[jasonraymondson]

http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=2060 ... refer=home

Pepsi and Other soft drink manufacturers are actively pursuing using stevia "a so-called natural sweetener"

While little testing has been done on humans

This sweetener has been shown to destroy the male reproduction system of rats. If this has the same effect on humans, then maybe just maybe... the human race can be cured of the disease known as child birth.

I just wanted to give you all a little hope tonight before I head off to bed.

[alokin]

It is a difference if plants are in the hands of knowledgable people or just mixed in a soft drink. A soft drink may be consumed each day and herbals especially medical plants are consumed only in small quantities.
However, it won't be that bad having less humans, and only the non soft drink part of the society reproducing....

[Baba_McKensey]

Nature is a myth created by people who failed chemistry. Its true nature exists but those who don't understand chemistry don't understand nature. Many of the failures also reject the Abrahamic religions while at the same time believe in their own version of creationism, ie. that nature is absolute. Nature and chemists use the same atoms. Chemists can make natural products which are identical with what occurs in nature. Individuals are different and have different tolerances to harmful chemicals, natural or synthetic. Evolution is simply adaptation. There is no absolute progress. In time a species can develop defenses to threats. The way to deal with fake environmentalists is to kill them.

[Ludi]

It's quite legal to buy and use stevia the herb in your personal diet.

You can grow it from seeds or buy plants. It's tropical (or subtropical), so you need to keep it in a greenhouse in the winter.

I don't especially like it because it turns food green.

A couple of sources for Stevia plants and seeds:

http://www.nicholsgardennursery.com

http://www.johnnyseeds.com

[Ludi]

As long as it isn't made illegal for private citizens to grow and use privately.

I'd like people to be more involved growing their own food (avoiding GMOs) and "additives." The FDA is fairly useless in protecting us from harm these days, their main function is to protect Big Ag and Big Pharma.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', 'B')ut that is my point Ludi. We have allowed Big Ag and Big Pharma to regulate free medicine, free foods, free land out of existence and turn us into a nation of low-intensity drug addicts.

[blukatzen]

Soft drink manufacturers have been using Stevia in chewing gum and diet soft drinks in Asia for quite awhile now. It's a wonderful thing, and I have several Stevia liquid flavored sweeteners with Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, Amaretto, and Irish Coffee flavors. (since it's around the holidays and entertaining, well, folks are watching their diets.) I got them at the health food stores..
They're delicious! Sure beats Splenda and Aspartame.

Blu