Food, Inc. reaction, pgs 183-218

There were a number of differing approaches that each of these authors used in their section. In “Declare your independence,” the author uses a very angry, argumentative tone. You can tell that he's trying to make you angry. Personally, I don't respond well to that type of argument. I feel that when anger is used to convey a message meant to persuade me, I find myself wanting to double check all of their facts, as if their anger makes them less credible. As such, I didn't respond too well to the first selection. Putting aside that angry tone, though, everything the author says is very well laid out, and very persuasive. It's just that tone that I don't like. Along with making me feel like he's less credible, it makes me feel like he's yelling at me, and I don't respond well to being yelled at.

Conversely, the segment entitled “Questions for a farmer” was repetitive and boring. I feel that the repetitiveness of the questions could be handled a different way. I know that you have to ask the same questions, but instead of asking the reader to read through an almost identical answer (which I didn't, by the way), say something like “see answer for question X” and then add in the additional information where needed.

Argument Outline and Works Cited

Outline

Opening paragraph
introduce ideas
Possible thesis: “A balance between industry and the environment has to be found, one that is able to counteract the effects of deforestation, while still providing economic opportunities to the community.”

segue into need for reforestation

Need for reforestation
soil degredation
erosion
biodiversity issues

Economic causes for deforestation
Low income areas
in tropics, wood is used for energy
Search for valuable hardwoods
agriculture (cattle ranching and farming)
Mining

segue into solutions
economic compromises
sustainable forestry
example in Indonesia
Amuesha Indians



Updated Works Cited

Britt, Dorian. "Environmental effects of deforestation; The facts." Environmental Effects of Deforestation. Google sites. Web. 7 Feb. 2010. .

Butler, Rhett A. "Erosion and its Effects." Mongabay.com. 18 Feb. 2009. Web. 30 Jan. 2010. .

Camhi, Ashley L. "Reforestation: Challenges and Opportunities." Mongabay.com. 23 Nov. 2009. Web. 06 Feb. 2010. .

"Deforestation." National Geographic. Web. 26 Jan. 2010. .

Freedman, Bill. "Deforestation- Causes of Deforestation." Web. 21 Feb. 2010. .

Lavigne, Martin-Pierre, Alain N. Rousseau, Richard Turcotte, Anne-Marie Laroche, Jean-Pierre Fortin, and Jean-Pierre Villeneuve. "Validation and Use of a Semidistributed Hydrological Modeling System to Predict Short-Term Effects of Clear-Cutting on a Watershed Hydrological Regime." Earth Interactions Vol. 8.1 (2004): 1-19. EBSCOhost. Web. 26 Jan. 2010. .

"Reduced Impact Logging." Mongabay.com. Web. 21 Feb. 2010. .

Stock, Joslyn. "The Choice: Doomsday or Arbor Day." Deforestation. 1998. 23 May 2007. Web. 7 Feb. 2010.

"Sustainable logging to solve deforestation." DFID. Web. 21 Feb. 2010. .

Toothman, Jessika. "Can we replant the planet's rainforests?." 23 June 2008. Web. 07 February 2010. HowStuffWorks.com.

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.

Researched Argument Essay Assignment stance

There are many opinions about the process and use of reforested land. It is my personal opinion that the land should be returned to its original state as much as possible. As for the use, the most logical and even handed approach that takes into consideration both the extreme environmentalists and the economy of the area would be to allow sustainable logging in these reforested areas. Even aged practices should not be allowed, but selective logging can be sustainable, if it is done correctly. I feel that this approach is the most balanced, and the most achievable, goal to be set for these areas that need to be reforested.

Food, Inc. Reaction

The book, Food, Inc. is proving to be a very interesting, and informative read. Sadly, I have not had a chance to borrow the movie from the library, so instead of comparing the two, I will simply react to the book, and once I have seen the film, I shall edit and compare the two.

My favorite segment so far has been the story about Stonyfield, and Mr. Hirshberg's success in the organic food industry. I found his mission statements to be quite interesting- balancing sustainability with profitability, without sacrificing too much of either. It is an interesting concept that not many people realize. I, myself, did not realize how profitable sustainability could be, at least in his case. His story was an engaging one, though that could be the starving artist's daughter in me feeling for another small business owner who's struggling to make ends meet until he successfully found his niche in the economy. Nevertheless, I found this to be an engaging testimony. First, his ideals about the origin of his food, and then his efforts to make his ideals a reality are commendable. Then, his struggles at the beginning of the organic movement are so conceivable and real that it's difficult to not be inspired by them.

But that's really the whole point of the book, isn't it? To get people to change the way they think about the food that they consume on a daily basis? In that regard, we'll see how much it affects me when I make my next Kroger run. I certainly know that I'll be thinking about where my meat and dairy come from, though I don't know if my budget will allow me to switch over to 100% organic foods. Still, should the opportunity present itself, I would do so in a heartbeat. In that, at least, the book is successful.