So, we lost our 20 year old cat today, and I admit I am slightly emotional, but for some reason my thoughts started flowing and this is what came of it. I am disgusted by the lack of compassion and empathy and thoughtfulness that exists in Canada (where I am and can see for sure), as well as the other "first world countries" that I read about in the news on SOTT. This is what I wrote tonight. Feel free to point out erroneous thinking, etc. Just wanted to share with people who I know must be feeling some of the same things I am. I know it's slightly disjointed, but, it's how the thoughts flowed.
"I was just folding laundry and I just happened to glance down and see the headline on the front page of the latest issue of Alberta Farmer: “McDonald’s sustainable beef pilot moves into high gear; Fast-food giant has a long list of ‘indicators’ and is seeking producers ready to prove they’re good stewards” http://www.albertafarmexpress.ca/2015/03/02/mcdonalds-sustainable-beef-pilot-moves-into-high-gear/.
This got me thinking (probably because I was listening to a debate between Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada and Dr. Tim Ball, an environmentalist - his Curriculum Vitae can be found here:http://drtimball.com/_files/dr-tim-ball-CV.pdf and the debate can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0Ih2Wi8AAQ&rel=0) how strong consumer’s votes are. If people weren’t looking for responsibly raised meat (primarily beef at the moment), McDonald’s could just carry on its merry way producing disgusting semi-real versions of hamburgers. But, with the consumers demanding hormone free, sustainable beef, the industry is being forced (albeit reluctantly) to change its ways somewhat, because it is hurting their bottom line not to.
Now, I’m not going to ask that you understand how my thoughts run together, but, here is the train of thoughts I was having as they flowed:
Sustainable, responsible animal husbandry operations (i.e.; ranchers and farmers like my parents and my sister) who fence off their water sources and environmentally sensitive areas, responsibly graze their grasslands, and therefore protect the habitat of the wildlife that live on their property are so much more environmentally responsible and “green” than any farmer who clear cuts their land, plants thousands of acres of soybeans, corn, wheat, etc., etc., then uses Roundup in the spring and fall to grow food for the vegetarians and vegans who think that cows produce too much methane and waste to live on the planet. These farmers are anything but stewards of the land – no rabbits, insects, birds, or any other wildlife can thrive on their land because of the monoculture nature of their farming practices, let alone the chemicals that they spray on their land to kill bugs, weeds and then anything else that comes into contact with it. They degrade the soil, so that the crops themselves (grown with artificial, petro-chemical fertilizers to force growth when conditions would not otherwise allow) have far less nutrition than would normally be found in that crop.
Somehow the next train of thought was the human cost of our selfishness in “first world nations” – we want all our wants and “needs” supplied at the lowest possible price. Like chocolate for instance – cocoa beans are grown only in areas near the equator. When Central America stopped being a viable place to exploit cheap labour, the Chocolate companies moved the industry to Africa. In places like the Ivory Coast, where neighbouring Burkina Faso residents with very short life spans and few opportunities for work are lured as children and teenagers to come and work for the Cocoa farms. With promises of money to send home to help support their families, they are convinced they will get ahead on the farms. What is discovered is that they are disposable labour – they are unpaid, underfed and frequently die without ever seeing their families again. The chocolate companies like Cadbury and Hershey’s are well aware of this, but because the consumer is not demanding they change their practices, they do nothing about it (you can learn more about this by reading this book by Carol Off: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/727586.Bitter_Chocolate ).
What really drives me nuts about all this is that this whole “New Age” movement tries to say that we need to focus on positive and send love and light out to all these people who are doing harmful things. Well, has that helped? Really? It has not helped one iota. Things are only getting worse. You might run into more people at the supermarket who give off a good “vibe”, but are they changing things on the planet for the better? The short answer is “NO”. They are still shopping at Walmart – buying things made in sweat shops by people who can’t afford to feed their families on the wages they get, and buying Mars bars made on the backs of people who have never tasted chocolate and who are just as likely dead by the time you melt that chocolate on your tongue. So the people who are professing that they are bringing love and light into the world are actually technically bringing darkness to this planet by burying their heads in the sand and sending out good vibes."
"I was just folding laundry and I just happened to glance down and see the headline on the front page of the latest issue of Alberta Farmer: “McDonald’s sustainable beef pilot moves into high gear; Fast-food giant has a long list of ‘indicators’ and is seeking producers ready to prove they’re good stewards” http://www.albertafarmexpress.ca/2015/03/02/mcdonalds-sustainable-beef-pilot-moves-into-high-gear/.
This got me thinking (probably because I was listening to a debate between Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada and Dr. Tim Ball, an environmentalist - his Curriculum Vitae can be found here:http://drtimball.com/_files/dr-tim-ball-CV.pdf and the debate can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0Ih2Wi8AAQ&rel=0) how strong consumer’s votes are. If people weren’t looking for responsibly raised meat (primarily beef at the moment), McDonald’s could just carry on its merry way producing disgusting semi-real versions of hamburgers. But, with the consumers demanding hormone free, sustainable beef, the industry is being forced (albeit reluctantly) to change its ways somewhat, because it is hurting their bottom line not to.
Now, I’m not going to ask that you understand how my thoughts run together, but, here is the train of thoughts I was having as they flowed:
Sustainable, responsible animal husbandry operations (i.e.; ranchers and farmers like my parents and my sister) who fence off their water sources and environmentally sensitive areas, responsibly graze their grasslands, and therefore protect the habitat of the wildlife that live on their property are so much more environmentally responsible and “green” than any farmer who clear cuts their land, plants thousands of acres of soybeans, corn, wheat, etc., etc., then uses Roundup in the spring and fall to grow food for the vegetarians and vegans who think that cows produce too much methane and waste to live on the planet. These farmers are anything but stewards of the land – no rabbits, insects, birds, or any other wildlife can thrive on their land because of the monoculture nature of their farming practices, let alone the chemicals that they spray on their land to kill bugs, weeds and then anything else that comes into contact with it. They degrade the soil, so that the crops themselves (grown with artificial, petro-chemical fertilizers to force growth when conditions would not otherwise allow) have far less nutrition than would normally be found in that crop.
Somehow the next train of thought was the human cost of our selfishness in “first world nations” – we want all our wants and “needs” supplied at the lowest possible price. Like chocolate for instance – cocoa beans are grown only in areas near the equator. When Central America stopped being a viable place to exploit cheap labour, the Chocolate companies moved the industry to Africa. In places like the Ivory Coast, where neighbouring Burkina Faso residents with very short life spans and few opportunities for work are lured as children and teenagers to come and work for the Cocoa farms. With promises of money to send home to help support their families, they are convinced they will get ahead on the farms. What is discovered is that they are disposable labour – they are unpaid, underfed and frequently die without ever seeing their families again. The chocolate companies like Cadbury and Hershey’s are well aware of this, but because the consumer is not demanding they change their practices, they do nothing about it (you can learn more about this by reading this book by Carol Off: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/727586.Bitter_Chocolate ).
What really drives me nuts about all this is that this whole “New Age” movement tries to say that we need to focus on positive and send love and light out to all these people who are doing harmful things. Well, has that helped? Really? It has not helped one iota. Things are only getting worse. You might run into more people at the supermarket who give off a good “vibe”, but are they changing things on the planet for the better? The short answer is “NO”. They are still shopping at Walmart – buying things made in sweat shops by people who can’t afford to feed their families on the wages they get, and buying Mars bars made on the backs of people who have never tasted chocolate and who are just as likely dead by the time you melt that chocolate on your tongue. So the people who are professing that they are bringing love and light into the world are actually technically bringing darkness to this planet by burying their heads in the sand and sending out good vibes."
It is never easy.
