Environmental
Studies
PHS
100A
May 29, 2014
There are times I
find that daily living can exist in a vacuum of sorts. I take care of myself
and my family with the resources that are available. I know that there are big
issues out there in the world that need to be addressed like education,
poverty, healthcare and the environment but who am I to tackle such huge
issues? This past year has brought forth opportunities for me to consider and make
some changes as I live on this earth.
My adult son and I
were driving home as I noticed a billboard that stated, save the environment,
stop eating beef. I cynically looked at
my son and said what in world does eating beef have to do with the environment?
My son proceeded to enlightened me of the impact upon the environment due to
the grossly large stock yards necessary to provide beef and dairy products for
today’s consumers. In order to provide the land necessary for livestock some
countries have chosen to use forest lands and others have allowed over grazing.
Livestock on an intensive scale in industrialized countries has become a major
source of pollution of water and the atmosphere (FAO,2013). I had never really
considered how the environment was being impacted by our food choices
A documentary was
shown in a class, Food Inc. produced by Robert Kenner in 2008. It asked the
question do you know what you are eating and where your food is coming from.The
documentary talks about how food production has been impacted by the fast food
industry. The modern food industry is about doing things faster, fatter, bigger
and cheaper and no one is thinking about the impact it is having on our health
system (Leake,2010). Wendall Berry states that people are fed by the food
industry that pays no attention to health and are healed by the health industry
that pays no attention to food (Eytan, 2013). I had never really considered how
our food and health were being impacted by today’s efficient but not so
effective lifestyles.
A customer comes
into the store and tells me his story about the way his health has been
impacted by the gluten in wheat that has been genetically modified. He tells me
that the modifications were done to help wheat grow quicker and to be resistant
to environmental harms. The new modified wheat has developed a protein that has
impacted many in a negative manner. I start doing some research on my own and
make some changes in the way we eat from the findings. I had never considered
that efforts to resolve hunger may result in doing more harm than good.
A clip from the
sci-fi movie Soylent Green (1973) shows a world in 2022 that has been depleted of all natural
resources and what awful measures humanity will resort to, to survive. Today we
still have many attempting to prophesy about future catastrophes as a result of
misuse of the world’s resources or ways that the predicted population growth of
nine billion by 2050 will not be sustainable (Rupp, 2014). These efforts are
done to call others to wake up and purposely create fear. I do know that fear
can cripple a person.
Fear evokes what
is call survival brain and it can have three primary outcomes (Laton,2005).
Freeze we become overwhelmed and feel we are paralyzed to do anything about the
circumstances so we live as a victim of our circumstances. Flight we run away
from the problem and find a small community were we can live making the best
life we can without thinking about others. Or we can respond to the fear by
fighting back. Fighting back seems to be the best response to the fear that is
evoked but it must be a rational response to a real problem.
My ultimate goal
of attending college is to attain a degree in mental health and/or human
development. Issues of the environment and food supply are critical to our
mental and physical health. Studies show that the impact of not having the
basic needs of humanity met is grave for ones future and creates a high cost
upon societies. This generation is responsible to address serious concerns and
to do what we can to make sure future generations have the opportunity to live
responsibly and well.
How do we responsibly
respond to the fears for the future? First we need to recognize that were are
not powerless to make changes. As consumers and citizens we have loud voice and
industry will respond to persons who persevere in discussion for the good of
humanity. David Platt in his book Radical Together uses this powerful
illustration.
Atop
the Andes Mountains, the rays of sun strike ice, a single drop of water forms
gradually joining with other drops to become a steady stream. Hundreds of miles
later, the mightiest river on earth: The Amazon, flowing in the Atlantic Ocean
at a rate of seven million cubic feet per second, the Amazon is more powerful
than the next ten largest rivers combined.
(2011 p.1)
As we connect with others on the path set before us we become a mighty
force for change. As we become aware of things to consider we need to respond
to the circumstance by gaining knowledge and doing the things we can to impact
for good. We are without excuse in today’s world to be ignorant of
circumstances that cause concern. I am hopeful for the future even with all the
concerns that arise because concerns do arise, and because people arise to
speak and act on behalf of humanitarian issues.
References
Eytan,
T. (2013) Comparing US food system and healthcare stats. Retrieved from: http://www.foodtechconnect.com/2013/11/12/comparison-us-food-sytem-health-care-stats/
Food
and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2013). World
agricultural: towards 2015-2030, and FAO perspective. Retrieved from: http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y4252e/y4252e05b.htm#TopOfPage
Kenner, R.(2008) Food Inc. Participant Media
Layton, J. (2005). How
Fear Works. HowStuffWorks.com. Retrieved from:
29 May 2014
Leake,
L. (2010). Some highlights from food inc. documentary. Retrieved from: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/04/28/some-highlights-from-the-food-inc-documentary/
Platt
D. (2011). Radical Together. Multhomah Books. Colorado Springs, CO.
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