I was having dinner with friends tonight and the conversation meandered over favorite short stories, the beauty of Russian literature, how many indictments will result from the CIA leak case, and...well, you get the picture. But the best comment thrown out all evening was that patchouli, scent of choice with idealistic eco undergrads and participants in drum circles, is considered a product to avoid by some conservationists. Apparently the herb is farmed on land next to or within rainforests and the plots are feared to be creating forest fragmentation, most notably in Orangutan habitats.
While I understand that some of you will argue that a small local farmer somewhere is benefiting economically from his or her patchouli cultivation, to my mind, it's another reason for a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to hippies.
