Thought Distillery » Sustainability

Eat Right, Save the World

Scott — Fri, 08 Jul 2005 08:33:05 +0000

Come all ye’ eaters of flesh and purveyors of world salvation! Don’t listen to my admittedly biased opinions on vegetarianism as a more sustainable lifestyle. Instead I invite you to turn to the research (alternate link) of one British scientist, Alan Calverd. Neither "a vegetarian or an animal-rights advocate", Dr. Calverd has outlined in the latest issue of Physics World a simple plan to reduce world carbon dioxide emissions. The answer: stop eating and thus producing livestock.

Sounds good to me. Might I add that we could go a step farther by eating all our veggies raw and saving the energy and fuel that would have otherwise gone into cooking and ruining most all of that wonderful nutrition.

The Meatrix

Scott — Sat, 29 May 2004 07:31:53 +0000

Well theres nothing like a good sci-fi spoof. Add in some serious commentary that challenges the quid pro quo and we have a potential winner. Click This Red Pill if you dare to enter the Meatrix.

Mad Cowboy

Scott — Thu, 22 Jan 2004 00:49:49 +0000

Last night I read a book entitled Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth From the Cattle Rancher Who Won’t Eat Meat. Though the information was really nothing I had not read before, seeing everything organized together provided a very clear framework. Suddenly, like when observing a Monet painting, everything came into focus – except this picture was certainly NO Monet! I do not wish to offend my carnivorous friends, family, and colleagues but through our socieity’s excessive consumption of animal foods (particularly beef) we are not only destroying the health of our bodies but the long term health and sustainability of our planet as well! Needless to say I was and still am quite angered at how ignorant humanity can be and especially at the self-regulating systems in place that protect the quid pro quo no matter how illogical it may be!

Anyway, read the book and I guarantee you will never look at a hamburger quite the same, if ever again at all!

Evils of Automobility

Scott — Mon, 07 Jul 2003 06:22:17 +0000

I feel like a complete hypocrite. Since June of 1998 I have been on a self proclaimed mission to live my life as much as possible without an automobile. After 5 years of success and righteousness, I’ve fallen down several levels and am now among the ranks of the majority of Americans who own and regularly drive a gas guzzling, CO2 spewing, anger inducing, over consumption encouraging, and exercise discouraging heap of metal on four wheels. Of course I have a valid rationalization: I plan to travel this fall – and I mean travel a lot! More on this later in another post, but I simply decided to compromise my ideals for a bit of personal freedom and convenience. Am I proud of the fact? No. Will I feel better once I rid myself of this contraption come November or December? Absolutely yes! But until then the odometer keeps a racking the miles up like the spinning numbers on a slot machine. I’ve hit over 2000 just in the last 6 weeks. Will I hit the jackpot? Will my luck run out? I don’t really care, just so long as I can let it ride till December. Then I can cash in my wheels and buy back my conscience.

Out On Bail

Scott — Thu, 10 Apr 2003 08:30:20 +0000

Thanks to the cooperative efforts of Bloomingfoods, The Center For Sustainable Living, Harmony School, and Habitat for Humanity I have at last been set out on bale. Straw bale that is. Tonight I attended a meeting of the aforementioned groups to get the low down on the hoe down. Construction that is. Beginning in June Bloomington will see its first home built primarily of straw bales, a wonderful and sustainable building material. Don’t take my word for it though, the US Dept. of Energy thinks its grand too. Finally, if you have some dough, why don’t you Buy A Bale to help make this local project a reality (or just find out more if thats your personality).