228 / Beets Me

The world we create is filled with synthetic materials (think plastics; think chemicals), and these synthetic materials have a quality we seem to prize: they never die. Because they are "unnatural," they don't break down; they are not naturally "recycled" through the life-to death-to life cycles that typify everything in the natural world. Thus, toxic chemicals perfuse our flesh, and we have the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch," a threatened ozone layer, and a host of other problems.

It appears that we are not satisfied with creating new, unnatural "things." Now, we have decided to mobilize our knowledge and technology to create new forms of "life." GMOs (genetically modified organisms) is what they are often called.

I am personally gratified that a federal judge has banned the planting of genetically-modified sugar beets, but I doubt this is a permanent victory for those who would like to let Nature alone. We left the "paradise" of Nature a long time ago. There doesn't seem to be much interest in even thinking about going back.