It amazes me to see the abundance of intellectual capital all
around me, yet ignorance and emotion are allowed to rule and
dictate. Without reason, reflection or rigor, consumers learn to
demand products they never knew they wanted, let alone needed.
Example: Organic milk production. Without definition or
description we talk about being "green" and "environmentally
friendly." Food marketers continue to tell us that organic is
better for the environment and safer and healthier for the
consumer. The USDA has made it clear that organic milk is
neither safer nor healthier than conventional milk. And real
world agriculture practices make it absolutely clear that
organic agriculture is a burden on the environment and far worse
than conventional agriculture and yet many will pay more money
for a good feeling. How can this be so? How can consumers be so
foolish as to pay more money for exactly the same product?
Consider the facts: All milk is produced naturally by cows. Milk
is produced by animals as part of a natura