Discussion questions 5 & 6

Question 5- I always shy away from discussing my eating habits because I usually find that people see them as pretentious. I grew up in a household where food was our god and we were it's most adoring worshipers. My mother had a nutrition degree and owned her own delicatessen. We rarely never ate out and processed foods were banned. So yes, every food choice I make is a conscious one. I try to cook about 90% of my own meals, I don't eat processed foods, and I choose many items based on their environmental impact. I don't eat meat or dairy for that reason. If I raised my own animals and slaughtered them I would have no problem consuming it but the idea that these animals are being fed corn products, antibiotics and in some cases bi-products from their own species I can't justify eating it. In the last two days the meal I presume had the highest environmental impact was probably the lunch I purchased from an Ethiopian food truck. It was a vegan meal, beats carrots and green beans however I have no idea where any of the food came from and it was served in a cardboard container with a plastic spoon and paper napkin. Green beans are also not in season anymore and may have come from a can or been shipped to the East coast. But because I have no idea where that meal came from I presume it had a high environmental footprint.

Question 6- As I addressed in the previous response I was never allowed to eat processed foods and still shy away from them. I read every label of every food I buy and attempt to avoid corn products. That being said it is still hidden in so much of our food that it is near impossible to completely cut out. I found myself baking vegan corn muffins and thinking "well shit, so much for avoiding corn." Then someone mentioned that corn is in our toothpaste, so it's not only in our food but in many of our cosmetics, our packaging. I cook but even basic ingredients that you assume to be free of corn, such as flour or baking powder, still contain the grain. We've found a use for this product which is lacking severely in nutritional value. Even plain corn straight from the cob is one of the worst vegetables you can consume. It is high in starch and low in amino acids. But we have it in our heads that if it comes from the ground it must be good for us. Straight from the ground it's not great but processed into all these different chemicals and it has to be near toxic. But screw it's nutritional value, it's efficient and cheap, which seem to be the two values Americans care most about.

Corn-acopia

First of all, just thinking about this assignment was hard. Then after looking at the list of foods to avoid it seemed impossible. I would never make it if I had a corn allergy. As my group mates said before, corn is every where. In my economics and sis courses I have extensively read and talked about corn subsidies is the US and how there is far more corn than there is a market for it. So now we feed it to our livestock, use it as fuel, give it away as food aid and put it into just about everything the average american eats. The impact of these subsidies didn't really click with me until I had to give up all food containing corn and I couldn't believe how much of my normal diet it was. Also, like one of my group mates I am addicted to Diet Coke and don't drink coffee. While abstaining from corn I missed getting my caffeine fix dearly. Also, I saw one of those ads that is pro high fructose corn syrup. Have you seen those before? They basically say that it isn't as bad for you as people want you to think. All I can think is how much our society and government is pushing corn products on America. Ultimately, I barely made it a day without eating any corn products and it made me realize just how deeply rooted they are in our diets and daily lives.

corn is everywhere!!

First when I read the question for this week’s blog, I thought the experiment is going to be easy. But not until I clicked the list of things I should avoid, I was little surprise that many ingredients or food I consume contain corn. During the experiment my eating habit did changed and it was actually hard to keep it up, because so many desert or snack I usually eat has corn in it. Basically for the two days, I became total vegetarian. Starting from only drinking water, eat more fruit and vegetable with no dressing but lemon. And I did really felt healthy but I was for sure I couldn’t keep this experiment longer than two days. One of interesting fact I found out is that for the two days I could not eat my multi-mineral supplement, because it had corn in it. And I did not know the corn was in the capsule at all. Who would know the vitamin supplement has corn in it, rather than all the minerals. We now live in the world, without even noticing a lot of food we consume include corns. It almost seems like we are addicted to it too. I remember looking at my food closet and refrigerator to find out which food does not have corn, 2 out of 30 items was without corn, especially fast food items had corn ingredients in it for sure. Personally, I was very shock. Americans today do consume too much corn, and too much is never good for health and ourselves. However, I know for sure government is behind all these corn company within lobby system. Although I don’t it’s too late to discuss this corn ingredient in food chain and companies for the future. People are getting bigger and unhealthy ways. the public and the media do need to educate student and adults how consuming too much corn can harm their health.

Corn Everywhere

When trying to avoid all corn for one day, I discovered how difficult it can be. I don't have any allergies, so I never have had to read food labels. I usually glance at the label for nutrition information but never diligently read every ingredient. Also, I realized that most quick and easy foods contain corn. I accidentally ate one or two pieces of food without even considering their ingredients, I just wanted something to eat right then. Corn seemed to literally be every where. There were so many products that I would never imagine would contain any corn product but did due to a preservative or high fructose corn syrup. Trying my best to avoid all corn for only one day was more difficult then I was expecting. I now think that I should spend a little more time considering what goes into the food idea. Processed foods may provide a quick meal but it could be containing some products that I do not want to be consuming a lot of, like corn.

Corn... my best friend.

With my lifestyle, it is quite nearly impossible not to ingest any form of corn over the span of a day or two. As a student with limited funds and an unpredictable schedule, a majority of the meals I eat are either frozen, microwaveable meals or fast food picked up on the go. Buying meals without preservatives or with real sugar as opposed to high fructose corn syrup is expensive! Not to mention, those meals aren't readily available on campus or anywhere but the grocery store, really. Luckily, I work at a restaurant where most of our food is made fresh and I get a 50% discount, so it does become a little more easy for me to have a whole meal without corn. At least it would be, if it wasn't for my arch enemy... Coke. Coca-cola is my drug. I'm not a coffee drinker so I get most of my caffine from Coke, and if I try to go most of a day without it, I get a wicked caffine headache. So even though I went almost a whole day without eating corn in my food, I caved and couldn't spend a whole day without my high-fructose corn syrup infused coke! I have gone through periods before where I have been able to lay off the coke and drink primarily water, but I always find myself going back to that sweet, sweet corn. I know it's bad for me, but honestly, I'm 21... it's not going to catch up with me for a while, so why face the ugly truth yet?

To buy organic, or not to buy organic...That is the question

1. I would love to say that the environment is my number one priority when I walk into the grocery store and decide what to buy, but honestly, price is probably what I think about most. Being a poor college student and all that. However, I won’t just buy something because it is cheap. I, like Rachel, cook most of my meals, so my main purchases are fresh produce and I like to buy goods that are in season. I do splurge on occasion and shop at whole foods (which I love) and make the environmentally conscious grocery decisions. Living on my own, the environment has moved to the back burner when I buy food, but living at home, my mom tries to put the environment first and she buys organic whenever possible. I prefer the taste of organic foods, and hope to someday soon be able to factor them into my food choices much more.

2.Over the last day or two I cooked for myself, but I had a moment of weakness and had Chinese food delivered to my apartment. This delivery definitely had the greatest environmental impact because not only did the restaurant cook and package the food in plastic containers, but then a delivery-man had to get into a car and drive to my apartment. After reading the post of my group member, I am feeling pretty guilty about my choices… I will try to do better in the future and consider the environment more in my decision-making.

Food choices

When I make food choices, I take the freshness, price and nutritional value as most important factors, because I do cook everyday rather than eating outside. First of all, I like to buy something its fresh to eat due to the fact that I do cook everyday I don’t actually buy something that would stay in the house long period. Also most of fruits and vegetables I buy are seasonal item where it taste better and did not come from the frozen storage. Second is the price, I’m college student and do not currently living with my parent. This means I do have to use my money properly and wisely. Third, I consider a lot on nutritional value when I buy the food, eating health food really keep my mentally and physically in good shape. I do have environmental considerations in my minds, as my parents always told me and showed me how it is important to keep up with small thing that will later help the environment. For example, only cook the amount that I can eat which will help me not to throw away the rest.

Of the food and beverages that I have consumed in the last day or so, I don’t think it really impact the environment impact. I drank only water, and I cook in home and ate with my roommates. To be more specific, I walked to the grocery so no transportation that would pollute the air, bought fresh fruits and vegetables which some may say in order to grow these items it need water, energy, chemical things to keep it as good standard product and how it was transported to market would be the factor that impact the environment, and walked back to home. And cooking food, I used the stove so this could be another view of impacting the environment. However, I think this is the basic need to live and basic use and impact on the environment.

Food Choice: Environment only an after thought

When I make my food choices I primarily think about the nutrition of the food I am buying compared to the cost. I also consider what is easy to make and food I like. A significant amount of food that I eat is frozen because I cannot finish large portions of food quickly. Honestly, I rarely consider the environment when purchasing food. I do believe that my eating habits may be slightly more environmentally friendly, I try to avoid buying all packaged foods and buy a small amount of meat. I do not take this into consideration when shopping though. When going out to eat, my decisions on what to get are only based on what looks good and maybe some health factors. I do enjoy going to restaurants that buy locally but do not frequent these kind of places. In the past few days I have consumed many different types of food but I would say the ground turkey and sliced turkey that I ate has the largest environmental impact. First, like chickens, turkeys are most likely fed corn and antibiotics that have a negative impact on the environment. Micheal Pollan discusses the amount of corn that is in an American's diet and how this is use of corn for everything damages the land and animals. Also, the chemicals used to treat the turkey for packaging are most likely toxic as well. Finally, the packaging and shipping of the turkey has used a large amount of oil in both the car and plastic of the package. The use of oil is horrible for every part of the environment. Other foods that I ate in the last few days are probably close to as harmful as the turkey but I believe the turkey is worst.

US: 2011

In 2111 the US will look extremely different. The US has been broken more down into regions of communities with a small central government, borders are not important. Most families have only one child and will live in small, communal houses. The world population has not decreased substantially but is not exponentially growing. Cities have become much smaller, only used for centers of the government and industry. Stores and all other similar buildings still exist but they share much smaller spaces and only supply necessities for living that people do not want to make at home. Food is grown sustainably, with only small sections for agriculture and the all other food is found in nature. Wind and solar power will provide energy for all technology. All wasteful machines, such as washer machines, will be eliminated. Water will be recycled within each house and will be used as minimally as possible. All consumer products are created to last a very long time and completely recyclable. Everyone will telecommute to work, unless they work is the service industry. Transportation is all public and powered by alternative fuel. Bicycles are used as well, most of Americans are not obese any more. I do not really believe this will all actually happen in 100 years. I do think many of these changes are possible and some can start now.

2111 in U.S.A

Nash stated “we have no compass to guide us through what will certainly be rough ecological seas ahead. Lacking long –term vision, we are like skier whose focus is fifty feet down the hill”, which means we do really need to plan our action toward future of Earth. Remembering this comment in my head and imagining the United States 100 years from now, it seems little far away from realistic situation but this could be another possibility in the future.

In the year of 2111, I believe there won’t be any borders between countries like today, but more likely having three countries interconnecting with bridges. First country will be summed up with North America and South America. Second country will be summed up with Europe, Africa and Asia. Third country will be New Zealand and Australia. However these three countries will have ecological bridge that will help people to move point A to point B. The population density will be decreased compare to today’s population rate, due to restriction law to people. Because people in this time will have equal opportunity and property right, that they do not need much family members to survive, any health issue of not guaranteeing to live for long term nor to fight against to have a land. Also the way people live and their daily life have changed. Young people are getting education to live in better green life. For example, they would go to their own little land to learn how to cultivate the land and within final product, how to exchange their goods with their neighbors and other countries. Middle age people will be concentrate on making Ocean water to drinking water, rebuilding the land and mountain with tress so the new species and animals can live, developing technology in a way the world would have less carbon emission to go out to air, etcs. Old age people will actually enjoy their life by receiving goods from society, because what they have done to their next generation is enough.

Energy will be used from natural resources from Sun and wind power, and people will develop better ways of using energy in more environmental like, rather than burning the coal and de toxic the land and air. People eat or consume their food will be sharing their agriculture base and trade between their neighbors around the world. Little community will manage the fresh water and the use of water will be depending on their action toward the environment. For example, if they did harmful action toward to lard environment, their next month to use of water will be decrease, due to restriction law. The nature of transportation will be divide to three ways. First, within water power ships that will help people to move themselves and large products. Second, bicycle and wind/light energy transportation from community to another community. Third, people will be moving with their two legs or horses for daily. There will be limitation of using the airline and big ships because the bridge between three countries will help interconnect each other close. This sounds more likely the idealist view of U.S in 2111, but I think this could be another view on how our future could look a like if we work together.

In the Year 2111

In one hundred years, the United States will have taken major strides to becoming sustainable. The US government will play an integral role in the incentivizing of green living. First, the population will be smaller, as most families will either have one or no children. This will be in part, a result of families with one child receiving a major tax credit from the government. Next, the US will harness energy using solar, wind or water power. Regions of the country will collectively decide on the alternative energy source that is best for them and accordingly all buildings (residential or commercial) will be self-sustaining using those methods. The government will once again provide a generous tax incentive for those that make the transition. Third, there will be a major change in the average American diet. Meat consumption will be reduced, as meat will no longer be the main source of protein. Instead, the norm will be to get protein from plant based sources (beans, lentils, etc.). This will in turn limit the size of animal farms, and decrease the size of that energy draining industry. As my blog group member noted before me, the issue of fresh water and access to it will be a pressing one over the next several decades. However, the US will address this problem by 2111 by taking measures such as diverting rain from simply going down storm drains and instead collecting it in giant underground cisterns so that the water can be used later. Also, homes and businesses will have gray-water filtration systems that reuse the water rather than send it through the septic system to contribute to water pollution. Also, the government will punish businesses through taxation if they fail to clean and purify water before disposing of it. Finally, improved transportation systems that run on clean energy will be the norm and easily accessible to the public. The car industry will be based on cars running on clean energy such as solar power and will follow the Cradle to Cradle concept that all materials can be repurposed and reused. You will never find a car in a junkyard in the US in 2111 for example. Ultimately, the US will (hopefully) undergo major transitions to be sustainable by the year 2111. There are many different ways to tackle these environmental problems, but one undeniable factor will be the role of the national government in incentivizing and encouraging a green lifestyle.

When I'm 121

If the United States was sustainable in 100 years I imagine a severe population decrease.  I know that many people in my generation aren't planning to have children for environmental reasons. And instead of a highly advanced technological society I imagine we go back to our roots of living off the land. I imagine most people to have their own sustainable communities where they grow their own food and raise their own livestock, where trading amongst neighbors is the norm and large superstores don't exist. I imagine that some people drive cars (hopefully fully electric) but bicycles and other forms of public transportation are used more regularly. Clean drinking water will become tricky seeing that fresh water is already a scarce resource. But the United States has a fairly large amount of fresh water and I see it being evening distributed across the country. The problem with this view is that it alters the United States into a seemingly utopian society. The odds of this country returning to an agricultural state of being is incredibly slim. But I don't think technology (even green technology) is really the answer.  I believe that in order to be completely sustainable individuals have to take charge of their own food and production and they have to learn to live off the land. Once again I don't see this happening in our country but I do hope that when I'm 121 (hopefully I won't be alive) that our economy and lifestyle depend on the land and we don't take it for granted.

Cultural Transformation

In his article "The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures" Erik Assodourian asserts that the consumer culture that has been developed is the primary factor to human degradation of the environment. He calls for a cultural transformation by which he means changing our current consumerist culture to one that does not maintain the ever expanding need for more and does not view this idea as "natural". Assodourian states that this transformation is a "shift to a cultural paradigm where the norms, symbols, and traditions encourage just enough consumption to satisfy human well being". He then continues to lay out a plan for cultural transformation with the themes of equity and ecological restoration. I believe is plan would be possible to implement and has many aspects that can already be seen today. The plan is highly ambitious and would take a long to start, let alone be successful, but it seems like the steps laid out in are concrete ideas. The step to switch private consumption to public consumption can already be seen in the example of public transporation, as Assodourian points out. I think that the step of necessary goods to be completely recyclable would be possible to implemented in America as well, as long as a market economy can still flourish from the production of these goods. Finally, the first step appears to be that hardest to implement. Discouraging consumption is completely contradictory to the way our culture is set up now. His examples of fast food would be a good that would be easier to discourage consumption, that already happens today. Other goods like using your car would be very hard to discourage, although people try to already. Assodourian raises some very interesting points in his article but there are some themes in in the appear to be leaning to close to socialism for many Americans. I believe if he plan was actually put into action it would help the environment but it could be very difficult to do some of the steps.

Consumer Culture

In his article "The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures" Erik Assodourian argues that consumerism is deeply embedded in our culture and therefore incredibly difficult to counteract. He discusses the history of consumer culture and explains that culture is not simply what we wear, eat or what we believe. He write that, "most of what seems natural to people is actually cultural." Therefore attempting to decrease consumerism is going to mean a drastic shift in cultural identity and beliefs. I think that his transformation plan is incredibly solid but I find it hard to believe that Americans will change. I'm afraid I've taken a pessimistic approach to the argument but Americans are spoiled and they like it that way. I am all for a serious shift in cultural practices but I'm not the rest of the world feels the same way. As I mentioned in class last Monday consumerism is a social construct. Attempting to shift a social construct that is as strong as consumerism seems near to impossible. One of the steps towards change that he recommended was a change in diet. I am an incredibly healthy eater and a vegetarian but I know from experience that most people don't eat the same way and most say they want to but don't make much of an effort to change their habits. Obesity and diabetes are on the rise and have been for years but very little has changed in this country. We are so obsessed with pleasure that we can't deny ourselves anything. The same can be said for AC/heat. They shut off the climate in my apartment for two months and all we've done is complain about it. I want to believe in Assodourian's transformation plan but it's hard to envision Americans transforming their selfish habits.

Cultural Transformation

In his article, he describes the meaning of cultural transformation as “cultural pioneers”, where this transformation does need long time of efforts to see the success view. In order to achieve cultural transformation, all the aspect from government, media, education, etc. has to work together and alter. For example, he mentioned that “policy alone will not be enough” that not only the policy but also a dramatic involvement in the very parts of human societies will be necessary. The food we eat, how we travel from one point to other, even how we treat the environment in daily life; these small action can added up from one person to other to make it as cultural transformation. His plan seems very accurate but in my point of view, education system looked very accurate to see some essential changes. As he mentioned in his article, by educating young generation about nutrition, and about the environment where we live in right now, and by showing critical of consumerist media, our young generation will be in better off to understand the condition of Earth and become future cultural pioneers. From my experience, since my elementary school, our community and school were very involved to educate how much it is important to recycle and we have to care our environment through out our lifetime. My home country is very strict about recycling process and still today, I take it very serious when it comes to recycle so I always divide paper, plastic, food, glass so it does not mix with other stuffs like food. However, when I moved to US, I was very shocked that not a lot of students know the importance of neither recycling nor how to distribute their products when they trash it. From that point, I thought not enough of education on environment for young people is dangerous for the future. I do know it will take a lot of effort to see a big changes but at least education do teaches and influence our young generation to become cultural pioneer, it will help our environment much better.