From: zebo (zebo@pro-ns.net)
Date: Mon Jul 27 1998 - 12:39:58 MDT
Michael Lorrey wrote:
> A more effective thing to do to reduce the 'uck' factor is to engineer the cow to
> be more ugly, thus reducing the 'cute' factor from which the 'yuck' factor is
> derived. Most animal rightists, even the most casual ones, are usually motivated
> to avoid eating animals because of what we hunters call the 'Bambi Syndrome', and
> this is why they usually focus their efforts on saving and protecting 'cute'
> animals, while they do little for ugly animals. You don't get many protesters
> trying to protect the Great White Shark.....
Notwithstanding the existence of the Bambi Syndrome, there are lots of
Animal Rights
types who would protest the destruction of a predator (aquatic or
otherwise). Witness
the (recently declared successful) efforts the protect the wolf in MN.
I'm also unsure of your application of the Bambi Syndrome to Elsie the
Cow. Many
animal rights protesters dislike farm animals because they are so
"unnatural".
> A much more efficient method of producing meat is to breed rabbits, but they
> obviously are much farther up the 'cute' scale than cows are. Rabbits reproduce
> far faster, and produce much healthier meat than cattle, and especially important
> for space applications, they don't take up much space. The rabbit was selected by
> O'Neil's space colony research project for protein supply.
Good points. Unrealistic, of course - but still good points ;)
Z
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