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a Pollan axiom: "You are what what you eat eats, too" -- has made it profitable to fatten cattle on feedlots rather than grass, cutting by up to 75 percent the time from birth to slaughter. Eating corn nourished by petroleum-based fertilizers, a beef cow consumes almost a barrel of oil in its lifetime.
I haven't had time to look up the statistics but it would be interesting to see how much petroleum is used each year in food production and agriculture. I bet it is quite substantial.
I haven't had time to look up the statistics but it would be interesting to see how much petroleum is used each year in food production and agriculture. I bet it is quite substantial.
Have you read Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma? There's quite a bit of information in there that's relevant to what you are asking. Our dependence on corn is a truly frightening thing, and, I believe, expensive in many ways.
Have you read Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma? There's quite a bit of information in there that's relevant to what you are asking. Our dependence on corn is a truly frightening thing, and, I believe, expensive in many ways.
I've got Pollan's book on order at the local library, looking forward to reading it. We try to avoid corn and corn syrup every way we can, except for some fresh corn on the cob during late summer.
I've got Pollan's book on order at the local library, looking forward to reading it. We try to avoid corn and corn syrup every way we can, except for some fresh corn on the cob during late summer.
You will find it to be very informative, and well-written. It imparts a lot of information while still being very readable, which is a big plus. I need to reread my copy and refresh myself on some points.
I agree that big agribusiness has done some damage to our food supply. On the surface, consolidation looks more efficient, but when you look deeper, you find that it's a big risk. "Don't put all your eggs in one basket".
"All flesh is grass" says Scripture. Much of the too-ample flesh of Americans (three of five are overweight; one in five is obese) comes from corn, which is a grass. A quarter of the 45,000 items in the average supermarket contain processed corn.
I also found it interesting that during WWII when meat, dairy products and sugar were scarce, heart disease plummeted. Now, eating related diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, etc... have skyrocketed. The correlation is vivid and real and should at least warrant a reexamination of what we consume as Americans.
Have you read Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma? There's quite a bit of information in there that's relevant to what you are asking. Our dependence on corn is a truly frightening thing, and, I believe, expensive in many ways.
I just got this book for christmas. I'm reading A Botany of Desire at this time.
I also found it interesting that during WWII when meat, dairy products and sugar were scarce, heart disease plummeted. Now, eating related diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, etc... have skyrocketed. The correlation is vivid and real and should at least warrant a reexamination of what we consume as Americans.
That's an interesting point. But haven't people all around the world always consumed meat, dairy products, and sugar? My question is how much of the current problem is directly related to that corn, and how much it has to do with the chemicals and preservatives we pump into our foodstuffs.
I've got Pollan's book on order at the local library, looking forward to reading it. We try to avoid corn and corn syrup every way we can, except for some fresh corn on the cob during late summer.
4 words: High Fructose Corn Syrup. It's in everything.
I'm chemically sensitive, I find it difficult but try to eat only bio (living in Europe, it's much easier to eat bio with higher standards than the weakened US standards). The difference in price between bio and not is not significant.
There are chemicals in our water, air, offgassing plastic furniture in the office, etc.
They put aspartame in baby food.
It's a losing battle.
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Originally Posted by Emeraldmaiden
I want to read that. What do you think of it so far?
I like his writing style and relationship with the earth and food.
I read all day at work and fall asleep as soon as I open a book at home.
While I'm enjoying it, it takes me a long time to find the time to sit and read.
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