Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Wrapping up and Moving On
I was all ready to wrap things up with Kate, but she keeps bringing more to the table! I love someone with tenacity. I still feel bad about implying she might be closed minded. It's not what I meant, but I really can't think of a better expression. She brings up some general theories I'd take up over at Char Vs the World, if I was still updating it.
For example the fallacy that my gluttony somehow affects people starving in another nation. If anything, my over consumption allows socially responsible companies more money to give to nations that really need it. The starvation has more to do with politics than supply, so, truly, no matter how much I eat, it doesn't affect the guy with the gun who steals the food.
As for the carbon footprint, that's intriguing, I'll have to learn more about this. I think the solution is more plant life. Not that I'm doing much about that, but since plants eat carbon dioxide, if I eat MORE plants, that means more plants for getting CO2 cleaned up, right? (No? Worth a try.)
The one that really kills me is the car thing. Our economy is still built around the car. If you remove all jobs manufacturing, selling and servicing cars, there's not a lot of people left with a job. Sure, the car is just busy work that keeps everyone employed, but until there's something else to do, the secret is to make cars better for the environment. There's good money in that, and people get to keep their jobs!
Finally, I'm sure I've got psychological problems. If you have theories, I'd be happy to discuss them ;-)
In other news... I'm fatter, again. I'm now the proud owner of 478 pounds! Ian's lost a lot more weight, he's down to 485. He'll be a stick figure by the summer. Well, compared to me anyway.
Amy informs me she's busy house hunting in between doing taxes, working and eating. Her weight is stalled at 511, she's just happy she hasn't been losing weight.
For example the fallacy that my gluttony somehow affects people starving in another nation. If anything, my over consumption allows socially responsible companies more money to give to nations that really need it. The starvation has more to do with politics than supply, so, truly, no matter how much I eat, it doesn't affect the guy with the gun who steals the food.
As for the carbon footprint, that's intriguing, I'll have to learn more about this. I think the solution is more plant life. Not that I'm doing much about that, but since plants eat carbon dioxide, if I eat MORE plants, that means more plants for getting CO2 cleaned up, right? (No? Worth a try.)
The one that really kills me is the car thing. Our economy is still built around the car. If you remove all jobs manufacturing, selling and servicing cars, there's not a lot of people left with a job. Sure, the car is just busy work that keeps everyone employed, but until there's something else to do, the secret is to make cars better for the environment. There's good money in that, and people get to keep their jobs!
Finally, I'm sure I've got psychological problems. If you have theories, I'd be happy to discuss them ;-)
In other news... I'm fatter, again. I'm now the proud owner of 478 pounds! Ian's lost a lot more weight, he's down to 485. He'll be a stick figure by the summer. Well, compared to me anyway.
Amy informs me she's busy house hunting in between doing taxes, working and eating. Her weight is stalled at 511, she's just happy she hasn't been losing weight.
// posted by Charlotte @ 6:52:00 PM 
Comments:
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Actually Char you are doing wonders for the poor of Africa since most Western countries are guilty of dumping the surplus taxpayer subsidised grains, sugar and such that they grow in Africa at rock bottom prices thus depriving local African farmers of their market. This locks them into endless poverty. It is not just Africa, a particularly silly example is that the US has spent billions trying to stop Peruvian farmers from growing coca, whereas the Peruvian farmers would be quite happy to grow corn were it not for the fact that the local markets are full of imported US corn being sold at half the cost of production. You have a wonderfully simple solution to the problem of all this surplue food... eat it ! Nick
# posted by 
: 9:46 AM
: 9:46 AM
Just some figures to consider, as it is being brought up... These figures were provided to me by a professor who specializes in the political aspect of the developing world, so they may be outdated, but still accurate...
First off, the United States (Sorry, being a US Citizen, these are the figures I have) claims to be the beef capital of the world... The United States IMPORTS more than 30% of the entire Beef market in the world. I believe a slightly lesser figure also applies to dairy products.
On another note... for the United States, its ENTIRE foreign aid budget is not much more than the Welfare plan of New York City, if at all. This is for money, granted, but I doubt food is any better. Almost 50% of that foreign aid goes to one country: Israel. Someone else can check the Per Capita figures of Israel, but I know they're much better off than many.
To blame one person for world hunger (or to even imply they should feel overwhelmingly guilty just because they enjoy food)is similar to blaming them for the AIDS epidemic. It is highly unlikely that that one specific person is forcing pharmaceutical companies to refuse medicine to poorer countries. The Food Market is a business, and profits are (likely) all that matter to them, not the well-being of the common person.
So to say that politics (and business) has more of an affect on world hunger than individual people is a SLIGHT understatement.
Soapbox discarded. Best wishes to everyone!
Mark
First off, the United States (Sorry, being a US Citizen, these are the figures I have) claims to be the beef capital of the world... The United States IMPORTS more than 30% of the entire Beef market in the world. I believe a slightly lesser figure also applies to dairy products.
On another note... for the United States, its ENTIRE foreign aid budget is not much more than the Welfare plan of New York City, if at all. This is for money, granted, but I doubt food is any better. Almost 50% of that foreign aid goes to one country: Israel. Someone else can check the Per Capita figures of Israel, but I know they're much better off than many.
To blame one person for world hunger (or to even imply they should feel overwhelmingly guilty just because they enjoy food)is similar to blaming them for the AIDS epidemic. It is highly unlikely that that one specific person is forcing pharmaceutical companies to refuse medicine to poorer countries. The Food Market is a business, and profits are (likely) all that matter to them, not the well-being of the common person.
So to say that politics (and business) has more of an affect on world hunger than individual people is a SLIGHT understatement.
Soapbox discarded. Best wishes to everyone!
Mark
# posted by : 2:58 AM
: 2:58 AM
A LOT of US imports come from Canada. Our economy is pretty much based on selling stuff to the USA. Our country is twice as big, and one tenth the population, and we can deliver by train, truck and shipping on the great lakes. So, looking at import numbers, that's what you're looking at.
When it comes to foreign aid, let's pretend there is some logic to where the money goes. Are you going to send it to a democracy that will invest the money into land development and research? Or are you going to send it to a country that is going to build palaces and buy guns to arm roving gangs? Israel is doing well, but whatever you think about their treatment of Palestinians, they really do put the money to good use for the most part.
When it comes to foreign aid, let's pretend there is some logic to where the money goes. Are you going to send it to a democracy that will invest the money into land development and research? Or are you going to send it to a country that is going to build palaces and buy guns to arm roving gangs? Israel is doing well, but whatever you think about their treatment of Palestinians, they really do put the money to good use for the most part.
I had a reply, but I feel it's too distracting to what people really want to be reading. Simply put, I in no way meant to imply that Isreal deserved any less or any more than what they get, and if it came across that way, blame my failure at articulate thought...
Best wishes to you and yours! Hugs n luvs!
Mark
Best wishes to you and yours! Hugs n luvs!
Mark
# posted by : 11:28 PM
: 11:28 PM
Thanks.
You're free to post a comment on any subject, of if you want to discuss something with me, my email is posted around here somewhere. I think.
I understand you want to get back to what we're focused on: a fatter me ;-)
You're free to post a comment on any subject, of if you want to discuss something with me, my email is posted around here somewhere. I think.
I understand you want to get back to what we're focused on: a fatter me ;-)
I'm not going to go into psychological theories. The world has enough armchair psychologists and I don't think it's helpful. I just thought it would be an interesting phenomenon for someone to study - someone more qualified than I am.
I would never suggest that an individual is to blame for people starving in other parts of the world. That's just silly. Everything does have an impact of course and I just meant that it's something that would bother me personally in embracing such a lifestyle.
Whether you need a car or not depends on several things: where you live; what the public transport systems are like; and your own personal mobility. It's not just one thing but fitness does come into it. I know nothing about the circumstances of where you live so I won't comment on the specifics. However, in a hypothetical scenario, someone who is fit might either not need a car at all, or they might need a car for some things but be happy to carry shopping bags from the local shops for 10 minutes.
The carbon footprint thing is very real and very important. Food production is one of the leading contributors to manmade global warming and modern farming methods are very ungreen. For example, if you buy beef, it's often fed with soya grain, which is grown in Brazil on recently cleared rainforest land. Conventionally farmed plant crops disturb the soil and release carbon into the atmosphere (interestingly, organic farming has a reverse effect since it successfully traps carbon in the soil). Then there's the fact that so much food is either imported or trucked from one side of the country to another. It's a big, big issue and one well worth looking into if you have the interest or inclination.
- Kate
I would never suggest that an individual is to blame for people starving in other parts of the world. That's just silly. Everything does have an impact of course and I just meant that it's something that would bother me personally in embracing such a lifestyle.
Whether you need a car or not depends on several things: where you live; what the public transport systems are like; and your own personal mobility. It's not just one thing but fitness does come into it. I know nothing about the circumstances of where you live so I won't comment on the specifics. However, in a hypothetical scenario, someone who is fit might either not need a car at all, or they might need a car for some things but be happy to carry shopping bags from the local shops for 10 minutes.
The carbon footprint thing is very real and very important. Food production is one of the leading contributors to manmade global warming and modern farming methods are very ungreen. For example, if you buy beef, it's often fed with soya grain, which is grown in Brazil on recently cleared rainforest land. Conventionally farmed plant crops disturb the soil and release carbon into the atmosphere (interestingly, organic farming has a reverse effect since it successfully traps carbon in the soil). Then there's the fact that so much food is either imported or trucked from one side of the country to another. It's a big, big issue and one well worth looking into if you have the interest or inclination.
- Kate
# posted by : 9:59 PM
: 9:59 PM
PS Don't forget that Canada might not import much food, but in terms of distance sending it from Saskatchewan to Montreal is the same as the UK importing food from Spain.
- Kate
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- Kate
# posted by : 10:00 PM
: 10:00 PM << Home
