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Lydia Jessup's picture

 Before we can answer this

 Before we can answer this question, we must first define human nature.  This is difficult to do and even harder to relate to the food industry.  I do not think that it is human nature to have industrial farms and treat animals inhumanely.  These are technologies that have developed over time and were not in our “nature” to begin with.  It is in human nature to eat, to have wants, and needs, but I think that the human nature Revkin refers to could be better described as habit or societal norms.  Human society is constantly changing.  One of the main reasons we have been so successful as a species is because of our ability to adapt to different environments.  Creating new technology is part of this change and society will have to adapt to that.  I do not agree that we will need to change human nature to live sustainably.  There is nothing in our nature that forces us to consume the great quantities of food and materials we currently do.  If we need to cut back on our meat consumption, engineer meat, or use a combination of strategies to live sustainably, it will be possible to do.  We do not need to change human nature to do it. 

 

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