I honestly got angry when I watched this movie. It made me angry that the animals were treated that poorly and nobody stood up against it. It made me angry how big corporations are just allowed to monopolize and run everybody else out of business. The farmers who were taken advantage of and had basically stupid lawsuits against them.
I have two big questions I took away from this movie;
The first is How can there be such strict laws against people hurting animals like cats and dogs, but there is no punishment held for the cows and pigs and chickens that are basically tortured everyday until they die? I don't really understand how that is possible or if people in power could think its okay. At the same time however, it doesn't make me not want to become a vegetarian. I'm still going to enjoy my steak, pork tenderloin, and fried chicken as much as before. The way these animals are treated does upset me, but I enjoy eating meat, and its to much of a hassle for me to start eating free range and organic meat.
My second question is; how are giant companies allowed to take advantage of smaller family farms? I honestly still get angry thinking about the farmers that basically had there lives ruined because they wanted to have some control over their own land. How can a company release their product, accidentally or not, and then take a survey of somebodies private property and decide they "stole" their product. whats to stop them from just flying planes over crops and dumping their seed on them and then bring up lawsuits against random farmers?
I guess the biggest thing I got from this movie is that; the more money you or your company has, its a lot easier for people in power to turn a blind eye to your actions.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Peer reviewed articles
1. A Not So Sweet Story High Fructose Corn Syrup, Jacqueline Jacques ND.
This article talks about how HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) came to be. How up until around the mid-80's most products in the U.S. were sweetened with cane sugar, but when it became a lot cheaper to use HFCS instead of importing sugar companies switched over. The rest of this article talks about how people are trying to connect HFCS in sweetened to drinks to the obesity epidemic. One fact that I found interesting was "U.S. soft drink consumption grew 135 percent between 1977 and 2001." The article discusses how fructose is different from glucose and how they are both used in your body and what they do to it when you consume it. I liked how this article says at the end that while it seems likely that HFCS are causing all of this obesity not enough evidence has been found or shown to prove this to be completely true.
I can use this article to talk about HFCS and how bad they are. I think it is a good place to start when looking at why American's grow so much corn. It has links at the bottom of it where she used to sources so I could definitely dig around those to find other information too. The author of this article is also a Naturopathic Doctor so her knowledge of how your body handles fructose and glucose is going to be correct.
2. Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
The Author of this article is recounting when he went into the factory of a company that produces most of the flavor and scents in America's food. He talks about how using different chemicals can give different foods the flavors and smells they should have. How you can add to acids together and make it smell like a hot dog. It talks a lot about how for something to taste good it has to look good, and also how food tasting good is the main priority for food companies. He talks about the FDA and their restrictions on flavors and food and IFF (International Flavors and Fragrances) which is one of the largest in the world.
This website is good for when I want to talk about fast food companies basically making whatever they want because they can decide what their food is going to taste like.
This article talks about how HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) came to be. How up until around the mid-80's most products in the U.S. were sweetened with cane sugar, but when it became a lot cheaper to use HFCS instead of importing sugar companies switched over. The rest of this article talks about how people are trying to connect HFCS in sweetened to drinks to the obesity epidemic. One fact that I found interesting was "U.S. soft drink consumption grew 135 percent between 1977 and 2001." The article discusses how fructose is different from glucose and how they are both used in your body and what they do to it when you consume it. I liked how this article says at the end that while it seems likely that HFCS are causing all of this obesity not enough evidence has been found or shown to prove this to be completely true.
I can use this article to talk about HFCS and how bad they are. I think it is a good place to start when looking at why American's grow so much corn. It has links at the bottom of it where she used to sources so I could definitely dig around those to find other information too. The author of this article is also a Naturopathic Doctor so her knowledge of how your body handles fructose and glucose is going to be correct.
2. Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
The Author of this article is recounting when he went into the factory of a company that produces most of the flavor and scents in America's food. He talks about how using different chemicals can give different foods the flavors and smells they should have. How you can add to acids together and make it smell like a hot dog. It talks a lot about how for something to taste good it has to look good, and also how food tasting good is the main priority for food companies. He talks about the FDA and their restrictions on flavors and food and IFF (International Flavors and Fragrances) which is one of the largest in the world.
This website is good for when I want to talk about fast food companies basically making whatever they want because they can decide what their food is going to taste like.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Nathan Lewis
His lecture basically put everything into perspective for me. I new the amount of CO2 U.S. was producing was bad, and new that we needed to find new sources of green energy was important. But his lecture kind of opened my eyes and made me think about the other countries again. In the begging I knew that solving climate change and getting green energy was a job the entire world had to participate in. However over the past couple of months all I've really been hearing about is how bad the U.S. is in all of this and how we need to do all of things to be like the other countries. I really liked how one of the very first things he said was that climate change is something everybody needs to work on and not individually on a person to person scale of on a whole country scale. Everybody needs to put forth effort or else it really wont work.
He also did a good job of showing the pro's and the con's to us. He wasn't really lobbying for green energy he was just showing numbers good and bad and then saying we need to make a choice. And if we do go with green energy we need to find cheaper/more effective ways to produce and distribute it because the way they are doing it now is way to expensive. He showed how much of each energy source we need and then basically why it would be almost impossible to do it.
He also did a good job of showing the pro's and the con's to us. He wasn't really lobbying for green energy he was just showing numbers good and bad and then saying we need to make a choice. And if we do go with green energy we need to find cheaper/more effective ways to produce and distribute it because the way they are doing it now is way to expensive. He showed how much of each energy source we need and then basically why it would be almost impossible to do it.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
2nd Round of Research
1. "Study finds a healthier diet and a return to traditional farming can help reduce energy consumption in US food system by 50 percent," Eating Less Meat And Junk Food Could Cut Fossil Energy Fuel Use Almost In Half July 24, 2008, Science Daily, February 10, 2010, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723094838.htm
It is estimated that around 19% of the energy used in the United States goes to processing food. The article discusses ways to cut energy consumption down by 50% using a few different methods. The overall picture of the article is that the American consumer ultimately controls the energy consumption by what they buy and eat. It was suggested that people should simply just eat less and also that we should buy locally from farms that use environmentally friendly farming methods.
2. Ruskin, Gary & Schor, Juliet "Who's to Blame for Childhood Obesity?", Junk Food Nation August 11, 2005, The Nation, February 10, 2010, http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050829/ruskin
The article focuses on how junk food companies donate millions of dollars to government officials for support on many different controversial issues. They funded the Bush administration to gain support on claiming that sugar and processed foods don't lead to diabetes or obesity. They also gained backup on laws and bills to keep junk food out of schools and restrict junk food companies ability to advertise to children. This shows that junk food companies and lobbyists have started to gain access into the same circle of privilege that tobacco and oil companies have.
It is estimated that around 19% of the energy used in the United States goes to processing food. The article discusses ways to cut energy consumption down by 50% using a few different methods. The overall picture of the article is that the American consumer ultimately controls the energy consumption by what they buy and eat. It was suggested that people should simply just eat less and also that we should buy locally from farms that use environmentally friendly farming methods.
2. Ruskin, Gary & Schor, Juliet "Who's to Blame for Childhood Obesity?", Junk Food Nation August 11, 2005, The Nation, February 10, 2010, http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050829/ruskin
The article focuses on how junk food companies donate millions of dollars to government officials for support on many different controversial issues. They funded the Bush administration to gain support on claiming that sugar and processed foods don't lead to diabetes or obesity. They also gained backup on laws and bills to keep junk food out of schools and restrict junk food companies ability to advertise to children. This shows that junk food companies and lobbyists have started to gain access into the same circle of privilege that tobacco and oil companies have.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Initial Plant Write Up
I want to grow carrots. They grow best in cooler conditions and can easily survive a light frosting. A good soil temperature of around 65 degrees Fahrenheit needs to be maintained or else they could have a weird shape, color, or taste. Having a pH around 6.5 is ideal. Carrots also don't require much nitrogen in the fertilizer, as having too much nitrogen will cause the carrots to grow multiple roots. Using compost is a great way to loosen the soil, which will make it easier for the carrots to grow. Keep in mind not to use too much compost, as it will cause your carrots to fork. Try and have soil that is free of chunks and stones to make sure your carrot looks good. The first weeks of carrot growth are critical in shaping the carrot and having rocky soil can cause an ugly carrot and interfere with proper carrot growth. To ensure that your carrots avoid frost damage, plant them about 3/8 inches down spacing the rows about 15 inches apart. Carrots should not be transplanted since the roots are likely to for when replanted. It is recommended to cover the seeds with a thin layer of organic mulch and then add up to 3 or 4 inches after the seedlings emerge. The best way to prevent flying insects from attacking carrots is to get a row cover and if necessary only use natural or organic pesticides.
Source: http://www.carrotgardeningtips.com/carrotresources.html
Source: http://www.carrotgardeningtips.com/carrotresources.html
Friday, January 22, 2010
Starting Research
Sources:
1. Bourne Jr. Joel K. "The End Of Poverty," The Global Food Crisis, June 2009, National Geographic Society, 20 Jan 2010, http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/06/cheap-food/bourne-text
2. Pollan, Michael, "An Open Letter to the Next Farmer in Chief," The Food Issue, 9 October 2008, The New York Times, 12 Jan 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12policy-t.html
3. Nichols, John. "The World Food Crisis," 24 April 2008, The Nation, 21 Jan 2010, http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080512/nichols
Because the governments have began to subsidize cash crops, wheat, soybeans, corn, and rice, that is all farmers will grow. It has caused many regions to become monocultures where they only grow one crop. The lack of crop diversidy has made it almost impossible to grow healthy crops without the help of chemical fertilizers and pestisides. Farmers have also turned to raising livestock in feedlots where they pump the animals full of so many antibiotics that new drug resistant bacterial strains have been created. The way that farmers grow and produce these cash crops use a tremendous ammount of fissil fuesl and water, both of which are unrenewable resources.
Another startling fact is that 40% of all world grain output is fed to animals which another 11% for cars and trucks. That leaves only 49% of the worlds grain supply for human consumption. And who knows how much of that 49% goes to processed junk food. It may not seem like a big deal but consider the fact that most places around the world now only grain because it yields the most money.
Right now most countries import and export a lof of food. But what happens when they have major food shortages? They are going to start keeping all the food for themselves. Eventually there could be wars over food. I'm sure our country couldn't survive on just wheat and feedlot beef.
We need to adopt new farming habits and techniques that involve getting away from monocultures. We need to grow a huge variety of fruits and vegetables.
In poverty struck food deprived places in INdia and Africa they have begun to give the tools neccissary to grow grain. Lets teach them how to grow other crops as well.
1. Bourne Jr. Joel K. "The End Of Poverty," The Global Food Crisis, June 2009, National Geographic Society, 20 Jan 2010, http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/06/cheap-food/bourne-text
2. Pollan, Michael, "An Open Letter to the Next Farmer in Chief," The Food Issue, 9 October 2008, The New York Times, 12 Jan 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12policy-t.html
3. Nichols, John. "The World Food Crisis," 24 April 2008, The Nation, 21 Jan 2010, http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080512/nichols
Because the governments have began to subsidize cash crops, wheat, soybeans, corn, and rice, that is all farmers will grow. It has caused many regions to become monocultures where they only grow one crop. The lack of crop diversidy has made it almost impossible to grow healthy crops without the help of chemical fertilizers and pestisides. Farmers have also turned to raising livestock in feedlots where they pump the animals full of so many antibiotics that new drug resistant bacterial strains have been created. The way that farmers grow and produce these cash crops use a tremendous ammount of fissil fuesl and water, both of which are unrenewable resources.
Another startling fact is that 40% of all world grain output is fed to animals which another 11% for cars and trucks. That leaves only 49% of the worlds grain supply for human consumption. And who knows how much of that 49% goes to processed junk food. It may not seem like a big deal but consider the fact that most places around the world now only grain because it yields the most money.
Right now most countries import and export a lof of food. But what happens when they have major food shortages? They are going to start keeping all the food for themselves. Eventually there could be wars over food. I'm sure our country couldn't survive on just wheat and feedlot beef.
We need to adopt new farming habits and techniques that involve getting away from monocultures. We need to grow a huge variety of fruits and vegetables.
In poverty struck food deprived places in INdia and Africa they have begun to give the tools neccissary to grow grain. Lets teach them how to grow other crops as well.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Commander in Chief
The other day we had a Socratic seminar on a paper, written by Michael Pollen, called Farmer in Chief. It was a letter to the president, or at the time, to the President-Elect. The main focus of the article was to address how the government needs to focus on getting food in America under control. It touches in on a lot of different issues from how easy it would be to attack the American people trough the mass production of all staple foods and how the way we farm and produce food is slowly killing the environment. It also gives suggestions on ways to fix the problem by using the sun to grow our plants rather than chemical fertilizers and to create more farms and then keep the produce closer to where it was grown.
During the Socratic seminar we focused a lot on junk food and how it negatively affects the people in America. We talked a lot about how junk food will cause a lot of health issues for younger kids like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. For the most part the class threw out ideas on how to help prevent these problems and get junk food regulated. The first idea thrown out was to ban junk food all together, which sparked somewhat of a controversy in the class. it came down to how the government would have to specify what junk food is, so they could ban it, and in doing that most food in America would become banned. We also decided that if we banned junk food the world economy would fail because it rakes in so much money for many different countries.
All in all, the Socratic seminar stayed on the subject of junk food and all of the health problems it brings. The main discussion focused more on why junk food is bad and why we should get rid of it rather than fixing the food system in America.
During the Socratic seminar we focused a lot on junk food and how it negatively affects the people in America. We talked a lot about how junk food will cause a lot of health issues for younger kids like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. For the most part the class threw out ideas on how to help prevent these problems and get junk food regulated. The first idea thrown out was to ban junk food all together, which sparked somewhat of a controversy in the class. it came down to how the government would have to specify what junk food is, so they could ban it, and in doing that most food in America would become banned. We also decided that if we banned junk food the world economy would fail because it rakes in so much money for many different countries.
All in all, the Socratic seminar stayed on the subject of junk food and all of the health problems it brings. The main discussion focused more on why junk food is bad and why we should get rid of it rather than fixing the food system in America.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)