The Current Events Thread

[Syobon]

@Kamak, I think it's likely that only the most technologically developed countries would adapt this technology, for other countries it will be economically more advantageous to keep using traditional methods.

[Kamak]

@Kamak, I think it's likely that only the most technologically developed countries would adapt this technology, for other countries it will be economically more advantageous to keep using traditional methods.

Except that beef is an exported commodity in many parts of the developing world, and without developed countries importing the stuff, they'll need to find something to fill the void or else their way of life will completely collapse.

Kinda like how agriculture in the midwest collapsed during the Dust Bowl and the resulting migrations/death caused by a profession disappearing.

[BurntToShreds]

Despite this technology being in a developmental phase, the amount of waste produced and resources used should be considered if it were ever to be mass-produced.

[Syobon]

Definitely, but the whole reason this technology is being developed is to reduce waste and resources used. They're not just doing this because it looks cool.

@Kamak, I think it's likely that only the most technologically developed countries would adapt this technology, for other countries it will be economically more advantageous to keep using traditional methods.

Except that beef is an exported commodity in many parts of the developing world, and without developed countries importing the stuff, they'll need to find something to fill the void or else their way of life will completely collapse.

Kinda like how agriculture in the midwest collapsed during the Dust Bowl and the resulting migrations/death caused by a profession disappearing.

That is a valid point, but also unavoidable. The more our technology advances relative to other countries, the more they will get the short end of the stick in most matters. The solution is to help them catch up to us, not for us to wait until they do it themselves (which at this rate will never happen, since we exploit them so much).

[Kamak]

Yes, but it's not just them getting the short end of the stick, especially since vital ecosystems are destroyed in the process. The rainforests are some of our primary oxygen producing places on the earth, and the slash and burn methods releases a lot of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which, even if you don't believe in global warming, contributes to acid rain that destroys soil and hurts aquatic life that's sensitive to the pH levels.

What they have to do currently to make a living is bad enough on the environment, but at least cattle can be raised on land that's been depleted of resources. Growing plants can't. If we want to help this out, we need to help them come up with a better and cheaper way to fertilize the ground without having to take an ax to the rainforest.

[SaintCrazy]

I just did a paper on soil degradation, so since its fresh on my mind... The problem with agriculture in a lot of rainforested areas is that a lot of time and effort need to be put in to fertilize the soil, terrace sloped land to prevent erosion, rotate crops, and leave fields fallow every so often, and other things to keep the soil healthy, especially where the soil was paper-thin there. But that time they would spend doing these things is time they could be using to earn more cheddar, and for poorer people struggling to get by, that often means they have no choice but to move on to new lands and leave their old fields behind.

A lot of poorer countries in that area (Guatemala is the example I'm thinking of) are farming mostly cash crops (coffee, tobacco, etc) for export to wealthier first world countries, in fact based on world market price they are often not able to afford their own stuff. So more often than not the wide-scale slash-and-burn operations are being funded by these cash crops more than actual food farming.

Also, the better and cheaper way to fertilize the ground is manure, recycled organic material, and no-till farming, but chemical fertilizers are more effective in the short-term and agriculture is not terribly concerned with its effects on the environment.

[Syobon]

Yeah rainforest soil is some of the shittiest you can have. I think a good way to convert rainforest to viable far land is to do it gradually, cutting down the big trees first and leaving them to rot. Try to change the ecosystem to one that has more nutrients in the ground somehow. Of course erosion is still a huge problem.

@Kamak, true. You know, I'm all for protecting the rain forest but it is rather unfortunate that we completely destroyed our own local ecosystems and now prevent developing countries from doing the same. This stunts their development sizeably, but there's sadly little other options if we want to keep this piece of rock liveable.

[D-vid]

Remember last time I talked about copyright and stuff?
A kindergarten got a cease and desist because they call one of their kindergarten classes "little giants" because someone got that trademarked.
A fucking kindergarten. Got a cease and desist. Because of how they call one of their classes.

[Lambeth]

You don't want your company represented by gibbering little insane children do you?

[Nefarious Bear]

You don't your company represented by gibbering little insane children do you?

I think you accidentally the whole sentence.

Anyway, its 1 kindergarten. No one is gonna care.

[D-vid]

Actually it was a whole bunch, that one kindergarten was just the only one who actually tried to do anything about it.
Another problem with all that. Most concerned parties are too afraid to do shit about it and just sign the paper so the lawyers don't go after them like hungry hyenas.

[Lambeth]

You don't your company represented by gibbering little insane children do you?

I think you accidentally the whole sentence.

Anyway, its 1 kindergarten. No one is gonna care.

I'll accidentally your face

[BurntToShreds]

I don't understand how people get so ingrained in their beliefs that everything and everyone has some kind of agenda.

[D-vid]

Yeah, everyone knows it's the jews who make all of that up to make us paranoid.

[Exeres]

This is what happens in my hometown.