by Robert NanningaThe political power of pots, pans, produce and your pocketbook.
think it is safe to say most people don't have the
courage to throw themselves in front of a bulldozer, chain themselves to
old-growth trees, or ram whaling vessels on the high seas. Unfortunately
for those of us who have the stamina for such eco-actions, our employers
won't give us the time off needed to save the world. But fear not: as glamorous
as those efforts are, their effectiveness pales in comparison to the power
you wield in the comfort of your own home.
As we are all aware, America is all about buying power.
As a consumer you rule the world, and the place to start your assault on
the corporate spoilers of the environment is at the dining room table. As
you sit down to plan you incursion into enemy territory - aka Vons, Ralphs,
Albertsons, etc. - your battle plan must be set in stone. Any home economist
will tell you that it is unwise to venture into the super market without
a well thought out shopping list. That, my friends, is sage advice. However,
if we're going to save the planet while saving money, we need to do a little
more homework than just cutting coupons. Education is the key.We have to learn to do without all the prepackaged garbage
masquerading as food if we are to protect our health and the biosphere in
which we live. Sugar, the staple of most American diets, is responsible
for the poisoning of the shrinking Everglades. Because sugar production
is heavily subsidized, you will pay twice for the candy bar you will eat
later today. Coffee plantations are replacing tropical forests. Even the
harvesting of cinnamon takes its toll on the environment. So how you shop
is a political statement, and your kitchen is the polling place. There is
no need to lobby your Congressional representative when your refrigerator
and pantry also serve as a ballot box.Case in point: if we are to protect the biodiversity
of the worlds oceans people are going to have to eat considerably less fish
in the foreseeable future. Currently, the global industrial fishing fleet
consists of approximately one million large-scale vessels. We are talking
about ships large enough to hold a dozen Boeing 747's, hauling in fifty
tons of fish with nets that could cover the Las Vegas strip, pyramid and
all. Add to that the indiscriminate slaughter caused by drift nets, and
Iceland and Japan's continuing war on cetaceans, and what we have is the
clear-cutting of the Earths Oceans.How and why you shop can make the difference between
extinction and survival. For example, several species of sea turtle are
being lost to the shrimping industry's use of trawl nets. So remember: every
time you slip a shrimp on the barbie, you are also consuming a Ridley's
sea turtle and twenty pounds of nonmarketable incidental species. Dolphins
are still being lost as tuna populations plummet - this after an international
campaign to reform the tuna industry. According to a Food and Agriculture
Organization report by the United Nations, nine of the world's major fishing
grounds are in serious decline, and four have been commercially "fished
out." A diet heavy in fish may be "heart smart," but it is
ecologically foolish.The oceans aren't the only habitats being clear cut.
Rainforests all over the world are disappearing faster than Bob Dole's credibility.
In Malaysia, teak forests are rapidly being converted into designer furniture
for affluent homeowners. We have all heard the slash and burn horror stories
of Brazilian cattle ranching, and the cycle of poverty that follows. But
how many people are aware of the battle currently being waged on Australia's
Kangaroo Island. It seems that koala bears are getting in the way of Japanese
and Chinese loggers attempts to turn the island's eucalyptus forests into
disposable chopsticks.This absurd drama is also being played in North America,
which is being trampled under the hooves of heavily subsidized sacred cows.
This is where the politics of the plate really begins to make a difference.
Waste from factory farms is just part of the equation you don't see as you
choke down your bacon and eggs. Adding to the culinary nightmare is a list
of pesticides, growth hormones, and preservatives, all engineered by pharmaceutical
giants who live by the "Chemicals for a better tomorrow" creed.
ADM claims to be the supermarket to the world; all they have actually done
is turn the American heartland into a precarious monoculture, bereft of
the biodiversity that created the once fertile soils.Making a difference while declaring yourself to be an
eco-warrior is easier than one would think. First and foremost, one must
return to the ways of our grandparents. By purchasing locally-grown organic
produce at a community farmers' market, you will be striking a blow for
sustainable communities everywhere. We need to remember that America was
raised on the family farm, and that agribusiness knows nothing about living
in harmony with the seasonal cycles of the earth.Avoiding exotics from around the world will help to
end the consumptive frenzy that is exploiting natural resources and communities
while harming the bloated cultures whose malnutrition and disease parallels
the disparate people of the third world. I find more horror in the reality
of an obese man being cut from his home because he has become to large to
leave under his own power, than all the photos of starving Ethiopians. Somehow
in America we got our signals crossed. No longer content to eat to live,
we now live to eat. If you doubt this, just pay attention to the images
television forces constantly bombards us with. Bill Cosby has yet to tell
America that JELLO is really cow bones, sugar and artificial flavors and
colors. No nutrition there.Americans are devouring the planet. Sure we have help,
but if we are to be honest, we high-end consumers make up the smallest percentage
of the world population and are responsible for the majority of the environmental
degradation.So, ladies and gentlemen, this is your assignment if
you choose to accept it. Changing the world starts in the marketplace and
we are the foot soldiers. When shopping, drive past the all-in-one supermarket
and stop by the community-based farmers' market. The truth is, if it can't
be grown or baked locally, you just don't need it. 
Robert Nanninga is an independent video producer, actor, vegan, active
member of the Green and environmental communities, and a board member of
San Diego Earth Day.
