The problem with all arguments that deal with "protection" is where you 
put the fence. I ran into this argument when I was active in the organic 
movement. Then it was to commit to only eat Maine grown produce to 
protect our local farms. There is nothing inherently wrong with this 
until you start thinking of just what you do eat and Maine is not the 
best place to grow oranges. I did not want to live the rest of my life 
on a diet of potatoes and rutabagas.

To see the folly of fences, look at the US. One of the reasons it is 
successful is that there are no border guards between states. Produce 
can be grown in one area and shipped to another with no added penalty, 
so the most efficient producer can supply a large market. When you 
consider that back in the good old days of less efficient farms and 
distribution, the cost of food for an average family was about half of 
what they made. Now it is about one third for poor families and much 
less for those better off (between $500 to $1,500 per month depending on 
the amount of Cape Cod Jalapeño-Cheddar Potato chips purchased). Open 
borders do affect local industry because companies move. But that has 
been happening since the founding of our country. Protectionism has been 
shown to hurt the economy long term.

Allen's comment on government as the problem is correct. Takes the issue 
of "sustainability". It implies that we need to do things to either keep 
from running out or maintain the company. The Free Market does that by 
its nature. Why sustain  horse drawn carriages (sustainable) when oil 
can be used (not-sustainable) more efficiently and tremendously elevate 
everyones standard of living.

The issue then becomes, "But we will run out". The Market steps in there 
also, since new technologies supplant the missing material. That is 
taking place in the energy field now. When oil hits a certain price, 
alternate energy producers become cost competitive. Companies invest in 
them and costs come down further, like solar panels.

A famous bet was made about just this many years ago. The bet was that 
we were running out of raw materials and the future cost would be much 
higher. The bet was lost because costs for raw materials are actually 
much less now. Had government stepped in, the cost would have been 
greater. Remember when government stepped in to freeze gas prices? Long 
lines at the pump and little gas.

I have a jaundiced eye about all these buzz words like sustainability 
because they generally are looking to government to impose controls on 
us that do not work and make the problem worse. Allen noted this on the 
effect of closed borders on Alberta beekeepers. Here in Maine, the 
Canada-US border closed to commercial blueberry pollinators not because 
of Varroa (even though that was the supposed reason)  but protectionism 
for local Canadian pollinators. Our Varroa had no problem crossing 
illegally into Canada and are there now, but the border is still closed.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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