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Those who eat organic-only foods can do so only because most of us do not. In places without pesticides, vermin get half of the crop, which is smaller to begin with without the 'chemical' fertilizers.
Now - with the world population in the Seven Billion range - how do you propose to feed everyone? Plant breeding the 'old fashioned way' is way too slow and chancy.
We can use other traditional methods to increase food production:
Chop down more rain-forests so we can plant crops on more land.
Spray lots more pesticides and 'chemical fertilizers'
Increase the food supply by not producing meat (10:1 feed:meat protein ratio)
Hope for a devastating plague to lower the population
Or, everyone's favorite
WAR !
So - take your pick. Remember the scale of things. What will you do?
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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W∴ Balboos wrote: Those who eat organic-only foods can do so only because most of us do not. In places without pesticides, vermin get half of the crop, which is smaller to begin with without the 'chemical' fertilizers.
Well, I will happily admit that not only am I not an expert in this field, but I certainly haven't studied the statistics to speak about it other than hearsay. That said, I'm surrounded by organic farmers and I have read a lot of information and talked to my farmer friends (some of them are my poker buddies, so I get to hear all sorts of stories) that with proper integration of different crops and healthy land management, they don't have pest issues.
Also, do we really need to be eating so much meat? Most of the non-organic corn around here goes to feeding cattle -- they just let it dry up on the stalk before harvesting it. Waste of land and resources, in my opinion.
So, an alternative that you didn't mention: people need to start eating lower down on the food chain: there's a lot more nutrients packed into a vegetable or fruit or leaf at a lot less cost than eating a piece of meat.
But like I said, I've only been peripherally paying attention to all this stuff, so my objective evidence is not immediately at hand and I don't want to start a lounge war!
Marc
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I need to agree with pretty much all you've written. It's been over forty years since I've eaten any kind of meat (or derivatives thereof), although my motives are not directly related to this conversation.
I've seen some of the propositions for how one does the organic farming - and alas, much as it pains me - I admit that it takes the factory farming to be able to produce the massive amounts of food needed.
My only little garden, oddly enough, is quasi-organic. I don't spray any pesticides but, although I put in manure an compost my garbage (compost is amazing), when I set each plant into the garden, it's on top of a dollop of synthetic fertilizers.
But - my little 10x10 is only valid for this because it's not really sustenance crops. It's tomatoes, eggplant, and lots of hot peppers. Due to Hurricane Sandy, I didn't have a garden last year - but didn't go hungry, either. In most of the world, people don't have that luxury.
Here's an interesting viewpoint to carry with you when listening to discussions of all sorts: how much their ideas are biased because their bellies are full each night. It's a lot easier to be idealistic when there's no life-and-death price tag attached.
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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I prefer option 6... education & birth control.
People need to understand the logic of: If food is scarce and expensive than they should only have 1 or 2 children because they will have a better chance of feeding them instead of 6 children with the hope that 1 or 2 will survive. This applies to all humans - regardless of race, religion or nationality.
Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. ~ George Washington
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True, but folk get nervous when the modification is done by "artificial" means. I have heard folk say that they don’t know what is in the genes of the GMO crops, as if they know what is in the genes of the “natural” crops.
Just because the code works, it doesn't mean that it is good code.
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viaducting wrote: selective breeding and cross-breeding
Are not the same as making changes in a piece of code you do not completely understand. Breeding is like using the copy-function in the UI.
The scientific name of our species is "homo sapiens sapiens". It should have been "homo maxima superbia".
viaducting wrote: We eat GMOs all the time.
No, we don't.
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
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The only weird thing about that is how long it took before the problem manifested itself.
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I'm putting together a website for a not-for-profit group that would like to solicit donations; that has sent me on a quest to find a reliable provider that does not gouge or extort. Paypal is the standard, but they have high fees and a reputation for being unreliable and freezing accounts on seeming whims.
So, I am soliciting recommendations for companies in the US that provide such services. Their eventual plan is to solicit donations and, at certain levels, provide premiums (bumperstickers, that sort of thing.) An API would be nice, but I'll settle for reasonably good documentation and ease of use. Are there any you would recommend, or should I just go with Paypal?
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(not really an answer)
For donations, I would use PayPal for the simple reason that it is well known and used and accepted by the "general population".
I'd rather be phishing!
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That's what I was thinking, but my contract contact asked me to shop around a bit.
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It looks like Paypal is not going to be an option: because of recent changes in US tax law, Paypal now requires that donation accounts can ONLY be opened by legally chartered non-profit corporations.
This puts the group I'm working with in a bind: they want to raise money so they can go through the legal hassles of incorporating as a non-profit, but they are not allowed to raise money (through Paypal, at least) because they are not incorporated. I believe the phrase is Catch-22. The work-around seems to be setting up a merchant account, but that apparently requires having a verifiable business.
So... alternatives?
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Amazon Payments
---------------------------------
Obscurum per obscurius.
Ad astra per alas porci.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur .
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I'll second this, just be sure to keep up on your security certificates or it might take a small war to get access back. The guys over at Bundle of Holding ran into that.
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JustGiving is popular in the UK - they are not free though! (In UK £15 to register each month for charities plus 5% of donations)
I know there is a US version too (JustGiving Inc.??)
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CHill60 wrote: £15 to register each month for charities plus 5% of donations
I would stay away from people gouging charities like that. Why are they entitled to 5% of the donation in addition to a monthly registration fee. It seems excessive to me. 
The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain
Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
I'm on-line therefore I am.
JimmyRopes
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What Jimmy said. Even Paypal charges less.
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Gregory.Gadow wrote: a reliable provider that does not gouge or extort.
I'm reliable, and promise not to gouge or extort. 
Marc
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Marc Clifton wrote: I'm reliable, and promise not to gouge or extort.
Have you set up your Nigerian post box yet? 
The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain
Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
I'm on-line therefore I am.
JimmyRopes
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A more serious reply, now that I finally found the link I was looking for.
Not sure if they have an API, but have you looked at https://www.dwolla.com[^] ?
Marc
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Interesting, I'll give that one some thought.
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Working on T-SQL code to look at Windows Active Directory groups. Things going well.
Started on the live server as I had just did some updates. I decided testing should really be done on the development server.
Switch servers. Code no longer works.
Development server does not have AD groups as it is on a separate domain. 
Its going to be a long day!
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Your real name isn't Larry Storch is it? 
I was a big F-Troop fan and he was my favorite character and the Hekawis were awesome!
Along with Antimatter and Dark Matter they've discovered the existence of Doesn't Matter which appears to have no effect on the universe whatsoever!
Rich Tennant 5th Wave
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Yeah, usually whenever someone tells me about some new classic TV service I ask whether or not they have F-Troop. One of them does now, but I'd prefer on-demand so I can watch a bunch at a time.
You'll never get very far if all you do is follow instructions.
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I've heard that the original name for the Hekawi was Fugawi?
Along with Antimatter and Dark Matter they've discovered the existence of Doesn't Matter which appears to have no effect on the universe whatsoever!
Rich Tennant 5th Wave
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Mike Hankey wrote: Your real name isn't <layer>Larry Storch is it?
No, I looked sort of like him when I was young and had hair.
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