YES, YES, YES!
Food Manifesto:
I agree with this 100%, though I acknowledge that some of the ideas (like cooking classes) are a bit far-fetched. I think that policy is the best way to bring about change (i.e. subsidize actual food meant for human consumption, like veggies, rather than corn, which all goes to livestock!). Unfortunately, changing policy is very hard, especially when government "must" kowtow to the big industries, like meat. Maybe, hopefully! individual choices and grassroots movements really can have an effect.
Real food:
More of the same. I like the point that veganism isn't [edit: doesn't have to be] the solution here (it's not that sustainable, or even natural sometimes [edit: meaning the variety of vegan, yet processed foods available, not necessary to a vegan diet]). Eat less, eat healthier, is the key.
[edit: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." --Michael Pollan (long, but good)]
You are what you eat?
Not that proccessed foods will make you stupid (plus, results don't claim causation), but it's one more point for the real food argument discussed above. Especially relevant for those with little people in their homes.
NO, NO, NO!
Texas fail:
He says he has never spoken out against having a Jew in office, but does say he only wants Christian conservatives in office? COME ON PEOPLE!
- Update: a little tongue-in-cheek clip from Jon Stewart. The intervewees are dead serious, however. The poor rabbi!
Having watched people of all ages, races, and religions come together in the face of danger for this, it is disheartening that today Mubarak revoked his earlier statement that he would resign. I'm not enough of an expert in history, revolutions, or the Middle East to know if a revolution of government at this point would be a good thing or not. But I'm afraid that this disappointment will cause more violence and death. Reverberations could last years. We'll see what tomorrow brings. (I've been thinking Les Miserables lyrics in my head all week.)
- UPDATE 2/11: Mubarak steps down!
12 comments:
Thanks for the links Ash. I love those pieces by Mark Bitman. I'm certainly not the best example but I really think that what we eat is very important to our personal health as well as that of our whole society. It also really has a lot to do with helping the environment.
That whole texas thing is so crazy. That's why I don't like the mixing of politics with religion. It always ends in hypocrisy.
I don't know what to think about Egypt. I'm happy for the Egyptian people that they were able to use the might of the people to oust a terrible dictator. Hopefully this will be a message to all the other oligarchs and totalitarian regimes out there. However, I'm skeptical that much is going to change for the better. Power was handed to the military, which is where Mubarak comes from, and the uprising tanked Egypt's economy so hard that along with the uncertainty of its political future I think many of Egypt's social ills are going to take a long time to heal. Revolutions are often messy and it was just one man. I can only hope the system has changed, but I'm not sure it has.
Ashley, what a wonderful and interesting post.
I do have a slight bone to pick with you. I don't think that Mr. Bittman was saying that veganism isn't sustainable, but that processed foods, vegan or not, are bad. I actually eat a vegan diet, and would like to think that it's a very sustainable and natural diet if done correctly.
I was very disappointed with the "vegan shopping list" that Oprah released, that, as Mr. Bittman pointed out, was full of "fake meat" substitutes. What's wrong with beans, tofu, tempeh, etc?
I think eating simple, "real" foods is the way to go, whether you're omni, vegetarian, or vegan. It calls to mind a quotation that I like from Michael Pollan: "Don’t eat anything your great-great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food."
Granted, I do eat some foods my great-great-grandmothers wouldn't recognize (tofu, tempeh, and nori spring to mind) but they are foods that someone's great-great-grandmother would have recognized.
As for Egypt, I seem to be somewhere between you and Jordan. I am very hopeful for the Egyptian people, but I am also hesitant to get too excited. There have been cases in history of revolutions ending positively, and others sending a nation into a tailspin. I hope that Egypt can weather the storm and come out as the strong, free, democratic country the Egyptians seem to want.
Thanks for your comments, sweetheart, and for weighing in with your opinion!
Rachel, what I really had in mind when I mentioned veganism not being sustainable was really the fake chicken and beef and stuff...the processed stuff, like you said . That's what I had in mind. We eat our fair share of beans and even tofu around here! I like the great-great-grandmother quote--whether it would have been yours or someone else's ancestor.
No, what I think I meant was, one doesn't NEED to eat vegan to eat sustainably. I worded it badly. Most of a vegan diet is very sustainable.
Thanks for your thoughts!!
Hi Ashley,
I am Sherman (your cousin's) mother in law....and a friend of your mom's.
anyway, we are cattle producers, dairy owners and farmers.
There were many errors in that meat manifesto. Yes, corn is fed to animals. It is a healthy feed and it is necessary to "fatten" an animal. It also feeds millions of Mexicans who rely on their corn tortillas. When one grain is subsidized and the market is compromised (subsidies take out the market influences) then all grains go up in price. This makes ALL grain products more difficult to afford. Our government is subsidizing corn for the production of ethanol. There are plenty of other sources for bio-matter for the production of ethanol. This is dangerous to our economy!!! If it is so good for our country, why subsidize? Let the free markets work. Then more farmers would grow corn to sell and the other grain producers could compete. In other words, all subsidies mess with the economy and are not good for anyone, business or consumer.
As for the cattle business messing with the environment? well, as we say, "manure happens" and it is something your great-grandmother would recognize! There is NO benefit to our industry or any other meat producer to abuse the animals.the entire workday is filled with providing food and comfort for them. After all, if they get sick or die, we LOSE!
(and one more little note: there is no such thing as man-made global warming..when i was a kid the talk was about global cooling! The Lord is in charge!!)
A good healthy, whole food diet includes milk and cheese and MEAT!
Thanks for letting me spout off!
Kimball is getting so big! What a cutie!
love,
liz beus
Haha, Ashley, I hope I wasn't too defensive! :) I thought that was probably what you meant, and I think we both agree that we should all eat more 'real' foods, and get rid of the processed stuff. I also agree with you that one doesn't need to eat a vegan diet to eat sustainably- far from it! I mostly switched to veganism because of the heart disease in my family, but it's not for everyone. And it's certainly not the only way to eat healthy.
Liz, I agree with you that most farmers and ranchers care for the welfare of their animals. I think some of the worry that people have is the scale in which modern farming exists (that is to say, large corporate farms vs. a small family owned farm). And while manure is certainly a natural part of life, huge amounts of manure drain-off in one particular area can be harmful to the environment (which is not limited to cattle...sanitation has been a problem for humans since civilization began).
And while I also agree with you that dairy and meat can be a part of a healthy diet, it needs to be eaten in moderation- just like any other food! Meat is a lot cheaper and easier to obtain that ever before, and I think people just need to remember how much they need to sustain themselves.
Heh, I'll step down off my soapbox now. :)
Ashley, thanks for providing such an interesting discussion!
Liz, thank you for your comments, and for visiting my blog! You are very welcome here, and your points are well taken. I think there are many valid arguments from all sides of this issue...this is perhaps why it is difficult for everyone to agree. You obviously know more about the meat industry than I do. It is just my personal philosophy that people should reduce meat consumption--not eliminate it if they don't want to!--for many, many reasons, including but not limited to health for human beings and health for the environment. And not just for the environment's sake, but also because everything that we give to and take from the environment comes back to us in some way. A healthier earth means a more promising future for my children.
And believe me, I love my milk and cheese! Just ask my husband and family! But, I also love vegetables, and am excited to learn about more ways to incorporate them as main dishes.
As for global warming, I'm sorry, but the scientific evidence is just too overwhelming to ignore. Maybe that's not a can of worms to get into right now. I will just say that while the Lord is of course in charge, I do NOT think that this somehow frees us from taking responsibility for our stewardship of his creations and care for our brothers and sisters. It does not give us an excuse to be unthoughtful, just because "things will work themselves out". This is not me trying to preach or point fingers, it is just what *I* think of the matter!
Thank you everyone for the discussion!
Hi again,
at the risk of being a pain-in-the-bu**, here is a link about global warming. like I said, as a child the hype was all about global cooling. we humans are simply NOT that significant!!
don't get me wrong....i love clean air and clean water and believe we are stewards of this beautiful earth, i just happen to be old enough to have seen all this stuff going on before and know that this old world goes through cycles.
thanks again...sorry for my pain-in-the-bu**-ness!
http://www.heartland.org/policybot/results/11548/February_2003_Eight_Reasons_Why_Global_Warming_Is_a_Scam.html
love,
liz
Hi Liz,
Thanks for joining us on the blog. Since we are sharing links I thought I'd share some with you about the Heartland Institute, a non-profit that is essentially a think tank that operates as a front organization for various oil, coal, and tobacco industry lobbies.
You can see their finical records here:
http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=41
The Heartland institue is famous for arguing that smoking tobacco isn't bad for you health, and is a major lobbying arm for the tobacco industry.
http://www.no-smoke.org/getthefacts.php?id=74
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-grandia/the-heartland-institute-a_b_171262.html
Probably the best source on the funding and the junky science of the Heartland Institute would be:
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Heartland_Institute
The Heartland Institute does address several of these accusations on their website. However, they never actually do define who their donors are outside of what source watch identifies. I generally find every response to these criticisms completely lacking in specifics or deliberately misleading.
In short, I wouldn't trust a word they say.
I would challenge anyone to find one article in the peer reviewed journals Science or Nature (the top journals of the natural sciences) that seriously discredits human induced climate change. It's not that there hasn't been serious debate, it's that there has developed a scientific consensus through that debate that immersions contribute (they are not the sole cause) to climate change.
Thanks for the links everybody. It is difficult to argue this stuff online, isn't it? I hope everyone knows this is a good natured (and hopefully informative, or at least though-provoking) discussion. I really appreciate your viewpoints, Liz (and you are not a pain)!
Jordan and Ashley,
Glad you don't think I am a pain! I AM a capitalist and a free-market advocate. I am all for drilling oil, digging for coal and using every resource that our good Lord put here for us. This planet was created for US to use. We need to be good stewards, but I think too many people are afraid of expanding and growing with the resources we have. Think of the jobs! Think of the benefits that come with growth. I trust the Lord when he said he gave us what we need and some to spare! There are too many lies associated with the global warming crowd. They forget to tell us that while there are record amounts of melting of ice caps, there is also record amounts of REFREEZING of ice caps. I don't trust people who lie. If this is indeed a real crisis, then let the evidence speak for itself! Polar Bears love the cold climate and they can swim GREAT distances! Al Gore's pathetic movie was riddled with half truths and out right lies.
so...there I go again! sorry!
I predict that you will live to see this whole thing debunked and be able to tell your kids about it when the world is in a tizzy about global cooling and the coming ice age!!
thanks,
love,
liz
I have felt bad all morning for being so obnoxious! here i am just a visitor and i try to convert you to my way of thinking. please accept my apology! i have always had a big mouth!!
love,
liz
Liz,
Please don't feel bad! I wouldn't have written such a post if I didn't want people with their own opinions to weigh in. You helped contribute to an interesting discussion. Besides, I don't think we're going to convert each other any time soon! ;)
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