The Earth Pope

Little Shop of Horrors

Forget GMOs.  Those organisms are small potatoes in the world of freaky things scientists with too much time, money and brains are playing around with.  The new thing that's emerging from the Little Shop of Horrors in universities across the planet is synthetic DNA.  The technology and know how have been around for a few years but recently these scientists have inserted synthetic DNA into cells and replaced the biological DNA, taking over the cell's natural operations. 

What we are talking about here is the creation of lifeforms driven completely by artificial DNA.  DNA that is made by hand, by scientists who dream of eliminating inefficient biological processes and replacing them with the sound and time tested discipline of engineering. And their guru is MIT's Tom Knight.  Mr. Knight views life as a machine and cells as a chassis for the artificial lifeforms he wants to assemble.  His dream is to create standardized parts for building these lifeforms that may produce useful things for humanity.  In fact, he and his colleges have begun developing hundreds of Lego-like components which they have given the catchy name of BioBricks to. 

That's right! Engineers envisioning a world of interchangeable bricks that are alive and building all sorts of weird lifeforms to run amok on the planet, self replicating at will with other BioBricks and forming goddess knows what!  But we shouldn't worry about any of that, right?  Scientists and engineers have done such a good job with chemicals, plastics and gene splicing.  Try imagining a Love Canal in your neighborhood that is not only extremely toxic but is also alive and reproducing!

Now companies have got into the act because as all good economists know, someone has got to gain the monopoly on the "core operating system" and become the Microsoft of the synthetic lifeform market. One such company is Synthetic Genomics which wants to use custom-designed DNA to get living cells to produce fuels, medicine and other useful products. Craig Venter, Synthetic Genomics CEO sees the fuel market alone to be worth $1 trillion.

I know, I know.  You faithful technology worshipers are saying "Wait Earth Pope, you're getting all worked up for no reason.  These companies only want to produce good things and be helpful to humanity."  To which I chortle out loud at the stupidity and naiveté of the innocent consumers of the planet shelling out their hard earned dollars for the latest techno-wonder.

As in most cases only a handful of advocacy groups are out there trying to get this madness on the agenda of other suspicious lifeforms--politicians. These predatory organisms are unfortunately the best line of defense we have to debate and regulate the development and release of software DNA into living cells.  As one group recently stated in a report, "The danger is not just bio-terror but bio-error."

But let's not let those statistically unproven hypothetical scenarios put the brakes on this life changing technological breakthrough.  I mean think about it for a moment.  There is so much biological diversity on this planet, taking up space and consuming precious oxygen, food and water, and very little of that diversity are actually resources for human consumption.  Now, with synthetic DNA all life has the chance to be what God intended to be--resources for human consumption.  With a little reprogramming birds, fish and mammals with no economic value at all can become useful economic units with their own column on the financial spreadsheet of life.

Isn't that worth taking to the bank?

   

Betting the Planet

Going into the New Year with optimism is a challenge of its own but the release of the Science and Engineering Indicators 2007 gives pause to even die hard optimists such as myself.  You see, within this report is a glimmer of the hurdles we face in getting the average American to make the corrections needed to move life in a sustainable direction.

As with any scientific study the facts are reported just as they are with no emotional interpretation provided.  As such these facts do not convey the sense of urgency needed to grab hold of the reins of this runaway death culture and veer it from the path of self destruction.  What the hell am I talking about?  Let me give you a peek at the results of their public survey of science attitudes.

First of all the report found that 29% believe that the sun revolves around the earth.  Yes, that's right!  Almost one in three people don't know basic science yet they are being allowed to buy pesticides at the local hardware store and use them in dense neighborhoods.  Talk about nightmares on Elm Street!

As if that weren't frightening enough the survey found that 91% of Americans believe that "science and technology are making our lives healthier, easier and more comfortable."  Ah yes, increased cancer rates, fresh water shortages and global climate change sure do make my life more comfortable.  Not to mention the technical opportunities my IPOD provides to tune out all natural sounds, all the time.  I mean because of technology I don't even have to interact with nature! 

But the finding that should strike fear into even the most ardent Earth activist is that 84% feel that the "benefits of scientific research outweigh the harmful results."  Yes indeed!  The development of high gloss lipstick and scented toilet bowl cleaners outweighs vivisection and animal testing.  Nuclear power generation to fire up a nation of 42 inch plasma TVs outweighs 10,000 years of radioactive waste.

These are the folks who cling desperately to the American Way of Death and as their bumper stickers remind us all, we will have to pry their cold dead fingers from their remote controls before they give up their home entertainment centers.

I hope instead that these representatives of American culture hit the pause button, step outside for a moment and watch a sunset.  I hope that they do this totally unplugged, without any technology at all.  If we can get them to do this there might still be a chance.  But once the people of this planet unplug from nature completely, all bets are off.

What are you betting on?

Mirror Mirror

What is up with these research scientists anyway? 

You may have heard that they are stunned, stunned I tell you, by the fact that elephants have shown signs of self awareness.  This leads to the conclusion that elephants can now join the exclusive group of humans, great apes and bottle-nosed dolphins.  While this doesn't prevent humans from putting elephants, great apes and dolphins in zoos we seem to be fascinated that these creatures have the ability to form complex social bonds and may even have feelings.

At the same time that we continue to experiment on captive animals to scientifically determine if they think, feel, bond, have emotions and form complex social relationships we have other doctors and scientists promoting trophy hunting of elephants as a way to protect them.  This is justified by the fact, as Dr. Peter Lindsey stated, "Realistically, for conservation to succeed, wildlife has to pay for itself in Africa."  Yes indeed, those animals who have lived on the land for millennia must begin paying to live there, just like every body else, and paying with their lives.

There you have it.  Animals, regardless of their intelligence or level of self awareness, have no right to live on this planet unless they provide economic value to humans in the global market.  The only animals worth protecting are the ones that can demonstrate market potential even if that potential is realized only in death.

It would be a much better use of time and money to have the research scientists take their mirrors to the Dr. Lindseys, the factory farmers and vivisectionists of the world and have them take a real good look at themselves.  We could even videotape each session to see if there were signs of self awareness and the ability to form complex social relationships.

But even if these profiteers could look at their own reflection we could not claim to be exhibiting behaviors of “higher life forms” that inhabit the planet.  Until we stop clear-cutting the forests, vacuuming the oceans and poisoning the bodies of all living beings I say we still have a long, long way to go before we can join that club.