In Amanda Little’s essay, Power Trip, she examines the ways in which fertilizers, coupled with the seed engineering breakthroughs of the Green Revolution have brought us agricultural abundance. And yet, being able to feed an expanding population has also produced many practices that have put strain on the environment and come at a cost to other living systems. Little explores… Read more »
The most impactful contemplative practice for me was week 6 when we learned about the use of fossil fuels in our food system. It was interesting to sit and reflect on foods that I eat and the luxury that I have because of fossil fuels. So many people don’t have the same luxuries. When going through the guided contemplative practice… Read more »
Oil runs through my veins. That’s what I think as I sit, cross-legged, listening to the contemplative practice on living systems from week two of our class. I’m returning to it a second time, four weeks later. Before, I reflected on ‘the far-flung resources’ that brought me my dinner. Today, I imagine dinner floating past on an inky, petroleum river…. Read more »
The food system is a linear system: take resources – make product – consume – waste. In linear systems we know that input is directly proportionate to output. However, there can be synergy which is when the collective element’s output is greater than the output of the individual elements. There is also interference which is the opposite of synergy, it is… Read more »