>
> Dear Michael,
> Nobody believes that "in vitro culture saves the rain forest".
we are making progress! :-)
> It is true that TC is a new propagation technique but not "just" a
> technique. It gives the chance to save endangered plants in culture
> (you mentioned the high turn-over-rates). This takes the pressure
> by collecting from areas in the wild where these species naturally
> occur (not the pressure by logging, this is another problem).
> You are right saying that there are even in these days new undiscoverd
(by 'new' I meant not readily available)
> species out there in the jungle (i.e. the small areas left), but I
> disagree if you claim these will be discovered and named because
> somebody wants to create a new market with tissue cultered plants.
No, but it is welcomed opportunity to be able to sell them overpriced
in high numbers in a short time. That was my argument and in this
there is no difference to "Victorian plant hunters" albeit with re-
spect to the damage caused to the environment.
> There is a scientific interest in these with or without the
> possibility of TC.
Undoubtedly!
> In my opinion it is better having these new species in vitro and
> making them available to the public than never knowing that these
> species exist at all or being already destroyed.
Sure, as more or less 'artificial' artifacts disembodied from their
environment with no realistic hope ever to be reestablished. So, what
is the value, anyway ? What is a species without its ecosystem.
>
> Regards
> Heiko
>
> PS:I think the idea opening up an archive dealing with TC is very good.
> This would provide the public with informations , so everybody can make
> his mind about the difficulties of TC and the Knowledge is not restricted
> to a small "elite" (Monopolists), if somebody should be afraid of this.
For us hobbyists this is a great idea but please drop these exaggerated
claims that we would save the world if we had a stock of tissue cultured CPs.
Greeting from Finland,
Michael
--
Michael Hasemann | Technical Research Centre of Finland - Automation
| Kaitovayla 1, P.O. Box 13023, 90571 Oulu, Finland
| Fax: +358 81 5512320 Tel: +358 81 5512239
jmh@tko.vtt.fi <-email-------------www-> http://www.kau.vtt.fi/~jmh/