(Graphic) Essay: The Story of Synthia
While it seems obvious that a truly progressive world view (in the realms of synthetic biology) would work towards enhancing soil fertility, restoring biotic systems, and leaving the planet in good condition for future habitants, that is not always the case.
This comic strip(click for larger size) tells the story of Synthia, a completely synthetic organism in development. Synthia’s existence shows how many scientists and corporations are devoting their energies towards endgoals we regular people may find… less than human.
We’ve added it to our list of essays as an example of the opposite of the future we are working towards. We do not find much delight in the sterile, test-tube future of synthetic biology.
About this Blog
This blog is part of Greenhorns, a land-based non profit serving young farmers across America. Here, you'll find links about land, events, jobs, news, gossip and video ephemera relevant to the young farming community. Our blog is managed by Anne Dailey, Chandler Briggs and Michelle Rehme, young farmers in Maine, Washington and Virginia.Looking for land, internships or a job?
We categorize posts into Land Opportunities, Intern & Apprenticeships and Job Opportunities. Just scroll down a bit and select from our categories drop-down list! Looking for news for a particular state? All posts are tagged with locations, just type your state's name into the search box.Have something to say?
Email us -- blog@thegreenhorns.net -- with questions, comments and posting suggestions.Categories
-
The Greenhorns
More Photos Archives
Tags
bikes California Canada Connecticut farm bill farmstead meatsmith FFA georgia GMOs Hudson Valley Seed Library International internship Iowa livestock Maine maps Maryland massachusetts Michael Pollan Michigan monsanto national Nebraska new england new hampshire New Mexico New York nofa north carolina Oregon PASA Pennsylvania Permaculture radio Sandor Katz Seeds Severine take action Urban usda Vermont virginia washington Wisconsin women farmersPages
Mailing List
Events
Young Farmers – Join the Map!
Greenhorns Radio
Buy Greenhorns Merchandise!
Donate!
*Events & Happenings*
Essays & Articles
- 10 Reasons Why Organic Can Feed the World and 10 Reasons GM Can’t
- A Guide to GM Alfalfa
- Aging Farmer Nurtures Younger Generation with Lease, Lessons
- Agrarianism Reborn
- City Farmer
- Demand for Farmers Markets
- Farm Bill: Making America Fat and Polluted, One Subsidy at a Time
- Girls Just Wanna Have Farm
- GM Crop Spurs Investors Revolution
- Grain Farmer Claims Moral Victory in Seed Battle Against Monsanto
- Green Acres II: When Neighbors Become Farmers
- Guerrilla Gardeners
- Hightower Lowdown
- Homespun Mom Comes Unraveled
- Importance by Denise O’Brien
- In Distrust of Movements by Wendell Berry
- Making a Killing from Hunger
- Old Chickens Never Die
- On the Farm, a Rat Race in Sheep’s Clothing
- On the Need to Raise Hell as Well as Cucumbers
- One Man’s Meat by a Brooklyn Farmer
- Organic In Trouble?
- Peak Oil? Peak Soil!
- Reweaving Rural America : Food as a Common Thread
- Slave Labour that Shames America
- Small Farms as a Planetary Ecological Asset
- Soil and Cropping Systems
- Status Quo-oh
- The Farmer as Cult Hero
- The Peak Oil Crisis: Polity on Trial
- The Story of Synthia
- The Threat of Agrofuels
- Tracking System Worries Farmers
- Turning Lawns into Salad Bars
- Uncertain Peril
- Victory for Tomato Pickers’ Fight Against Burger King
- Vitalizing the Vacant
- Washington State University Begins Online Organic Certificate
- What Kinds of Livelihoods will be Vital?
- What Kinds of Livelihoods will be Vital?
- Why We Started (or Restarted) This Farm
- Young Farmer Shares Vision for Hmong Farming
- Young Farmers Go to Washington
Farmer Resources
- Beginning Farmer & Rancher blog
- Beginning Farmers
- Bouwerie
- Brooklyn Creative League
- CRAFT
- Edible Estates
- Farm to Hospital
- Garden For the Environment
- Growing New Farmers in New England
- Homestead 2.0
- Illinois Farm Beginnings
- ivili.org
- Land Stewardship Project
- Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners
- MOFGA Journeyperson program
- New York Beginning Farmer Project
- Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides
- Organic Gardening
- Organic Volunteers
- Pennsylvania Young Farmers
- Small Farm Central
- Sustanable Agriculture Coalition
- The Greywater Guerrillas
- The New Farm
- Top 10 priorities for the Farm Bill
- Washington State University Begins Online Organic Certificate
- Webportal for Young Farmers
- Young Agrarians Resource Guide
- Young Farmers’ Creative Beginnings
Food Resources
- Brooklyn Creative League
- Center for Food Safety
- Eat Well Guide
- Eating Organic on a Food Stamp Budget
- Food First
- Food News
- Food Routes
- Formaggio Kitchen
- Homegrown.org
- ivili.org
- Library of Cheese
- Local Harvest
- Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners
- Organic Consumers Association
- Organic Gardening
- Organic Volunteers
- San Francisco Garden Registry
- Slow Food
- The Green Fork
- True Food Network
- USDA: National Organic Program
- World Watch Institute: Food
For Aspiring Greenhorns
- Beginning Farmers
- Bouwerie
- Demand for Farmers Markets
- Diary of a Young Farmer
- Edible Estates
- FarmStart
- Freshman Farmer
- Garden For the Environment
- Growing New Farmers in New England
- Homestead 2.0
- Importance by Denise O’Brien
- Land Stewardship Project
- Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners
- Media that Matters
- MOFGA Journeyperson program
- Organic Gardening
- Organic Volunteers
- The New Farm
- Webportal for Young Farmers
- Young Farmers’ Creative Beginnings
Greenhorns press
- Eat. Drink. Better. | Farming: The Next Generation
- Food Fighters!
- Growing New Farmers in RI
- Huffington Post: A New Breed of American Idol?
- KPFA Radio: Full Circle
- LA Times: Farmers Markets, The Next Generation
- NY Times: Leaving The Trucker Hat Behind
- Picking up the Ploughshare – Good Magazine
- Rodale New Farm: Greenhorns Proclaims Young Farmers Agents of Change
- Ryan Is Hungry
- Slow Food Nation: Youth Food Movement
- Slow Food: Why Work for the Pharm(aceutical Industry) When You Can Work for the Actual Farm?
- Superforest
- The Ethicurean: Sometimes You Just Have to Go for a Walk
- The Ethicurean: Sowing the Seeds of Revolution
- The Green Fork: You Are What You Read
- The Right to Bear Farms
- Young Farmers, in Their Own Words, for the Greater Green
Inspiring Blogs & Sites
- A Farmers Love
- Alemany Farm
- Almond Bean
- Atrazine Lovers
- Basia Winograd
- Beginning Farmer & Rancher blog
- Beginning Farmers
- Bike2Barn
- Bird In Hand Yarn
- BK Farmyards
- Black River Notes
- Blue House Farm
- Blue House Farm
- Boston Tree Party
- Bouwerie
- Broadturn Farm
- Brown Girl Farming
- City Farmer
- City Slicker Farms
- Civil Eats
- Cold Antler Farm
- Dandelion Spring Farm
- Diary of a Young Farmer
- Diner Journal
- Dissertation to Dirt
- Eating Liberally
- Eco Hookups
- Edible Estates
- Farm Food
- Farm Girl Farm
- Farm Stop
- FarmApartment
- Farmer Ginny
- farmererin
- Farmers arkets, the next generation
- Food Not Lawns
- Forage Oakland
- Forage Oakland
- Force Theory
- Free Soil Bus Tour
- Freewheelin’ Farm
- Freshman Farmer
- Friend of the Farmer
- Future Farmers
- Future Farmers Victory Garden Project
- Garden For the Environment
- Good Farm Movement
- Grackle's Malarkey
- Green Porno
- Guerilla Gardening
- Hidden Driver
- Hightower Lowdown
- HiHat Honey
- Homegrown.org
- Hunger and Environmental Nutrition
- In Search of Good Food
- Intermountain Nursery
- Into Blossom
- LA Farm Girl
- Little Farm, Big World
- Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners
- Make Wine & Cheese With Me
- Maple Rock Farm
- Media that Matters
- Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School
- Organic Volunteers
- ORLO
- Pollinate This
- Pound Sweet
- Prairie Heritage Farm
- Queer Farmer Film Project
- rare treat
- Red Planet Vegetables
- Reverend Billy’s blog
- Ryan Is Hungry
- Sap Bush Hollow Farm
- Saxelby Cheese
- Small is Beautiful
- Soul Flower Farm
- Sunnyside Organic Nursery
- Sustainable Cotton
- Sustainable Table
- Sustanable Agriculture Coalition
- That Green Stuff
- The Black Dirt Blog
- The Consumer’s Dilemma
- The Ethicurean
- The Greenest
- The Greenhorns official site
- The Growing Connection
- The Head Table
- the lettuce edge
- The New Farm
- The Oakland Institute
- The Pleasant Revolution
- The Story of Stuff
- The Veg Table
- The World Food Crisis
- The Yes Men
- These New Old Traditions
- Top 10 priorities for the Farm Bill
- Two Angry Moms
- Two Blue Boots
- up with bikes!
- Veggie Revolution
- Wasted Food
- We Make Money Not Art – Activism
- Wicked Delicate Films
- Wild Fermentation
- Wild Food Plants
- YERT Blog
- Young Farmers’ Creative Beginnings
Recommended Online Films & DVDs
- A Drop of Life
- A New Family Farmer
- Alemany Farm video
- As We Sow
- Bad Seed
- Bad Seed: The Truth About Our Food
- Biodynamic Wine
- Bullshit
- California Ag Secretary: Farming & Family
- Draft Horses for Hire
- East of Eden
- Evo Morales on Daily Show
- Farming For the Future
- Fast Food Nation
- Food Fight
- Food Not Lawns video
- Foodometer
- Fresh Food in Schools
- Global Oneness
- Good Food
- Growing Local in Colorado
- Growing Power: Urban Agriculture in Milwaukee
- Guerrilla Gardening at the Elephant
- Healing Gardens of New York
- In Search of Good Food
- International Permaculture Conference
- Jasper Hill 101
- King Corn
- King Corn director’s interview
- Making Ends Meet: 1942
- Malvina Reynolds – The Little Red Hen
- Media Matters Film Festival
- Missoula Chickens
- Money As Debt
- PARK[ing] Space
- Permaculture 101
- Radical Chocolate
- Rain on the Scarecrow
- Reverend Billy
- Ryan Is Hungry
- Slow Poisoning in India
- Slow Poisoning of India
- Slow Tube
- Soberania Alimentaria
- Soberania Alimentaria
- Soil and Sand
- Still We Ride
- Suburban Sprawl, CA
- Sweet Soil
- The Big Food Fight
- The Bio-diesel Myth
- The Farmer’s Wife
- The Head Table
- The Power of Community
- The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
- The Story of Stuff
- The World According to Monsanto
- The Yes Men
- This is the Dairy IndustryL 1957
- Two Angry Moms
- Urban Homestead
- Vote with your Fork
- What’s On Your Plate?
- What’s Organic About Organic
- when did kale become so cool
- Where Have All the Flowers Gone?
One Reply
[...] The Story of Synthia: Craig Venter’s plan to build a synthetic life-form by ETC, art by Sig. [...]