What Is Wrong With Environmentalism? (Mercola)

[Guest guest]

What is Wrong with Environmentalism?

 

 

In this interview, author and food activist Michael Pollan talks

about biofuels and the food crisis, the benefits of grass-fed beef,

and how environmentalists should think about sustainability.

 

Many people don`t recognize the food they eat as an environmental

topic. Only in recent years has there been recognition that

sustainable farming offers a very important model of not just how to

grow food, but how to engage with the natural world.

 

Most environmentalists believe that the human relationship with

nature is " zero-sum " -- for people to get what we want from the

natural world, the natural world must be diminished. But at a well

run pastured animal farm where they`re rotating crops and rotating

species, the land is actually improved. Pollan believes that there

might be ways that people can get what they need and not diminish

nature.

 

For more of his thoughts, click the link below.

Sources:

AlterNet July 8, 2008

 

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Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Michael Pollan brings up a very interesting point, that focusing on

preserving wilderness may need to take a backseat to focusing on

sustainability. In other words, when it comes to preserving nature,

it shouldn't be all or nothing.

 

 

" We've had in this country what I call a wilderness ethic that's been

very good at telling us what to preserve. You know, eight percent of

the American landmass we've kind of locked up and thrown away the

key. That's a wonderful achievement and has given us things like the

wilderness park, " Pollan says.

 

" This is one of our great contributions to world culture, this idea

of wilderness. On the other hand, it's had nothing to say of any

value for the ninety-two percent of the landscape that we cannot help

but change because this is where we live. This is where we grow our

food, this is where we work.

 

Essentially the tendency of the wilderness ethic is to write that all

off. Land is either virgin or raped. It's an all or nothing ethic.

It's either in the realm of pristine, preserved wilderness, or it's

development -- parking lot, lawn, " he continues.

 

 

So you could say that the problem with environmentalism is that it

has largely ignored the 92 percent of U.S. land that is not

designated as pristine wilderness. Agricultural giants have sprung

up, completely pilfering the land and its resources, and we sit back

and accept it because, after all, it's where we get our food.

 

But as Pollan points out, there is a better way.

 

Sustainable Farming Does Not Ruin Nature

 

It may surprise you to learn that farming -- once the symbol of all

that's natural and wholesome -- creates some of the worst pollution

in the United States. That's because most " farming " today is nothing

like the small farming of our ancestors. The Farm Sanctuary points

out that farm animals produce 130 times more waste than humans. And

agricultural runoff is the primary reason why 60 percent of U.S.

rivers and streams are polluted.

 

Meanwhile, in areas where animal agriculture is most concentrated

(Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Illinois and Indiana round out the

top five states with the most factory-farm pollution) bacteria known

as pfiesteria is common in waterways. Not only does pfiesteria kill

fish, it also causes nausea, memory loss, fatigue and disorientation

in people!

 

Aside from the pollution, factory farms use vast quantities of

resources. According to FactoryFarm.org, industrial milking centers

that use manure flush cleaning and automatic cow washing systems, go

through as much as 150 gallons of water per cow per day.

 

Energy costs are even steeper.

 

A 2002 study from the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

found that industrial farms use an average of three calories of

energy to create one calorie of food. Grain-fed beef is at the top of

the list of offenders, using 35 calories of energy to produce one

calorie of food! And this does not even take into account the energy

used to process and transport the foods, so the real toll is even

larger.

 

But there is a way to produce food, to farm, in a way that actually

leaves the land better than it was to begin with. And this process is

what's at the heart of the sustainable farming movement going on

across the United States and world.

 

" Farm " Doesn't Have to be a Four-Letter Word

 

Environmentalists often loathe farms, as they should given the

extensive environmental damage that comes from these industrial

giants. But what Michael Pollan often writes about, and what

environmentalists hope for, is a transitioning of farming back to the

ways of our ancestors.

 

A movement is already underway, and it's called permaculture.

 

The word itself comes from " permanent agriculture " and " permanent

culture, " and at its foundation is developing agricultural and other

systems that are interconnected and dependent on one another. In

other words, they mimic the natural ecologies found in nature. The

focus is not on any one element of the system, rather the focus is on

the relationships between animals, plants, insects, soil, water and

habitat -- and how to use these relationships to create synergistic,

self-supporting ecosystems.

 

On a small-scale version, if you compost your food waste and use it

to fertilize your own vegetable patch, you are engaging in

permaculture. On a wide scale, small farmers are increasingly

allowing animals to live in their natural habitats, eating their

natural diets, thereby raising healthier foods and dramatically

reducing their footprint on the environment.

 

But there is still a long way to go. As Pollan pointed out, organic

food represents less than 2 percent of the food economy, and local

food makes up well under 1 percent.

 

Making Changes One Small Step at a Time

 

Even though the problems with our food system are vast, you can do

your small part to help. If you have the space, a backyard garden is

a great starting point. You can also steer clear of foods that come

from factory farms, and instead support sustainable agriculture

movements in your area.

 

You can also stay informed and help to spread the word about the

problems with the modern food system. Michael Pollan has written

extensively on this topic. He wrote the brilliant article about the

perils of factory-farmed beef back in 2002, and he also published the

book Omnivore's Dilemma in 2006, which is an excellent starting point

for anyone interested in the future of food.

 

 

Related Articles:

 

 

Are You Being Controlled ... By Corn?

 

Fast Food Goes Organic

 

Great Interview With Whole Foods CEO and Michael Pollan

 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/

2008/07/29/what-is-wrong-with-environmentalism.aspx