AquaBounty Salmon

The Union of Concerned Scientists in their most recent newsletter states the Food and Drug Administration is about to approve genetically modified salmon engineered by AquaBounty Technologies for production and sale into the human food supply. The genetic modification according to the UCS involves the transfer of genes from an eel like fish (ocean pout) and one from another species of salmon ( a growth hormone gene). The GMO fish allegedly grow about twice as fast as a conventional salmon.

There is great risk on two fronts. There is almost certainty the GMO salmon will escape from captivity and reproduce with wild salmon. Given the size difference expected, there would also likely be a reproductive advantage for the GMO salmon. Studies at Purdue University have already demonstrated in laboratory research that a wild population could be wiped out in the course of several generations. This would be catastrophic.

Secondly, genetic engineering is very imprecise. The gene or genes transferred are microinjected by the thousands into fish eggs with the hope that they will become incorporated into the native DNA of the fish egg cell. The location of the insertion is not controlled. The results are totally unpredictable as to whether the cell DNA is damaged or changed in the process. It is like shooting craps. Along with the transferred gene is something called a “promoter” which is like an “on” switch. In this case it is ON full all the time. The promoter may affect other parts of the DNA. Proteins totally unknown by human bodies may result as well if other parts of the normal cell DNA are changed or damaged. Some changes may be detrimental to the cell or produce allergic reaction. No one knows and insufficient testing has taken place. And they expect us to eat these fish without questioning anything.

The FDA, USDA, and all other government food safety regulators have failed us. The only way to stop this if for the public to be informed and not take the risk of eating genetically modified salmon.

Casey Anthony

The Casey Anthony trial is over. The verdict is “not guilty”. It is time for the tabloid, yellow journalism TV and newspaper coverage to end. It is time for Nancy Grace to button her sensationalism up. The justice system worked. All 12 members of the jury decided the prosecution did not make their case beyond a reasonable doubt.That verdict could have been blocked if even one of the jury believed otherwise. None did.

Casey Anthony has a screwed up family that seems not to know truth from lies. Casey Anthony needs psychiatric treatment. Caylee is dead. There was insufficient tangible evidence to determine the clear circumstances of Caylee’s death. Those are the facts.

The mobs outside of the courthouse need to go home and tend to their own business. Judge Belvin Perry, who came across as somewhat of a dunce at times, needs to return to routine court cases where he may be more competent.

The true culprits in turning this trial into the circus it was lies at the doorstep of Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, and CBS. Ratings were the driving force. It was not that the public clamored for news of the trial. It was the TV hyping of the case. I never heard so much speculation as I heard in this trial. It is a wonder justice found her way in the end. You may not like the verdict, but it is time to go home and get on with your life.

More Children in China

When you think you have heard it all, you haven’t. National Public Radio today had a program on that told of the ongoing effort now to establish invitro fertilization clinics all over China. Think about it. The only goal of IVC’s is to help women bear more children. This seems in direct opposition to China’s recent policy of one child per family or consequences. There were forced sterilization, abortions, and financial penalties to be paid by any couple who violated the one child policy. Now the government is promoting that every couple should have one child. If they cannot do it the old fashioned way, the government will lend a hand with invitro fertilization.

The report said that in the beginning there were few couples interested. The waiting rooms in the clinics that did exist had couches for waiting. Then they switched to chairs. This was followed by stools. Now the demand is so large that the furniture has been removed to be replaced my standing lines for those waiting for services.

The irony of this all is that these clinics are being established with the help of USA biological technology and experience. The USA is helping China with this effort. We have technicians and physicians who travel to China periodically to be sure the Chinese are up to date on the latest procedures. Have we lost our minds?

Ethanol and Senator Richard Lugar

There certainly is some maneuvering going on. Senator Richard Lugar just announced his proposal for a national energy plan he says will save billions of dollars by increasing domestic oil production and improving energy efficiency. Lugar wants to open access to Alaska oil reserves, end the moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, and subsidize retrofits to improve energy efficiency in buildings.  At the same time, he was among those opposing ending subsidies for the corn ethanol industry completely but rather proposes a plan that would provide subsidies only when the world price of oil is low.

Lugar’s position has positives and negatives. The corn ethanol industry was a big mistake, period. Subsidies should be quickly phased out and the industry should be allowed to sink or swim on its own. No continuing government subsidies are justified, particularly given the shape of the federal budget. Ethanol may have a place in the energy future of this country, but not corn based ethanol. Other non-food and non-feed vegetation must be the input to any ethanol production system. There are promising ones.

Drilling for oil in the Gulf of Mexico or anywhere in deep water is questionable. One does not have to look farther than the BP spill for the case against it. Full recovery from the damage done by oil to Gulf resources will likely not happen in one life time. Just ask the fishermen, oystermen, and shrimpers along the Gulf.

Promoting conservation is a big plus. The United States of America is a large waster of energy. Take a look at Japan. On a per-capita basis, Japan consumed the energy equivalent of 2.8 million tons of oil per person in 2004 (latest available numbers) compared to 5.4 million tons of oil per person in the United States. That is nearly one half of the consumption per person. We could learn much from the Japanese and save billions of dollars in the process. Lugar is right on for this proposal.

The elephant in the room in his energy proposal though is the total absence of mention of alternative energy sources such as wind and solar. I am wondering if he believes this to be too “liberal” in thinking. Indiana doesn’t think this. There is already a large wind farm in Benton County with more proposed in Tipton and Howard Counties. Tipton County, too, is soon to become the home of a large solar panel production facility, one of the largest in the nation. Lugar needs to get on board.

Upper Big Branch Mine

Now it comes out that the owner of the West Virginia coal mine where 29 men were killed in an explosion last year kept two sets of book on safety conditions. One was for the company and one was for the government safety inspectors. It turns out the one for the safety inspectors was both light on information and contained lies. Massey Energy managers just did not want to interrupt coal production for any bothersome safety issues.

Even before this tragic “accident”, Massey had the reputation of profits before safety. This Upper Big Branch mine was cited for 600 violations in less than a year and a half before the fatal explosion. And that was even after many safety issues were hidden from inspectors. One must wonder though, just how many violation citations does it take for a mine to be shut down by the government until it is safe to work.

Given what has been uncovered, the United States Justice Department should devote whatever resources it needs to uncover all of the facts. If it turns out they are as now it appears, charges of murder in the first degree should be considered. The conditions that resulted in the death of 29 men were premeditated. Accountability needs to go all the way to the top of this company. This includes prosecution of Don Blankenship, the CEO at the time of the Massey accident on April 5, 2010.

Massey currently operates 35 underground mines and 12 surface mines in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virginia. They have an unprecedented record of safety and environmental violations. It is time for it to stop. It is time for the piper to be paid.

Presidential Candidates

Holy Smoke! I am already tired of hearing the constant stream of words from all of the potential Republican Presidential candidates on all of the news networks. This is going to be perfectly awful between now and November 2012. Please give me back the days when the candidates for President and Vice President were really chosen at the respective party conventions. We did not have to hear and see all of the bologna then. Just pick the candidates.

Now we are under daily bombardment. Even the so called debates have started. Let’s get rid of those damn things, too. The only thing “winning” a debate should mean is that the person was a better orator on a given night than some one else. Being able to debate says absolutely nothing about one’s ability to lead and govern. It is the ability to give a speech on a given day.

I have seen too many general elections. The first I can remember was for Harry Truman. The campaigning has gotten worse ever since. It has also gotten to the point that the one with the most money has a head start. Television is to blame for this. TV loves the political season and all of the revenue it brings to the stations for advertising. Money talks. The Supreme Court made matters infinitely worse by allowing corporations to contribute to campaigns as if they were people. They are not people except artificially. There is no way a corporation whose resources are controlled by a few members of the Board of Directors should be able to align those resources behind a given candidate. Stockholders are usually a widely diverse group with widely diverse political philosophies. Bad decision by the Court.

So, on we go. God help us.

The Four Musketeers

Now in the legislative battles over the budgets and government employee unions, we have the mighty four musketeers. They are the Rev. Jesse Jackson, actor Danny Glover, movie producer Michael Moore, and the Roman Catholic Bishops of Wisconsin. They all are supportive of state legislators violating state law and engaging in dereliction of duty to be present in their respective legislative chambers. They support rule not by law but rather by mob. The first three need to go home. The Wisconsin Bishops have plenty of problems of their own.

The four and the crowds that surround them just do not get it. It is very interesting that nearly 35% of government workers or those who are paid by taxpayer dollars are in unions compared to about 14% of the entire workforce in the USA, including government workers. One wonders why there is disproportionate representation of unions in government. It does not take a genius to figure this out. The unions support political candidates who, when elected, deliver the goods to the unions. This is a nearly perfect way to get over on the unsuspecting tax payer who is neither a union member nor a government employee.

This just does not happen in the private sector. If a union gets overly powerful in a given company and secures wages and benefits the company cannot afford to pay through sales of its goods or services, the company goes bankrupt and employees get pink slips. The problem to now is that governments don’t go bankrupt and out of business. Governments have just raised taxes or go into millions, no billions, of dollars of debt. Now we are at the time when the piper must be paid.

The country is in an economic mess with little, if any, light at the end of the tunnel. With a couple of exceptions, states are running budget deficits in the millions. Think. Where is the money going to come from to pay the bills? The states are broke. Savings are gone. Private sector employment is in the tank. Fewer private workers are earning less money. This means fewer tax dollars. This should mean fewer government services and employees. That is what happens in the private sector. People get laid off.

There are only two ways to solve government debt and budget problems. The two are to increase revenues through increased taxes or reduce spending levels. Those are it. Increasing taxes really seems like a pretty dumb idea right now. That leaves reducing spending levels. This is where we are.

Now is is time for all delinquent legislators to return to the jobs they were elected to do. If they or their supporters do not like what is happening, they have every opportunity to convince the citizens of their respective states and show it in the next election. Rule by mob is unacceptable in any State of the United States.