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 Trying to find some instance
of wise stewardship, we landed on the subject of aquaculture. I had to admit
that while fish farms are a short term Band-Aid in meeting global consumer
needs, they still have a major impact on the areas in which they are located.
For example, the shrimp ponds have replaced coastal mangrove forests. Monoculture
is never a good thing, yet to think we are driving species to extinction
just for the greedy pleasure of eating half a dozen crustaceans dipped in
a sauce of ketchup and horseradish borders on the surreal. Granted, shrimp
trawlers do far more damage. But still, do we really need shrimp on the
menu? Those Red Lobster commercials that promise an "all you can eat"
shrimp extravaganza fail to mention the environmental price of the gluttony
they are promoting.
Leaving the ocean behind, Dr. Bowles
explained the project she just recently completed. In the wilds of Oklahoma,
it was her task to see how close Navy jets could fly to ostrich ranches
before they spooked the feathered herds. It seems ostrich meat is becoming
the favorite flesh of the country club set. Amazingly enough, this is a
by-product of a failed attempt to create a market for ostrich eggs and feathers.
According to the doctor, the flesh is fat free and "oh so tasty"
(I'm paraphrasing; Ann would use a more substantial vocabulary). Although
some proponents say big bird is a much healthier meat, I don't see how a
herd of ostriches are any different than hamburgers on the hoof.
I asked Dr. Bowles what would happen
if a breeding pair were to become feral, as have cattle, horses, and in
particular the camels of Australia. All livestock continues to alter their
environment. All she could say is, "it's to soon to tell."
Currently in America, buffalo, an
endangered species, is being shot to protect domestic cattle from a virus
that has yet to be transferred to that sacred cow. In the eastern Mojave
Desert, big horn sheep are under the gun in the name of healthy cows. So
who does one blame, or shoot, for all the E-coli outbreaks? Hudson Food
Co. has recalled 28 million pounds of contaminated beef, most of which,
officials believe, has already been eaten. Hello? Is anybody home?
The media has been awash in stories
of how Americans are not getting enough calcium in their diet. I wonder
who bankrolled all those studies? Can you say dairy industry? If I see one
more "Got Milk?" commercial, I will scream. Considering that humans
are the only species that consume milk after they are weaned, in reality
we are getting too much calcium from artificial sources. The body, when
allowed to do so, will utilize its own calcium; all you have to do is eat
your leafy green vegetables, and nature will do the rest. I know it is hard
to imagine, but once upon a time people existed without diary products.
All animals consume. I get it. Humans
are not exempt from the eat-or-be-eaten cycle. We have just turned it into
a hideous art form. Shark fin soup, monkey brains and milk-fed veal are
examples of the living torture to which we subject our fellow creatures.
Torturing ourselves is now all the
rage. Thirty percent of Americans are obese and you know who you are. Listen
folks, all that garbage you are shoving in your face comes from the environment
although in some cases the connection is tenuous at best. Twinkies, Ding
Dongs, and those hideous pink Snow Balls all contribute to an ever-expanding
populace. The sheer amount of grain needed to produce the mountains of junk
food devoured is second only to the amount of grain fed to livestock in
the pursuit of the perfect E-coli burger. Prairies and plains, rich in biodiversity,
gave way to the industrial farming corporations that left us with drug-dependent
monocultures. In an attempt to bypass the chemical middleman, Coca Cola
is now using genetically engineered corn to manufacture the slop the world
guzzles down.
But before all my tofu-eating friends
start to feel superior, let me share this disturbing factoid: Nebraska is
the top producer of soybeans in the United States. In 1993, 99 percent of
those soybeans were sprayed with pesticides. It is also interesting to note
that genetically engineered soybeans are being mixed with organic ones without
being labeled as such.
The easiest way of cleaning up the
menu we are inflicting on ourselves is to establish a chemical-free backyard
garden. Being present to the way your family's food is produced is actually
the first step in promoting healthy families. Some of you will say that
is impossible in today's world, and my response is, "whose fault is
that?" If you don't have the time or space, find the nearest farmers'
market and get to know your local growers. Unless Americans start to eat
less, and healthier, we will all be left having eaten ourselves out of house
and home.
Towards the end of our meal Dr. Bowles
proposed a question that desperately needs to be asked of scientists, developers,
stockbrokers, and fishermen. So in preparation of next months column, I'm
asking that my readers help me out. I'm requesting answers to the following
question: How much is enough? |
hile having sushi the other
day (yes there is such a thing as Vegan sushi), I had one of the most enlightening
conversations I can remember. Sharing the corner of the bar with me were
my oldest friend, Tracy Condra, and marine biologist Dr. Ann Bowles of the
Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute.