PETA going Postal

Ok, I normally don't go in for the whole PETA-bashing thing. I understand their beliefs and all that, and the less violent members occassionally make a good point.

A lot of the malice toward them, I'd felt, came parallel to (or as backlass because of) such urban myths as the "KFC"-renaming BS that so many people believe.

(Side note: For those of you lucky enough to have missed this, its one of my favorite litmus tests for how well people will research their facts. In the 90's Kentucky Fried Chicken changed all its marketing to "KFC". The conspiracists created this online furvor that it was because they used genetically engineered headless, featherless animals and the government forced them to stop calling it "Chicken". Ummmmmmmmm. Right. Really what happend is that during the health conscious craze they didn't want Fried to literally be their middle name-- not that explaining this to the theorists will get you anywhere. And if any are you are still out there, please feel free to use the Comment feature to cite your sources... any two major American newspapers or government oversight report will do. Thanks.)

Anyway, the point is, I'm over PETA. They are now offering (obligatory Dr. Evil voice) $1 MILL-ION DOLLARS to anyone who can use stem cells to grow beef in a test tube. Solent green anyone? Sounds like a great plan, until 10 years later everyone starts dying of cancer. Listen, I understand vegeanism if thats what you choose. But I for one believe part of this whole "Green Renaissance" we're in at its core has to do with reconnecting with nature. And in nature, animals eat other animals... I haven't seen many test tubes in the forest.

Source, Yahoo:

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Steaks out of a test-tube? The animal rights group PETA is putting up a million dollar reward for anyone who by 2012 can grow in-vitro meat that looks and tastes like the real thing.

"In-vitro meat production would use animal stem cells that would be placed in a medium to grow and reproduce. The result would mimic flesh and could be cooked and eaten," People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said in a statement.

The million-dollar reward will go to the participant who manages by 2012 to put test-tube chicken into commercial production and successful sell it in at least 10 US states at a competitive price.

Teams of researchers around the world are already working on producing meat in a laboratory, but it will be several years yet before in-vitro meat makes it onto the dinner table.

A team of 10 PETA jurors will taste the entries to make sure they match the texture and flavor of chicken, and they must score at least 80 out of 100 points to win the prize.

The New York Times revealed Monday that the scheme almost triggered a civil war within the headquarters of the organization dedicated to fighting for animal rights. But PETA argued the move would help avoid unnecessary suffering.

"More than 40 billion chickens, fish, pigs, and cows are killed every year for food in the United States in horrific ways," it said in its statement.

"In-vitro meat would spare animals from this suffering. In addition, in vitro meat would dramatically reduce the devastating effects the meat industry has on the environment."

And it added that while "humans don't need to eat meat at all" since many people continued "to refuse to kick their meat addictions, PETA is willing to help them gain access to flesh that doesn't cause suffering and death."