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re: back to school

Finally, I'm moved to stop lurking and make a statement!

I think (and hope) that the glorification of better living thru science 
is reaching its acme. It is difficult to believe this with the ongoing 
onslaught of info about Monsanto's increasing worldwide herbicide sales, 
but we have to take the good tidbits of news when we find them. 

In my neighborhood, I have been involved with the california assoc. of 
nurserymen for many years. The group has put out a curricula for kids 
about planting that manages to not have TOO much chemical involvement in 
it - just straight lessons about plant growth. But this was very hard to 
accomplish, since there is a big faction of this industry (which tries to 
call itself "green") that depends on chemicals for it's ornamental crop, 
and of course they wanted their say, too. The GOOD news is that, in my 
area at least, the teachers are using what SANetters would consider "the 
good info" and pointing out the problems with the "bad" info. So, there 
ARE people out there trying to offset the chemical status quo.

Also, we have many nurseries/garden centers (Northern Calif.) that are 
starting to specialize in organic products, and spending time 
educating their customers about organic practices, and they are meeting 
with great success.

I guess what I really want to say is that I often feel overwhelmed when I 
read about all the groundwater pollution, chemical sales, inaccurate 
text, etc. But I have to take heart when I see people in my community 
making a serious effort - 1 student at a time - to get to the core of the 
issues and provide balance to the corporate version of the world. All 
that any one of us can do is make the choice to personally behave in a 
way that protects our world, or destroys it. 

Diane Cooner
Above the fog, or in the clouds

p.s. I took a look thru my old World Book last night - the U-V volume, 
circa 1970. I ran across the entry for Vietnam - now THAT was very 
interesting. Talk about skewed...