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Good post. I haven't, actually, read that particular book, but many others cover the same basic concept. The most recent one I read was "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan.
He tracks four different meals - a conventional industrial, an organic industrial, an organic non-industrial, and a hunted. It's mind-boggling what goes into our food and how it's produced.
I read that book too, absolutely amazing the stuff he reports. I especially liked the story about PolyFace farm in VA, where that farmer has re-invented farming and raising cattle, restored the rutted landscape and produces food that is astonishingly healthy -- and he does it all without the huge input of petroleum fuels and massive water usage. Omnivore's Dilemma should be on everyone reading list.
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I think that would be the day I sent my kid to school with a big ole ribeye...
You're a great and well educated parent...
Risks incurred by consuming meat
In industrial countries, life-style diseases such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancers are widespread. There is an abundance of epidemiologic data showing that a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk for these diseases.
Modern methods of raising animals for food have made matters even worse for meat-eaters. Antibiotics, hormones, heavy metals, dioxins, and various other compounds are raising the risk of cancer.
In industrial countries, life-style diseases such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancers are widespread. There is an abundance of epidemiologic data showing that a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk for these diseases.
Modern methods of raising animals for food have made matters even worse for meat-eaters. Antibiotics, hormones, heavy metals, dioxins, and various other compounds are raising the risk of cancer.
you dont have a clue what your talking about when you make snide remarks about my parenting.
I dont like government (yes school is government) indoctrinating my kids on being or not being a vegitarian. THAT is my job.
If they are saving money and giving them mac-n-cheese that is one thing. If they are feeding them carrots and telling them they are saving the poor animals etc, that is something vastly different.
I would be in someones face. Thank God I live in the land of the free where wacky liberal ideas are still seen as wacky.
As for the beef my kids eat, it comes from their grandpas farm where it is raised on grass.
Of course! we must kill the cows so they don't produce methane. But we can't let them rot cause decomposing organic matter also produce greenhouse gases. We can't burn them cause that releases green house gases. Oh what're we to do? We'll let the cows live and hook up bags to their backsides to collect their methane gases to power our machinery. We'll have acres and acres of livestock with someone behind the animal ready to catch the methane gasses. That would cost too much money. I know! We'll tax the farmers for the amount of gas his animals release (per the Kyoto treaty) and the farmer will pass on the cost of the taxes onto his customers. If you can't afford his meat and eggs then you go hungry.
Actually the methane production as fuel for electricity is already done in places like Brazil, and guess what, it works.
Seriously, I mean Brazil is able to afford it?!! Must be something to that eh?
And no, the don't attach bags to the cows rears!
you dont have a clue what your talking about when you make snide remarks about my parenting.
I dont like government (yes school is government) indoctrinating my kids on being or not being a vegitarian. THAT is my job.
If they are saving money and giving them mac-n-cheese that is one thing. If they are feeding them carrots and telling them they are saving the poor animals etc, that is something vastly different.
I would be in someones face. Thank God I live in the land of the free where wacky liberal ideas are still seen as wacky.
As for the beef my kids eat, it comes from their grandpas farm where it is raised on grass.
Well, that's commendable. Why didn't you respond with the facts? So when your kids get served meat in school you decline and send them with their own meat instead? If you had read some of the very informative posts on this thread that have very clearly and concisely laid out the facts about the meat industry, you would not be making a silly remark about "indoctrination". You owe your kids a healthy diet, but you also owe them an education about the planet that they live on and the responsibility of caring for it as they will be inheriting the stewardship of it in the not so distant future. If your father raises grass fed beef, I would assume that you would know and understand the value of a healthy earth. If meat is taken off of the menu in schools one day a week, that does not make anyone a vegetarian, now does it?
My school always had several "no-meat" meals. I don't think they even had a day for it...I don't think anyone even cared. Besides has anybody actually paid attention to the amount of lunch that goes into the school dumpster
I was lucky the lunch lady liked me because on taco day or hamburger day she would leave the 'meat' off and give me some extra veggies and cheese. Other than that it was either salad bar or packed lunch. I seem to recall the 'meat' being somewhat stringy. Not something I would feed my cats let alone eat it myself. I occasionally eat meat but I am pretty particular. I wouldn't miss it if I couldn't eat it again.
you dont have a clue what your talking about when you make snide remarks about my parenting.
I dont like government (yes school is government) indoctrinating my kids on being or not being a vegitarian. THAT is my job.
If they are saving money and giving them mac-n-cheese that is one thing. If they are feeding them carrots and telling them they are saving the poor animals etc, that is something vastly different.
I would be in someones face. Thank God I live in the land of the free where wacky liberal ideas are still seen as wacky.
As for the beef my kids eat, it comes from their grandpas farm where it is raised on grass.
I wish grass fed beef was easier to find. It is hard to find around here. I think there are two stores that carry it where I am. Maybe 3 now that Whole Foods has gone in.
I feel that vegetarian meals should be available as an option every day. I know a lot of vegetarians who are anything but pale, weak, and skinny. They don't have B-12 deficiency, either. There is a restaurant called the Spiral Diner in Texas that has the most delicious food. All vegetarian.
Spiral Diner & Bakery --> Menu (http://www.spiraldiner.com/menu/menuMain.htm - broken link)
Looks yummy. I wish I could eat there every day.
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Besides has anybody actually paid attention to the amount of lunch that goes into the school dumpster
