What is Digg?42 Comments
- CosmicJustice, on 10/12/2007, -0/+22Please stop posting rational comments that don't contribute to the flame war.
- chriskzoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+19Pharma and Biotech companies do not want to mine resources. What they do is find a natural drug / antibody, and then try to synthesize it. This is why we no longer need bark of the Cinchona tree for quinidine to combat malaria among the many examples.
- jabab, on 10/12/2007, -3/+20Under the sea
Under the sea
There'll be no accusations
Just friendly crustaceans
Under the sea! - sportc54, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11Maybe it is finally time to start the U.E.O.
- twinklyJesus, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12Quick! they're making a profit! We've got to do something to put a stop to it! Commissions, laws, committees of lawyers and environmentalists who've never run a business need to be in charge! We've got to get our share of this profit! It's all Bush's fault, damn those ***** at Haliburton!
- Artifez, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Where is your horribly uninformed conclusion and your ad hominem arguments? You are being irresponsible by keeping your post on topic as well.
- unholy1, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Up on the shore they work all day
Out in the sun they slave away
Darling it's better
Down where it's wetter
Under da sea! - aprilnm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6The problem is that this is a potential "tragedy of the commons". Remember game theory? If it's an unregulated resource belonging to nobody and everybody at the same time, logically it follows that in most cases the resource will be exploited beyond repair. This wasn't an issue before because the deep sea was never considered a resource. It was just there. Now there's a danger of over-exploitation because people want something from it. We've already seen this happen worldwide w/ rainforests.
- strictnein, on 10/12/2007, -6/+10Woah woah woah... slow down! First we need to assign a commission to create a subcommission to decide the proper terminology and structucre for the over-commission that will select the commissioner to lead the subcommission on what language the main commission will use to discuss this important issue.
Then they will need to draft a resolution condemning the US, and Israel (it's always those damn Israelis!). - joeyjojo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5"I think there is enough to go around."
Our earth has pretty much told us that that isn't true.
Look at ocean fishing. That already has shown us that, no, there *isn't* enough to go around if we let the fishing industry do as it whishes.
Fortunately, a decent chunk of the industry finally began to see that their practices weren't sustainable and many fishing boats, at least in the US, began agreeing on industry wide quotas and limits. We have a long way to go, but letting big business (and the pharma industry is about as big as you can get) do the 'right' thing for the long term benefit of the planet is a HUGE gamble. Most big business is in the game for the quick profit. Period. - szelij, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Looks like we need another UN Conference on the law of the sea...
- joeyjojo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4"Just because there is not a law preventing something doesn't mean it will happen."
True.
Though, based on previous track records and actions, it's is highly likely true. - Enitime, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5That's what they said about land.
- twinklyJesus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2If this activity is occurring in international waters, no nation has jurisdiction, therefore laws cannot be passed. Maritime law applies in international waters, but this only applies to the legal operation of and between ships at sea.
- joeyjojo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4"So some nutball enviromental lawyer thinks that big-business is bad."
The main natural enemy of the environment *is* big business. - cakefart, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2This article is alarmist, and the headline is misleading. The real goal of the people putting out this press release is stopping biotechnology research.
All that is happening here is:
1) Researchers get samples of organisms from public sources, like WHOI or the ONR, in the range of milligrams of tissue or sediment.
2) Researchers sequence the genes the organisms and look for something related for which they already understand the function
This is no different than any other biotech effort, and the ecosystems being studied are left undisturbed. If the ecosystems were being harmed, it would harm researchers abilities to continue prospecting for more genes. No one is cutting down four hundred mile wide swaths of habitat and hauling away truckloads of resources. Not only is it technically and economically unfeasible, its unnecessary.
P.S. Of course, the folks putting out press releases like this are morally superior, and would decline medical treatment using any therapeutic agents discovered in this process- much like PETA spokespeople like Pamela Anderson decry animal testing of surgical procedures and cosmetics, and correspondingly refuse to use them or take advantage of them personally.
Sarcasm aside- think it through for yourself, if they had facts on their side, they wouldn't be appealing to people's emotions like this. Judging from people's comments, they didn'ty actually read or understand the article. - joeyjojo, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Why is the defense of big business to mock sane questions that are being asked?
Is it because big business has an HORRENDOUS track record when it comes to taking care of the environment when left to it's own devices? - bugsy187, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Corporations do have a bad track record with the environment. The list is extremely long and documented. There's also a regular track record with lawlessness and anti-social behavior. I'd suggest a documentary called "The Corporation". It covers the topics like these. There are many other films and books out there on the topic. It's worth a little homework if you're serious about the facts.
- dlvolk, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4So they are basically "hunting and gathering" underwater? The deep ocean covers quite a bit of area, I think there is enough to go around.
- dpk87, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4Dr. Quentin Q. Quinn: That's not in the budget! How are we paying for all this?
Sparks: Selling pot.
[pause]
Sparks: ...Holders.
[pause]
Sparks: ...Made of hemp. - diggus, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3Yea... I've read them too. Intresting, yes. Though the stories are not that quite the same.
- ThrasherC, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Except for the GI-Joe-like lessons at the end about marine biology. Oh, and the fact that they had to bring aliens into it towards the end.
- ThrasherC, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Gonna show Quinn this thing that I made...dada-da-da-da-dada-da-da.
- strictnein, on 10/12/2007, -7/+6How did this get dugg so much? So some nutball enviromental lawyer thinks that big-business is bad. Suprise suprise.
"Dr David Leary of Macquarie University in Sydney says his research has revealed there are six companies selling products derived from the deep ocean and another eight developing them"
OH NOES!
RTFA and then tell me this guy isn't a total idiot... - mattrmcg, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3i liked SeaQuest..it reminded me of like The Abyss in terms of cool underwater facilities
- merlinicorpus, on 10/12/2007, -7/+6Crap, someone beat me to the SeaQuest reference.
- bugsy187, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1You make many assumptions about the facts. Do you have references to support you opinion?
- bugsy187, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Strictnein, you sound like another victim of corporate propaganda. It's common sense that business should be done within reasonable limits; within SOME or ANY limit of exploitation. Fanatical subservience to markets is just nuts.
- unholy1, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3Wow. Over the weekend I was reading some of Arthur C. Clarke's short stories[1], written decades ago, which describe this very idea of extracting minerals from the ocean... although in the plot I believe the minerals were taken directly from the sea water, rather than mining the bottom. Interesting ideas, though!
[1] http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1857983238/qid=1147100856/sr=8-4/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i4_xgl/202-5083143-5905451 - p9s50W5k4GUD2c6, on 10/12/2007, -8/+6You just know the seas will be raped and pillaged the same way everything else has been...
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2"profiting from living resources found in the deep ocean without laws to ensure their actions are sustainable and fair"
Ok, before making a law, prove to me that their actions aren't currently sustainable and fair. Just because there is not a law preventing something doesn't mean it will happen. There isn't a law keeping me from accidentally stabbing myself with a pencil. The reason is that it isn't a problem. So, show me that there is a problem.
By the way. Should it be a surprise that a lawyer wants more laws to sue people under? - bugsy187, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2So why not regulate it with a sane, reasonable environmental policy?
- disrupter, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1lawl
- chidade, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4So, you think anyone's allowed to do anything in order to make a profit?
No matter what they destroy to get it?
I think that you might be the "total idiot" here. - thenativeraver, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2I thought everyone pretty much knew this already....
Must just be me. - bugsy187, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4Quick, jump to conclusions about evil leftists conspiring against noble, hard working corporations slaving to make the world a better place for everyone. We'd be in utopia right now if only these juggernaut companies had free reign to exploit our lives and environment.
/sarcasm - zengonzo, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0
He hasn't even made any determinations that 'such and such' need be limited. He's only said that there ought to be oversight .. or at the very least discussion of oversight.
How could one disagree that we shouldn't even check in on potential impacts? - tylerman, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2awww, squishface
- diggus, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1Never mind the insignificant time it took me reading those three lines witooo ;)
Try http://slashdot.org/ ...though its not really like digg.com
...and thanks for that second post!!! - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -7/+3/Insert Sealab 2021 reference here
- witooo, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1Pleas forgive for writing this here. Don't be mad but I was sent to another digg-like website from a comment posted here and I cant find it know... so if anyone can tell me about good digg-like webs, I'd be very thank full.
Sorry again. - witooo, on 10/12/2007, -11/+2To make up for those I made waste a bit of time:
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by itslef but the wrod as a wlohe.
Jsut mdae you wtsae a bit mroe tmie... but this is pretty amazing!
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