This afternoon I heard some news on the Dutch company, CSM. They are traditionally known for producing sugar, but today’s news item highlighted their Purac division which produces biodegradable plastics out of lactic acids. In India, milk and in general, the cow is considered holy. There are many reasons for this, but one practical example is that cows give a lot for just a little bit of grass. She produces milk which can be turned into yoghurt, cheese and butter. The bull ploughs the land. Her manure can be used to cultivate the land, make a fire or for insulation. And now on today’s radio they announced that her lactic acids can be used to make biodegradable plastics. She indeed brought us civilization taking us from a hunting-based society to one based on farming.

Hurray for Mother Cow!