An Apparently Much-Needed BIOLOGY Lesson for the Alabama Supreme Court

 When a female human egg is fertilized by a male human sperm cell, the result is known as a zygote.  [The same is true with all other members of the biological Animal Kingdom.]  A zygote still is a single cell.  It has no brain, central nervous system, eyes, heart, etc.  [Yes, that should be obvious and known by everyone.  Given the Court's decision, however, thought I'd better make sure:]

When the fertilized egg divides into two identical cells, and those two divide, and on & on, the result is known as an embryo.  While an embryo, the group of cells appears no differently than does a group of cells from any number of other animals at the same stage of development.  It's a blob of undifferentiated cells.  It's not a child, not even close.  There's no brain, no developed systems found in a fetus, no sentience, no consciousness, nothing but a group of identical cells.  Yes, an embryo has the potential of becoming a human life; but it's not yet such.

Approximately eleven weeks after the last menstrual period in the mother, an embryo begins the phase of cell differentiation.  Body systems develop with specific organs.  The eventual result is known as a fetus.  The differences between an embryo and a fetus are monumental and relevant to ethics.

When an embryo is frozen (which happens in the IVF*** process weeks prior to the beginning of the change to a fetus) cell differentiation doesn't begin until after unfreezing.

[***IVF = in vitro fertilization]

To treat/view an embryo as a child is absurd.  To make things worse, one of the justifications for the decision was a citation from the Christian Holy Bible.  I was unaware of Alabama being a theocracy, or at least, acting like one.  There's no way that's appropriate...or even legal I would guess.

By the way, when you do a Google Search for questions regarding an "embryo", about one-third or more of the answers deal with a FETUS, not an embryo.  So it seems some Tech Whiz "Kids" who write algorithms for this Search topic, also need this Biology lesson.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

p.s.  In case anyone is wondering, I have an academic background in Biology and taught the subject at both the High School and Community College levels for years.

Attention: Main Street, City & County Comprehensive Planners, and Anyone Truly Interested in Sustainability

Here's why 2-4% annual Growth (which, by the way, is exponential) is harmful, and a framework for the sustainable alternative---

https://steadystate.org/envisioning-a-steady-state-comprehensive-plan/

It's somewhat of a long read, but worth it.  If nothing else, study the informative graphics and you'll get much of the central theme.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

"France's Start-Up Nation is a Neoliberal Hell"

 https://techwontsave.us/episode/206_frances_start_up_nation_is_a_neoliberal_hell_w_nastasia_hadjadji?emci=10369721-2fd0-ee11-85f9-002248223794&emdi=fdc8a869-ebd0-ee11-85f9-002248223794&ceid=6171896

The neoliberal Macron, elected in 2017, has more or less teamed up with portions of the neoliberal High Tech Industry to transform France into something akin to a "start-up" corporation.  [It began as only efforts to attract High Tech investment, but morphed into working toward the instituting of a full-blown Corporatocracy.]  For details, copy & paste on a new page (or do a Search for the title) the link above.

In the name of "efficiency", the team (so to speak) is working to privatize public services and basically dismantle or drastically reduce France's social safety net.  That's the common objective and function of neoliberal policies instituted by Establishments in most "democratic" countries all around the world.  

What boggles the mind is this:  in the past several/many years, neoliberalism and the associated corporate globalization have shown themselves to be an abject failure relative to benefits to Main Street.  The failure has been ecological, social, and economic, never mind psychological and political.  If you're in the top twenty percent (or so) of income earners, then the whole thing has been great for you.  The rest of us have not fared so well.

Except in my country, the USA, most of the world has recognized the harm done by privatization, deregulation, austerity for Main Street, job insecurity, reduced retirement benefits, monopolization in High Tech, stagnant wages, and the like.  So, it's no wonder to me why Main Street in France and elsewhere has been protesting neoliberal policies and the continuing transfer of wealth to the Upper Crust.

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Not only my opinion.  Take Care

Why the factory farming of animals (and animal lab experimentation) is an obscenity

 https://tamerlaine.org/factory-farming-in-pictures

1.  Family farms, shrinking in number, still outnumber factory or "industrial" farms by far.  BUT, the total number of animals on factory farms is greater than the total on family farms.  A single factory dairy farm can have anywhere from 700 to 25,000 milk cows...on ONE "farm".  Dairy cattle!  These cows are never on pasture.  They live in giant warehouses and/or crowded feedlots.  There are about 9.4 million milk cows in the USA; the majority of them are never grazing on pasture their entire lives.  [NOTE:  in China & a few other countries, there are factory dairy farms with up to 100,000 milk cows on each one.]

2.  Hogs on factory farms live their entire lives indoors, most of them in steel bar crates, not roaming around in a big indoor arena.  Sows live in gestating crates barely longer and taller than the animal...their entire lives (which usually is only a few years).  [See the photo at the link above.  Not counting dogs, hogs are the most intelligent of all farm animals.  In general, they can do simple math better than a 3-yr-old human.  Like all livestock, they are social creatures, & have emotions.]

3.  Poultry on factory farms are never outdoors anymore.  They're raised in crowded crates in giant sheds, several packed into each crate, & crates stacked upon each other.

4.  Lab animals--- I can't even go there--- many of the experiments are cruel beyond belief, done in universities with full Government funding.  Mice, cats, dogs, primates, and a few other mammals are subjected to inordinate suffering.  Sentient beings treated like nonliving objects.  There are a few corporations which do nothing but raise "crops" of these creatures, thousands of future victims for sale.  It seems many humans pretend all animals except us are too dumb to be aware of their own suffering.  I guess such thinking soothes their consciences.

In most of these factory operations, cleaning of animal wastes is done automatically, which means it's incomplete.  Because of the massive numbers of animals, infected/sick ones often get overlooked and die without medical treatment.

The philosopher, Kant, once wrote (paraphrased):  we can judge the character of people by their treatment of animals.

Factory farming (especially of animals) is an obscenity.  It's a gross insult to civil society, sentient beings, and Nature.  We are capable of far better behavior.  Studies have shown that "small farms can feed the world".  Google it.  [You'll find arguments and studies supporting both sides of the question.  The disagreement largely revolves around the definition of the term, "small farm".]

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well