Childhood indoctrination

[The Grand Nudger]

Thanks for your post. I guess as long as we have a monetary system, humanity is screwed? That sounds about right, but let's not make innocent animals pay for our mistakes.

LOL, as long as we have a monetary system at least some of us are going to be screwed, yes (not really the fault of ag tho). It isn't just that animals (including ourselves) "pay" for our economic policy- we also "pay" for our technical inability, and perhaps even more than either of the first two we "pay" for the limits of organic chemistry. So long as livestock are capable of processing commodities which we are not (for whatever reason, be it economics or biology) their presence in a food production system will always mean "more food" than would be available in their absence. Until we find a better nutrient source than either the livestock themselves or petrochem (in this regard we could simply find a better way of distributing said resource in the short term..but this would only forestall the same problem..as it is consumed at a greater rate than it occurs by any process that we are aware of) we will be beholden to one or the other.

I noticed in one of your responses that you aren't comfortable conceding that additional fertility (that is, additional to what is naturally occurring) is required - if you would like me to link you a commercial agricultural production manual (for a region with nutrient rich soils) I would be more than happy to oblige. Fertility is required, it does not occur in great enough amounts/density naturally, and it doesn't care whether you or I are comfortable with that - in fact it simply doesn't care at all...it's just chemistry.