24 February 2016 (05:01 UTC-07 Tango 01) 05 Esfand 1394/15 Jumada al-Ula 1437/17 Geng Yin 4714
I hate airborne allergies, my nose runs and I have a heck of-a time trying to catch it.
Spring time is when many Japanese (1 in 4 according to publisher Shukan Gendai) suffer from cedar pollen, prompting huge sales of surgical masks. But now a tree grower and some scientists have come up with two ways to end the allergy sufferer’s woes, and possibly end the life of the trees in the process.
The tree grower in Gunma Prefecture claims to have bred a cedar tree that produces 90% less pollen. He already has greenhouses full of saplings ready to replace the ‘naturally’ occurring trees.
Scientists with Forestry and Forest Products Institute have created a way to use a dangerous bacteria. They mix it with some liquid and then spray it on the cones of the trees. It attacks the ‘male’ cones, killing them off so they won’t produce pollen. They admitted they still need to test the bacterial spray effects on humans.
Now realize that pollen is how the Japanese Cedar tree reproduces, and the researches are effectivly proposing the sterilization of those trees in order to help people suffering from allergies! If these plans go into effect then in the future the only Japanese Cedar trees left will be those literally created by humans in factory greenhouses.
But wait, did I say “naturally occurring” trees? Just like in Europe it turns out that many of Japan’s forests are not naturally occurring, but were planted by humans. (“This boom in sugi allergies is the direct result of government policies implemented following World War II aimed at raising Japan’s domestic lumber production.”)
Charles Darwin’s rule of evolution is that a successful species is one that can produce the most surviving offspring, on its own. (that’s what is meant by Survival of the Fittest)
By the way, articles published by Shukan Gendai blames the Japanese obsession with cleanliness for the high rates of allergies!
Genetically altered rice could solve Japan’s pollen allergy problem