"'That's true enough,' said Candide; 'but we must go and work in the garden.'"
At a recent gardening-related function, I was privileged to listen to the keynote speech by the learned ecologist Dr. Pangloss, which was sponsored by a chemical company. According to Dr. Pangloss, sustainability can be achieved through changes in behaviour and advances in technology. For example, use of the pesticide DDT is good in malaria-prone areas and does not harm people or the environment. Many lives have been saved.Dr. Pangloss further explained that Genetically Modified (GMO) crops are the answer to all our problems. Farmers are leading the way in reversing outmoded laws banning these wonderful crops. Why should cotton farmers in India diversify their farming to defeat a pest, when they can grow a genetically modified crop that is resistant? The Indian government agreed, and now all the farmers are happy growing GMO cotton, which can be made into clothes for us to buy more cheaply because the farmers have higher yields and don't have to pay for pesticides. GMOs mean more food and lesser pesticide use, so it's win/win.Besides, pesticide use on fruits and vegetables isn't harmful. It's worse for your health not to eat any fruits and veggies or fewer of them because you can't afford organic, than to eat pesticide-coated fruits and veggies. Moreover, under USDA rules, "organic" fruits and veggies are allowed to be treated with lots of chemicals, so what's the point anyway?
And Dr. Pangloss doesn't want us to worry about all this global warming nonsense. In point of fact, compared to the range of temperatures over the Earth's history, we're actually in an ice age. But even if we weren't, a little warming is a good thing: it would be great to grow bananas in Alberta, Canada. And is the melting of the glaciers really a bad thing? Think about it: it would flood out New York City, which I'm sure we all agree is no great loss. Heck, they can't even make pizza right there. New Orleans, L.A. and San Francisco are modern-day Sodom and Gomorrahs, we're all better off without them. And, let's face it, there's just way too much skin shown in South Florida. And what's with all the dikes in the Netherlands? You can't tell me that's natural.Yes, all is for the best, in the best of all possible worlds.