Read 'n' Seed 2: First quarter of Omnivore's Dilemma

First Quarter: Industrial: Corn

Chapters 1-7

Pages 15-109

This sections explains where our food comes from and how it is produced.  Corn is in 1/4 of the foods we eat.  The book starts by explaining the history of corn and how is has come to be in 14 of the foods we consume today. Pollan covers many disturbing topics from mass production, processed foods, feed lots, obesity, subsidizing, and all of the politics behind it.  

There were many amazing facts brought up in this section of the book. A few that I thought were really interesting were: 

Facts

• Early in the twentieth century American corn breeders figured out how to bring corn reproduction under control and to protect the seed from copiers this eventually lead to the seed patents.  Soybeans are also found in 2/3 of all processed foods.  
• Government spends up to $5 billion dollars a year subsidizing cheap corn.
• When you add together the natural gas in the fertilizer to the fossil fuels it takes to make the pesticides, drive the tractors, and harvest, dry, and transport the corn, you find that every bushel of industrial corn requires the equivalent of between a quarter and a third of a gallon of oil to grow it-- or around fifty gallons of oil per acre of corn.  
• According to the surgeon general, obesity today is officially an epidemic costing the health care system an estimated $90 billion dollars a year.  
• Three of every five Americans are overweight.
• The United Nations reported that in 2000 the number of people suffering from overnutrition --a billion-- had officially surpassed the number suffering from malnutrition-- 800 million.  
• 19% of American meals are eaten in the car.

Implications:

The things I have learned in the book so far are very disturbing and shocking.  We should care where are food comes from and we should care how our technology has effected our society.  Even though Americans are over weight the Government and food industries keep pumping cheap corn into every food product they can in order to make a profit. We need to take control of our own lives and make better choices for ourselves and for the environment.  When we buy processed food products, fast food, meat, ect. we are saying that we agree with what is being done in the food industry and that we want it to continue.  I am as guilty as anyone but reading this book is making me think twice before purchasing these items.  

 

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2: Weekly Update

My SMART goal:

Over the next ten weeks 10 weeks I will use reusable water bottles 100% of the time when drinking water and other beverages such as coffee, gatorade, and juice.

I feel like the first week of my SMART goal has been going smoothly.  I purchased a new water bottle and I have only used a non-reusable container once this week.  

Successes: I did forget my water bottle one day this week but instead of buying a plastic one I just used a empty glass that I had in my locker.  I have been drinking a lot more water since purchasing my water bottle and I have noticed that I have had less headaches! I have always had a problem with headaches and migraines and I find that the more water I drink the less likely I am to get one.  

Challenges: I accidently bought a coffee at the coffee shop the other day and I didn't bring my reusable coffee cup.  I didn't realize until after because it is such a habit for me.  I will just have to keep trying!  I also attended a meeting and they were passing out free bottles of water.  I was thirsty but I made the choice to turn it down.  

Feelings: I was proud of myself for bringing my water bottle most days but when I forgot and bought my coffee I was disappointed in myself for not remembering. At the same time I thought I made the right choice in turning down the bottle of water at the meeting.  It was a small sacrifice but it was worth it. :)

What I learned: I learned that even a small thing such as carrying around a water bottle can be hard because it is one more thing to remember.  I hope that eventually it will just become a habit.  

Next Week: I plan on keeping the same goal for next week and doing my best not to forget to use a reusable container.  I will also try and drink more water throughout the day.  Wish me luck!!

"Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy"

Share & Voice: My brother

My brother is 24 years old and he graduated from the University of Minnesota Moorhead in 2009 with a degree in Sociology.  During his last year of college he became really interested in living a sustainable lifestyle and eating organically.  He decided to accept an internship working on a farm 50 miles outside of Duluth.

The La Finca Farm is a CSA farm where members purchase a share of the harvest before the growing season begins, paying for their share in scheduled installments. Once the harvest begins in mid-June, Summer Share members receive a weekly delivery containing fresh, certified organic vegetables, fruit, and herbs. Following the Summer Share in October, Fall Share Members receive the best of the fall veggies, and the Winter Share extends the season to the end of January! They also offer a free range chicken share with delivery in summer or fall. Members also receive a weekly newsletter with preparation tips, recipes, and an update from the fields.

After watching the video in class I now have a new appreciation for what he is doing.  It is a lot of hard work but he feels like he is learning a life skill and plans to grow his own garden in the future!  Not to mention he brings me fresh organic veggies every time he comes to visit. :)

Its a jungle out there...

Eye Opener: CSIP

I took the tour of our food supply on the CSPI website and learned some disturbing things.  It is scary to learn where are food is coming from.  Between the pesticides, the cattle filled with antibiotics, fertilizer factories, polluted rivers and the inhuman practices in slaughterhouses we are setting ourselves up for a disaster.  Not only do these practices harm the environment our health is also in shambles.

Next I took a look at the Green Calculator these were my results:

I thought since I don't eat a lot of meat my scores would be better but the since I consume dairy and eggs I still am effecting the environment with my food choices.

After reducing my servings of cheese, milk, yogurt, and eggs my scores improved:

With even the smallest change the effects on my diet and the environment show great improvements.

I pledge to protect my health and the environment, I will eat a more plant-based diet—more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and nuts and fewer fatty meat and dairy products. When I do eat animal products, I will emphasize ones that are lower in fat and raised in humane ways that minimize harm to the environment.  I took this pledge because I now understand how my choices effect my health and the environment and even the smallest change helps.

My "eating green" grand total was 17 which is considered "good"


Types of foods with the highest score:

Vegetables, Fruit, and whole grain bread.  I scored the highest in these categories because they are the healthiest foods and I usually get all the required amount of servings.

Types of foods with the lowest score:

Cheese and dairy.  I scored the lowest in these categories because they are animal products and I eat too many servings.

Which category do you need the most improvement?

I need the most improvement in the environmental category.


What can you/will you change to improve the score?


I will eat less dairy to improve my score.  I will start by cutting back to the amount of cheese I eat.


Summary

This "eye opener" was very interesting.  I think it is amazing how the choices we make effect the environment in such a big way.  I have control of what I put into my body and I am going to start to make better choices.  In the past year I have basically stopped eating meat and I thought that doing that was enough to help the environment and my health but now I see that cheese and dairy products have the same negative effects.

Share & Voice: Ecorazzi

Ecorazzi.com provides celebrity gossip and news that helps celebrities share their positive messages on topics covering environmental, humanitarian, animal rights, and vegetarian issues.  In America we are fascinated with celebrities and I think it is a great idea to show how they are involved in the "green" movement.

They cover topics from film and music to events and fashion.  On this website I learned that October is Vegetarian Awareness Month!

Check out this website and see if your favorite celebrity is GREEN! :)