Week 11: Lettuce Be Lean!!!

In the New York Times Article, "Calling All Carnivores..." the author poses the question, "Is it ethical to eat meat?" http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/magazine/tell-us-why-its-ethical-to-eat-meat-a-contest.html

This blog post could end up being a 20 page paper if I let it get out of hand... So I will try to keep it brief. Ethically... Americans historically have a habit of turning the blind eye to the things that come to us conveniently or comfortably. Therefore, when it comes to eating meat, I have a hard time believing that many of us would continue to do so if we were informed about the inhumane commercialized process of how our meat gets to us. Several docu-movies have been made trying to help shed light on these practices such as "Food, Inc.," "Knife Over Fork," and "Fresh." There are so many disturbing things that happen in this industry I have a hard time finding a place to begin. Basically, when we figured out how to produce corn in the mass amounts for insanely inexpensive monetary costs... The farming industry was changed forever. The "little guys" could no longer compete. Corn was genetically altered to perform functions it was not naturally intended to. For example, cows, naturally are herbivores. They are supposed to live on grass, yet the majority of the cows raised for food purposes are fed a corn mixture (and sometimes ground up dead cows -- Which leads to mad cow disease FYI). Animals are now mass produced in environments so disgusting they become breeding grounds for diseases and farmers are forced to pump them full of antibiotics and growth hormones to speed up the process. When animals are raised in pins so tight they cant turn around, and stand in their own excrement, I would imagine they may need antibiotics. This is not even half of the issues this industry creates.

The problem here is that part of our responsibility as stewards of the earth is to respect the natural design of nature. These factory production farming ways are far from ethical. "Manure lagoons" develop on these farms which contain toxic waste filled with pesticides and hormones being released into our air and run off into our natural water supplies.... Aka now we have a pollution problem.

So... ethically, I do not have a problem with people who eat meat. It is the production process of meat I have a problem with. Also, I think the lack of education is an issue. I have tried to be an advocate for my family and friends to learn about these practices and change their buying/consumption habits. I've suggested watching the docu-movies, but honestly many say "I don't want to know. I like my hamburgers." Truly... If they knew were the meat came from, and the costs, not just the initial cost but the cost behind the production and costs on the environment, they might make different decisions. I have successfully helped my mom become educated about this and she and I consciously choose a meat free diet. I have a friend with multiple ranches who now raises his own cows for their family's meat that they can monitor their diet, but honestly not everyone has that option.

Keep in mind that we do not need meat to achieve a healthy well balanced diet. Protein can be obtained from many other sources such as beans.

As I attempt to do my part to be an ethically responsible citizen... I think there are other people who want to as well, but are scared to open this door as they have become so accustomed to a diet consisting of meat. Consider when planning a dinner, the menu always consists of the main course (beef, chicken, fish, etc) and then the supplemental sides (potatoes, salad, vegetables, etc). Now... I fully believe that if that was reversed, the health care crisis our country is in would change drastically. If you compare countries like China to the US, they do not have the same health problems, (diabetes, obesity, heart problems, cancer). Their diet is considerably different. How can people not make this distinct correlation?

This is the movie Food, Inc.  It will change your life. Share it.

Week1: The Joy of Quiet

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/opinion/sunday/the-joy-of-quiet.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1

I truly enjoyed the following paragraph written in the New York Tims article, "The Joy of Quiet," by Pico Iyer:
"In barely one generation we’ve moved from exulting in the time-saving devices that have so expanded our lives to trying to get away from them — often in order to make more time. The more ways we have to connect, the more many of us seem desperate to unplug. Like teenagers, we appear to have gone from knowing nothing about the world to knowing too much all but overnight." 

I remember when AOL first became popular and we all had @AOL.com email addresses, internet messaged through AOL, and got our instant news updates through AOL. I remember on 9/11, the AOL welcome screen changed to reflect the tragedy. Now... We are instantly accessible through so many technological media forms that its impossible to have a moment to ourselves to think.

For example, I wanted some space from the guy I've been currently seeing. I ignored his multiple texts. Screened his multiple calls. Then avoided my laptop so he would not be able to contact me through Skype, Facebook messenger, or Gmail messenger. I just wanted to have some time to reflect on our relationship and consider the pros/cons. Instead he was able to see I was online, and active, and he concluded I was upset with him or purposely ignoring him. Then I decided to go for a run and brought my iTouch to listen to music... Unknowingly, I logged into Facebook messenger and began receiving messages from him during my run. So basically, I was surrounded by all the wonderful toys I love to communicate with and trapped by them.

Have you ever lost/broken your cell phone? Its the most unnerving experience. Until you get accustomed to it. Last semester a friend picked up my phone from the restaurant we ate at and took it home to McKinney with her (2 hours away from Ft Worth). It took a week for me to get it back. At first I felt disconnected and panicked. By day three, I was loving it. I had complete control of who contacted me and when. Thus I was able to control how my day was going. It was great!

I agree with this author when he discusses how what we consider breaking news has changed. We need periods of time without these devices. I believe everyone should have something to help them escape the technological world. Whether it be yoga, reading, family time, exercise, or any other form of quiet time. It seems quiet time has become a highly paid for commodity, as shown by the $2800/night hotel room/black cave.

With the recent SOPA and PIPA scare, consider the overall response of the American public. Protests and huge media attention have flooded the news channels with speakers protesting on behalf of Google and Wikipedia. Imagine the world without these sites. Information no longer at our fingertips. Technology is considered a vital aspect of daily life. People need to be able to disconnect when the time has come to separate business life from personal life.