Thanks for your informative response, Jo.

During the Reagan era Avery was a government official.

That sentence tells me all I need to know!

He has skillfully
defended biotechnology, irradiation of food, use of synthetic pesticides and
so on in articles, on TV, in Washington... He wrote the book Saving the
Planet with Pesticides and Plastic. His platform is that producing more on
less acreage by using the technologies stated above will help save the
rainforest and help feed third world nations.

What that means is, "let's buy lots more chemicals from the companies
that hire me as a consutant."

The Hudson Institute is a "public policy research center" (or some would say
right wing think tank)

I suspected as much.

and their interests are much broader than just global agriculture.

I would suggest that their "interest" is nsot agriculture at all;
agriculture is just the means to their ends: the profits of the firms
that underwrite the institute..

Do you infer that corporations like the international food provider who saw
something like 23 billion dollars in sales last year has the finances to
serve their own interests in Washington? or biotech giants?
Excuse me while I go hug one of my trees!
Hhmmm...Now shall it be the Off or Repel?....just want to stay on topic.

Ever have insect repellent ruin your plastic watch crystal, or your nail
polish (Vince, this is purely a rhetorical question)?

No, because I won't use those that do. I know that Deet will dissolve
the finish on my fly rod and line, so despite all the assurances it is
safe, I get along without it.

West Niles, Malaria, etc...make me concerned too. It's a
balance of risk factors.

Yep, all life is a matter of balancing risks. Getting WN is pretty far
down on my list of dangers. I'm much more likely to be struck by a
reckless driver.

vince norris