From cclash@web.apc.orgFri Dec 1 01:04:20 1995 Date: Thu, 30 Nov 95 21:34:14 -0500 (EST) From: "Jocelyn J. Paquette Bob Ewing" To: pauls@etext.org Subject: submission 00100101010100001010101000101010110101010101010001010101010101010 10101010101010010101010000010011111110010010101010001010101010101 the space between 101010101001010110101001010110100101010 101010100010111010101010101010010110110 Welcome to the first edition of the space between an bi-monthly ezine exploring culture, art, society and creation. the space between is published by culture clash communications [cclash@web.pac.org] Editor: Rl Ewing 010101101101010010100101010101010110110101010101 The means are to the end as the seed is to the tree. attributed to Ghandi. 010101101101101011010101110100101010101010101010101 Editor's Corner: I've been surfing the net since early in 1987. My experiences have ranged from exhilarating to downright baffling. There have been times when I'd rant about the dangers of living in a digital world and other times when I can't stop praising the possibilities. Two things have remained constant. One is my conviction that online communication is a marvellous method to reach out and make contact with people. It doesn't matter what your interests, you will find someone to talk with. The other is that the most important issue facing us, in regard to online communication, is access. Not everyone has a home computer; on a global scale there are numerous places where telephone connection is scarce or non-existent, never mind fibre-optic cables. The next time you find yourself referring to the global village, remember that the vast majority of the world's peoples are not connected. If we are to truly think globally then we must consider ways and means to communicate with those who aren't on the Net. Radio is an effective communication tool. It is even interactive if there is a telephone nearby. The recent invention of the wind-up radio eliminates the need for electricity. Wind this radio up and it runs for fourty minutes. Enough time for a news or documentary program. This enables people to receive information anywhere. The greatest danger of digital networking is that it can lead to a greater disassociation from the organic world. We now can meet all our needs and never step outside. This is one reason that it is important to remember that those of us who are on the Net are still a minority; a privileged minority. We need to use this resource with wisdom; we have the ability to plan conferences; in fact it is possible to hold the conference in cyberspace, organize rallies and conduct research from our homes and offices. We must use this ability to bring about change; however, we must never forget the question of access and never stop asking how we can increase access without negative ecological impact. We can significantly reduce our use of paper through digital technology; but we must remain human and an elemental part of nature as we do so. Now That I've got by that: THE JOYFUL NOISE Ring a bell! Bang a gong! Pound a drum! On October 31, 1996 at 6:00pm eastern standard time join the Joyful Noise. Once you have made your noise create a mail or email art piece to commemorate your experience. Please limit size to 8x10 inches. mail all work to Culture Clash Communications for exhibit in mid-November 1996. Mailing address Culture Clash Communications, Box 24046, 70 N. Court Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, P7A 8A9; email: cclash@web.acp.org. All entries will be exhibited. the garden the garden; an intersection between nature and culture; where town and country meet [rural/urban]. A garden is a unique dialectical interrelationship between human beings, nature and socicultural traditions. Norris Brock Johnson. The garden may well be the place where nature and culture meet; however, millions of us have to rely on public gardens to experience this interaction. Unfortunately, a public garden is just that, public, not always a good place for quiet contemplation. Many of us cannot afford the luxury of a private backyard garden, stuck living in prefab boxces, as too many of us are. We can create out own indoor garden space; whether it be one plant or a collection. All plants require similar things, light, water, soil, and food. The only difference is how much. It doesn't matter what your indoor living conditions, you can find a plant that while thrive. Air plants take up water from humid air and live on nutrients from air-born dust. Imagine a use for dust. If you have plants and they are not thriving; either you are not looking after them right or you have the wrong plants for your space. Take a trip to the library or go online and find out what your plants need. If you don't have a plant, check the light and heat in you space and obtain a plant, perhaps a cutting from a friend, plants don't have to cost money. They propogate readily and can be given away. If your space is very small, consider a terrarium. Terrariums can be made from glass or plastic bottles. there are a number of plants that are ideal for terrariums and upkeep is minimal. If you have any plant questions email me at cclash@web.apc.org. BIODYNAMICS: Increasing corporate and technological control in the seed industry raises alarming questions about future (and present) access to the most fundamental gentic pool of plant breeding and seed stock. Not only access to, but the right to freely use, trade, give and grow seed. In many cases the solutions offered us in this situation are vague at best. We need to develop our own coherent strategy on how to ensure the future continuity of Biodynamic Seed -- and Soil. The soil into which our seed is placed is obviously of no less importance to us than the seed itself. The interplay and weaving between these two create the plants upon which our nutrition is based. Again, observing the treatment of the soil today as dirt raises serious questions about the future of this living element that forms the basis of agriculture and human development. In Biodynamics, the questions of seed and soil do not arise without an even greater context. Biodynamics rests upon working with more than good organic practices and the renewal of agriculture depends upon our increasing our understanding of true dynamic, causative forces and in our successful applications of this understanding. -- Charles Beedy ============================================================= The B-D Association is not on-line presently. If you have any questions (or suggestions!) and feel you must use email, please route them through me at igg@his.com. THE GENE MAP: One important aspect of genetic engineering projects is to identify the DNA gene that controls a particular trait. In the same way that a visitor might use the state, city, street, and house number to locate a friend's house, genetic engineers use genetic "maps" to locate genes. The genetic maps are generated by statistical analyses, PCR, RFLP, and DNA sequencing. Maps are being developed for humans, mice, swine, cattle, corn, wheat, and other plants or animals with commercial or research importance. Biotechnology Defined Biotechnology can be broadly defined as "using living organisms or their products for commercial purposes." As such, biotechnology has been practiced by human society since the beginning of recorded history in such activities as baking bread, brewing alcoholic beverages, or breeding food crops or domestic animals. A narrower and more specific definition of biotechnology is "the commercial application of living organisms or their products, which involves the deliberate manipulation of their DNA molecules. This definition implies a set of laboratory techniques developed within the last 20 years that have been responsible for the tremendous scientific and commercial interest in biotechnology, the founding of many new companies, and the redirection of research efforts and financial resources among established companies and universities. These laboratory techniques provide scientists with a spectacular vision of the design and function of living organisms, and provide technologists in many fields with the tools to implement exciting commercial applications. Principles of Biology All living organisms are composed of cells that contain a substance called DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) in the chromosomes. The structure of DNA molecules contains information that is used by cells as a "recipe" for the organism; that is, the characteristics of any living thing essentially are determined by the information in DNA. The "words" for the DNA recipe, called genes, are derived from a 4-letter alphabet (A, C, G, T) and usually contain between 1,000 and 100,000 letters. The entire recipe, called the genome, may contain between 4 million (simple bacteria) and 3 billion (human) letters or more. Except for the sequence and number of letters in each recipe, DNA from any organism is chemically and physically the same. One of the great scientific discoveries of biotechnology is that DNA from any organism will function if it is transferred into any other organism! Using Biotechnology to Modify Plants and Animals Combining DNA from different existing organisms (plants, animals, insects, bacteria, etc.) results in modified organisms with a combination of traits from the parents. The sharing of DNA information takes place naturally through sexual reproduction and has been exploited in plant and animal breeding programs for many years. However, sexual reproduction can occur only between individuals of the same species. A Holstein cow can be mated with a Hereford bull because the two animals are different breeds of the same species, cattle. But trying to mate a cow with a horse, a different species of animal, would not be successful. What's new since 1972 is that scientists have been able to identify the specific DNA genes for many desirable traits and transfer only those genes, usually carried on a plasmid or virus, into another organism. This process is called genetic engineering and the transfer of DNA is accomplished using either direct injection or the Agrobacterium, electroporation, or particle gun transformation techniques. It provides a method to transfer DNA between any living cells (plant, animal, insect, bacterial, etc.). Virtually any desirable trait found in nature can, in principle, be transferred into any chosen organism. An organism modified by genetic engineering is called transgenic. COMMODITIES AND CONTROL: BY rl ewing. We live in a commodity culture. Everything is for sale. The ability to manipulate genes empowers the manipulators with the ability to create and copyright new products. This gives them power over life itself. This is too much power for any indivudal or organization to posses. Seeds, that from which all life springs, cannot be copywritten. Seeds belong to all people, food is a right not a product. When food becomes a product the food manufaturer has the power and can exert tremendous control over the population. People babble on over the right to bear arms but the right to eat is fundamental. No food you die! Life is already being sold. Televison exists to sell viewers to advertisers. Advertising and television have combined to turn people into passive consumers of images and these image consumers are, in fact, commodities that networks sell back to advertisers. Biotechnology enables the manufacturer [the recipient of advertising's power] to extend control over Life and make the commodification process even more effective. Birth to grave control is the end result. Resistance is necessary. We can all grow plants, and save seeds; indoors or out, it can be done. Herbs, tomatoes, strawberries can be grown in your own home; you will not be able to produce enough to feed yourself; but you can supplement and you can allow some of the plants to grow to seed, save them and spread them around. Start a community garden; a rooftop or small patch of land will do. Sunflowers are a power plant. In the spring, plant sunflower seeds wherever you go. These are only the beginning steps but they will begin to wean you away from corporate control. RESOURCES: City Farmer: http://unixg.ubc.ca:780/~cityfarm/urbagnotes1.html Complete Guide to Garden Stuff: http://www.btw.com/garden_archive/toc.html