Dear Barbara,
I curse you and thank you for many things as I read your latest book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Firstly, you've made me feel sufficiently guilty for all the foods I have consumed in my life. To my credit, I never considered that when I buy produce from California, it's drenched in fossil fuels from transcontinental transportation. I also didn't realize the health and economic monstrosities of high fructose corn syrup. Now I do, and I feel badly for drinking a Coke today.
But I'm trying, Barb. No more fast food for this young man, and I'm doing my best to kick the soda pop habit. Really, the one I had today was the first I'd had in a week. From here on out, I swear off CAFO produced meat, and I'm cutting back on meat altogether. I'd already quit the red meat, but my dearly beloved poultry is taking a dietary hit, too. I'm shopping at the farmer's market, despite how scanty it can be, and I've been making my own pantry staples from local ingredients: pasta sauce, salsa. I'm even going to try my hand at bread making. Because I care about my local community, and I want to do more to decrease my carbon footprint. I don't think recycling is enough anymore.
Thanks for showing me that I don't have to be a vegan to eat responsibly, because I really don't get the health, economic, or moral benefits of such a dietary choice, and I don't think you do either. And thanks for showing me that just making small changes in the way I eat will help me make the world a better place. But please don't hate me if I still shop at Kroger occasionally. I'm a poor graduate student.
Sincerely,
Tim
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7 comments:
I feel guilty.
They do make soda without HFCS, if you're looking for a soda hit every now and then (obviously not everyday). Blue Sky is one.
You should really read Michael Pollan, if you liked Barbara Kingsolver's book. :)
Hey Tim! This is Bri Spicer from the Writing Center. After reading this, I think I'll probably see if I can find it at VCU's library. Since moving to Richmond, I've had much more choice at the farmer's markets for sure. How's grad school treating you? I start in a few weeks. Hope to hear from you.
Do you know what would happen if I tried to make my own sauce, any kind of sauce? You'd hear the kids screaming in horror and pain all the way in East TN!!
I have no idea what book you're talking about, but I still feel guilty. How does that happen?
Soon, Tim will be eating twigs and bark and such, all the while reminiscing about cream cheese and sausage crescent rolls.
I fear you'll wither and become a philosophy major. I really do.
Oh, Monda, I wouldn't do such a thing. I'm just going to cut so much meat from my diet (which means I will still eat meat) and try to shop more responsibly. And I'm never eating fast food again, if I can help it, which you know is a good thing.
I knew I'd get some flack for this post.
I'm a great Barbara Kingsolver fan but havne't got round to reading this one yet. Thanks for the reminder.
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