Diary of a food survivor

Is human cloning around the corner?

New novel explores the concept

So, we had a couple of state ministers drop in to see us, after our little food rally.

They seemed like nice blokes, although they emphasised, they were new to the job and still learning their way.

Fair enough, although as someone pointed out, like any job, a succession plan put in place would have been handy. It does seem a tad unfair that just because there was a change of government, people who have lost all their belongings and livelihoods shouldn’t be the ones to suffer.

All that aside, I have to say, I was quietly impressed with the passion of a few people who spoke very emphatically to the ministers about what should be done.

Before the ministers arrived, they shared with me how they hated getting emotional when speaking to the powers that be, as it often got them tongue-tied and they couldn’t express themselves or get the right message across succinctly.

We agreed that a good mix of passion and emotion with the right words was optimal.

As they spoke to the ministers, they talked about the people they wanted to help, whether it be a man in his 70s undergoing cancer treatment living in a donga, to the local IGA being unable to open, especially for those who needed groceries and didn’t have a driver’s licence. Even to the amount of stock that was lost in the food and reserves needed for them in the next food.

They were passionate but they also got their message across, so let’s hope these nice blokes from Macquarie Street have really listened, not just heard, what needs to be done.

They have bandied the word ‘reset’ around a bit, which we can all only hope means the Resilient Homes Fund will receive more of an input of cash. We will see.

Little steps.

BY SAMANTHA ELLEY

It was an interest in genetics while breeding her dachshunds that was the inspiration for Megan Egglestone’s frst book, recently launched at Ballina Library last week.

‘No Time for Second Thoughts’ deals with the concept of cloning humans.

As a member of the writing group Ballina Bookies, Megan discussed the topic with her fellow members and the moral and ethical issues around it.

“I had been breeding dogs for a long time and there is a lot to do with genetics,” said Megan.

“As an example, if you want a chocolatecoloured dog, it is a recessive gene in dachshunds, so you would need to make sure you had two dogs carrying the same gene.”

The story of Dolly the sheep, the frst ever cloned animal, also caught Megan’s attention.

“To create Dolly, they used a mammary gland cell and replaced the nucleus of an egg and put it in another sheep,” she said.

“This created Dolly who lived for 6.5 years, dying of pneumonia, totally unrelated to her experience as a clone.”

Megan believes it is not a huge step to human cloning, hence her frst novel.

“The novel centres around three young men who work in the genetic feld,” she said.

“They set up a laboratory in the abandoned buildings of Woomera and entice young women to become the ‘vessels’ of eggs that have been inoculated with samples of the bone cells of famous people.

“A colony is soon established of cloned youngsters.”

‘No Time for Second Thoughts’ is the frst book in a trilogy and is out now in all major bookstores.

Keep an eye on my Book Review column in coming weeks where I will write up a review.