[pure-silver] Re: Organic?

Richard Knoppow wrote:
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nicholas O. Lindan"
> <nolindan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2008 1:45 PM
> Subject: [pure-silver] Re: Organic?
> 
> 
>> "Elias Roustom" <elroustom@xxxxxxxxx>
>>
>>> Could an argument be made that my darkroom prints are organic?
>>
>> The only whole organic technology I know of is the
>> Physautotype made from the tar of oil of lavender.
>>
>> There are photographic processes based on faded vegetable
>> dyes, but they keep fading.
>>
>> If it is only the final print that needs to be organic then
>> gum and bromoil transfer would count.  As would chromogenic
>> color prints and dye transfers (assuming the dyes are organic).
>>
>> ==
>> Nicholas O. Lindan
>> Cleveland Engineering Design, LLC
>> Cleveland, Ohio 44121
>>
>     But, as someone pointed out nearly all chemicals used in photography
> are organic plus the carrier used in conventional photography is gelatin
> derived from cow (or pig) hides or bones or hoofs (hooves?) depending on
> who you talk to. The reactions between the gelatin and halides suspended
> in it are vital to the chacter of the sensitive coating.
>     Now, in the grocery store definition of _organic_ i.e. produced
> without the use of artificial growth stimulants including fertilizers,
> or the use of insecticides or pesticides or other chemicals, I am not
> sure how one would qualify the results. Perhaps if the cows are raised
> on organic feeds and are allowed to range free, have not been treated
> with hormones, etc., etc.
>    Now the peculiar thing is that in most states (all?) there is no
> legal definition of organic as it applies to food products. Over here in
> Sunny Southern California, home of a great deal of vegetable growing,
> the stuff marked "organic" in the super market is usually inferior in
> appearance and flavor to the regular veggies with their alleged burden
> of poisons. I sometimes get very good veg (but not cheap) at the Pierce
> College farmer's market. Pierce has a large Ag department and about 250
> acres of farm land.  I don't know if this stuff qualifies as organic,
> probably not since they are presumably teaching people how to operate
> farms to make money.
>     I once inadvertantly caused a friend to become seriously upset by
> telling her that photographic coatings were animal gelatin. She is a
> vegan for ethical reasons.
>     Maybe a good organic present would be a wild Rose, or maybe a
> picture of one.
> 
> -- 

<rant>

Not to veer into the socio-political, but I find this "organic"
commentary in the culture very offputting. IIRC from HS chemistry,
"organic" means carbon-based. But that's not what it means today. The
word has been polluted to mean everything from "pesticide free" to
"occuring naturally". People routinely assume therefore that if it's
"organic" it must somehow be better. Radon is naturally occurring and
pretty bad for you. Most food processing has vastly improved the
safety and quality of foods as compared to their "natural" state. I
once managed to inadvertently really annoy a local coffee shop
employee who was gushing about their organic milk. I politely (I
swear, I was nice) pointed out that *all* milk is organic - it comes
from a cow or goat. She disagreed. I asked her to give me a
counterexample of "inorganic" milk. She was not amused.

Words mean things. Polluting their meaning just debases our culture,
art, literature, politics, and society by making our thinking muddy.

Thank you for reading this organically - assuming you're still
alive you silly carbon-based life forms ...

</rant>

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Tim Daneliuk     tundra@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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