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Laws don't protect plants, in fact laws protecting plants that are
completely unenforceable, as most plant laws are, only serve to make the
plants more valuable and do far more harm than good. Where is the
evidence that any law protecting any commercially used plant has actually
accomplished that goal? People who nurture and use plants
protect them far more than any laws. <br><br>
<br>
At 03:55 PM 1/3/2008, cafesombra@aol.com wrote:<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">
<dl>
<dd>It's a crime that saving the plants that save lives is a voluntary
act, if you think you might want to, and allowing unrestricted trade of
unsustainable ingredients is protected by law.<br><br>
</dl>Before anyone criticizes this sentence, yes there are laws
protecting plants. Not enough, and not well enforced.
<br><br>
<br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From: cafesombra@aol.com<br>
To: MPWG@lists.plantconservation.org<br>
Sent: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 3:45 pm<br>
Subject: Re: Saving Plants That Save Lives<br><br>
Hello,<br>
"Unsustainable collection practices" (which we've been blaming
for years now) may be threatening / endangering plants. But what
causes unsustainable collection? Why are people pulling too many
plants out of the wild without implementing appropriate replanting and/or
protection measures? Could it be that unsustainable contracting for
commercial ingredients is the culprit? Business people,
especially the big users (I would say "players," if creating a
sustainable future were a game</i>) can point the finger at collectors
'til the cowslip comes home. But business people are the ones
paying the collectors. Now that distribution and product placement
make it difficult if not impossible for all but the bigger players to get
into the commerce game, we can no longer say that consumers demand it so,
let's supply what the people want. Consumers wander down the aisles
choosing from amongst what is there, and if one product disappears and
an! other replaces it, they still choose from what's there. They
still tend to choose what is placed right in front of their faces, as all
informed business people know. Imagine a world where no one can
find any non-organic products except by shunning the stores and going to
their local chemical factory farms to support the local underdogs. It's
not going to do your company any good to "give the people what they
want" if the environment is ruined and the source runs out in the
process -- unless you are in it for the quick return rather than the long
haul.<br>
I may be preaching to the choir, assuming that signing up for an email
list affirms one's commitment to a sustainable future. So, if
everyone on this list is already perfect, how do we reach those who do
not voluntarily choose to do the right thing? Because that is what
we need to do. It's a crime that saving the plants that save lives
is a voluntary act, if you think you might want to, and allowing
unrestricted trade of unsustainable ingredients is protected by law.<br>
Jennifer
<a href="http://www.herbalistswithoutborders.org">
www.herbalistswithoutborders.org</a> <br><br>
<br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Olivia Kwong
<<a href="mailto:plant@plantconservation.org">
plant@plantconservation.org</a>><br>
To:
<a href="mailto:mpwg@lists.plantconservation.org">
mpwg@lists.plantconservation.org</a><br>
Sent: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 10:53 am<br>
Subject: [MPWG] NEWS: Saving Plants That Save Lives<br><br>
<br>
<tt>
<a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080101202622.htm">
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080101202622.htm</a><br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
Saving Plants That Save Lives<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
ScienceDaily (Jan. 1, 2008) - Poor or non-existent collection controls
are <br><br>
<br><br>
threatening the survival of many of the plant species used in traditional
<br><br>
<br><br>
and modern medicines. Some estimates indicate that 15,000 of the 50,000 -
<br><br>
<br><br>
70,000 plant species used for medicinal purposes and mostly collected
from <br><br>
<br><br>
the wild may be threatened, many as a direct result of unsustainable
<br><br>
<br><br>
collection practices.<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
See the link above for the full article.<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
_______________________________________________<br><br>
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Any advice given on this list regarding diagnosis or treatments etc.
reflects ONLY the opinion of the individual who posts the message. The
information contained in posts is not intended nor implied to be a
substitute for professional medical advice relative to your specific
medical condition or question. All medical and other healthcare
information that is discussed on this list should be carefully reviewed
by the individual reader and their qualified healthcare professional.
Posts do not reflect any official opinions or positions of the Plant
Conservation
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