Food, Inc. Reaction II

In these sections of the book, I learned quite a bit about several different subjects- the ethanol fuel business, the harmful effects of pesticides, the food industry's affects on global warming, and what the average person can do to help against global warming. During this reading, a few things stood out to me.

The first was my surprise at the amount of CO2 emitted by ethanol fuels. When you hear about ethanol in the media, it sounds like this wonder replacement for fossil fuels- it's made from corn, so it's renewable. I was surprised to hear that it takes so much corn to make the fuel that it's not a feasible replacement at all, yet the corn industry has so much political sway that the government keeps funding them. My dad has been saying for years, and I agree, that there needs to be a major change in the way campaigns are funded in the US. If politicians couldn't receive money from any industry, then that would be one way for the government to cut out the donations from private interest groups that keep trying to get certain people elected, thereby keeping sympathetic people in office. I'll get off my soap box now, but this is just one more reason to push for campaign reform.

Another thing that stuck with me was the amount of pesticides that children consume when they're most vulnerable. Reading that section makes me want to grow my kids food myself, just so I know that they're not being exposed to these carcinogens. I've lost two grandparents to cancer, and I'm not about to loose my kids, too. Luckily, that's a long way down the road from now, so I have plenty of time to think about it, but now, one of the main criteria for buying a house will be whether or not there's enough room for a subsistence garden.

This leads right into the final thought that's stuck with me from this reading, and that is establishing a personal garden. For a while, I have been wanting to grow herbs in a window box in my apartment, but I have not had the time to get started. The last section makes me want to head out to Lowe's and get the things I need to start one (curse being snowed in, and on a college budget!). I wish there were more I could grow at this time, but living in an apartment, and having so much of my time taken up by classes and homework, I don't have time to grow anything in the Community Garden here in Athens. But, that doesn't stop me from making plans, and enjoying the harvests from my dad's vegetable garden. I completely agree, by the way, that food from a family garden is the best you'll ever have. Not only did I have the freshest tomatoes ever, but there was a sense of pride (that's not really the right word, but it's the closest I could find... Maybe accomplishment? I'm not sure..) that goes along with eating home grown food. Personally, I can't wait until I can have my own garden.