On Tue, 29 Aug 2006 11:02:46 +0100, "pearl" > wrote:

><dh@.> wrote in message ...
>> On Mon, 28 Aug 2006 22:13:25 +0100, brother > wrote:
>>
>> wrote:
>> >> __________________________________________________ __________
>> >> From: diderot >
>> >> Subject: collateral included deaths in organic rice production [faq]
>> >> NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 17 Jul 1999 09:21:44 EDT
>> >> Newsgroups: alt.animals.ethics.vegetarian,talk.politics.animal s,rec.food.veg
>> >> Message-ID: >
>> >>
>> >
>> >This is seven year old uncorroborated hearsay
>>
>> It's first hand observation from a rice farmer.
>
>"There is an "article" circulating on the Internet that describes how
>thousands of frogs and other animals are killed in the mechanized
>harvesting of grain crops. This "collateral animal deaths" story is an
>elaborate hoax. The author, a "Texas organic rice farmer" is a gifted
>writer, but he should use his talents elsewhere.
>
>The author's numbers describe a plague of frogs of biblical
>proportions. However, it is questionable if he has even been on a rice
>farm. The major point that our author has missed is that rice fields
>are harvested dry. The irrigation water is drained, and the ground is
>left to dry before the harvesters go out in the field (otherwise, they'd
>sink in the mud). There just aren't that many amphibians in the field.

Those who can't survive the dried environment would already
be dead, yes, but diderot led me to believe that most of them were
tree frogs who could survive in the stalks until the harverster came
along. If diderot exagerated, it was to make people aware of the
deaths caused by rice production. There's no doubt that your
source--and especially YOU yourself--are trying to create the false
impression that thousands of animals are not being killed when
they really are. "ara" dishonesty is undoubtedly the more disgusting
and contemptible, inconsiderate and selfish...diderot encourages
people to consider human influence on animals involved in rice
production, while YOU encourage people NOT TO!