waves of different native people and a more recent five-hundred-year European and African mingling, the country astounded me. It is very beautiful, but it is very poor in any form of self-sufficiency ethic. Because the forum is discussing slave labor and/or sweat-shop labor, then this artificially inflated island may serve as an example of "changes" via establishing a more level playing field. Ha! With 40% of the population on welfare, they also import 90% of their food stuff. Luckily the rain forests and most of the land naturally re-established thick growth that would require quite a bit of sweat or machinery to alter. The plants know how to re-grow after hurricanes and the previously abused land appears to be rapidly recovering. The re-growth is amazing in both the mountains and the mangrove swamps. The navy pulled out of Vieques (a smaller island) about five years ago and their previous base is now a nature preserve because of the pressure of the island people to regain their tranquility. All this is happening rather quickly in human years. What was really strange to me was that there is not much of an apparent available labor force--not too much sweat. And most of all, there are hardly any vegetables! When driving through the countryside, we only passed one small herd of cattle (maybe 20 cows), and two chickens, about five goats, and two hogs. This is really crazy. I pass all kinds of farm animals and natural wildlife on my way to and from work in rural Texas. Also, the largest rum factory in the world imports its sugar cane. And as I mentioned previously, fuel ethanol production from sugar cane via a cellulosic breakdown offers a renewable resource for thousands of gallons per acre annually. The potential exists. As real estate owners/ residents, it is possible for these people to have year-round growing potential and grow most anything. Most every house has room for a kitchen garden--but there are hardly any food gardens much less agricultural endeavors. The only home garden that I found was a hobby garden by a retired man. One of the ecologically-oriented guest retreats grows its own fruits (the owner is from the mid-west US). However, the natives are great fishermen! Well, the point is that the incentive to grow food is not there because the people can afford Tyson chicken, bananas, rice and beans that are all imported. The combination of these entrŽes cost anywhere from 3 to 20 dollars depending on the setting. Sandwich shops are located throughout the islands for New York, deli-style quick foods. However, they use shredded cabbage and not local produce as the usual veggie. (Cabbage keeps better--yet is not grown locally). Because I lived in Mexico and have traveled in Central America, I saw the people sweat and grow their food. And I lived in their villages and my husband provided free dental care to the indigent during vacations. (But that's another story) What I think I witnessed is that the opiate of the welfare system took away the need to sweat. Destroying the sugar-cane production rather than re-vamping the system also seems to be a bit misguided. While interviewing an editor of a newspaper for the government, I asked many questions about the people and the islands. As an official spokes person, she kept bringing up the needs of the people for health care and social services. In my humble opinion, sweating and a healthy diet can cure most of what ails a person and putting in a good days work eliminates many social needs. We have all been witnessing Kim's efforts to build her family, self-sustaining farm. Many of these people have better land and excellent year-round growing conditions, but do not see a need to sweat, yet still want the "government" to assist in their health agenda. As a consumer, I was a bit disappointed in the "good food" that is so well presented in the travel logs. I love local markets and home grown food. It just wasn't to be found. To me this means that the island is losing its soul. So I offer a toast to sweat! And by-the-way, I have not missed a day of work in over thirty-five years due to illness. As a dental hygienist, I work in a sea of germs all day long--including all the wonderful microbes found in my garden. Health is more about beliefs than germs! Solution: Sweat. It's good for you. Best wishes, Peggy _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://wwia.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/biofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuel archives at Infoarchive.net (searchable): http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/
