(source: terrapass.com) The reality of fertilizer is that while it supports our food systems in the world, it can contribute even more to the pollution. The byproduct and the production itself of fertilizer contribute much to the carbon foot print of the world. The ecological condition that exists involves the climate impact of food and the overall function of the… Read more »
“Euphrates River Map.” Euphrates River Map, The Bible Study Site, www.biblestudy.org/maps/euphrates-river-valley-map.html. For me, the most interesting themes of this week revolved around water. I was surprised to find how much the political ecology of water can affect different groups. I think the common thought is that water is so plentiful that there is no reason for conflict or differing access to… Read more »
In his photographic essay Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, Peter Menzel provides an intimate look at what families around the world eat. Of the many places featured, two countries stand out in particular: Chad and the United States. In Chad, refugee families subsist on rations of various grains provided by the World Food Program. Families pose by large bags… Read more »
Arrayed on the table before the Guatemalan Mendoza family was a colorful bounty of fresh food for the week – tomatoes, squash, carrots, green beans, garlic, potatoes, and among other things, two large burlap sacks full of grain. In sharp contrast, the Caven family from California were the beneficiaries of an industrialized food system which processes many of the raw… Read more »
When you are hungry how you do feel. (Shoe) Usually tired? Foggy? Often angry? After taking the time to contemplate hunger in our contemplative practice this week I came to see hunger in a more multifaceted way. In addition to the terrible condition of being hungry, people who are going hungry are also adversely effected by the condition that huger… Read more »
The interconnectedness of the topics discussed in the course thus far offer a thought provoking global view on the future of the human species on Earth. The issues of populations growth, the recognition of the impact that we have on our ecosystem, the global food system, and the water and ecological footprint we are leaving on our planet, are huge… Read more »
“Apparently it’s easier, or at least a lot more profitable, to change a disease of a civilization into a lifestyle than it is to change the way that civilization eats.” Michael Pollan – In Defense Of Food More than anything else the connections between bad food, declining health and corporate profits stands out from our survey of the industrialization of… Read more »
Having taken previous nutrition courses, and being someone who has spent the better part of my adult life as a vegetarian, I am cautious about what I consume, though admittedly, not as strict as I could be given what I know about the food I eat and its effects on the body. That being said, much of what was discussed… Read more »