Rethink what you eat
If you want to believe that Pop-Tarts count as breakfast and want Perdue Chicken to taste like chicken, not guilt, then you absolutely should not see “Food Inc.” this Thursday, Friday or Saturday at Witherspoon Student Center; that is, if you are afraid to consider that the food we eat existed long before it came to Food Lion. If you know that a little knowledge never hurt anyone, then maybe you will come and see me there.
“Food Inc.” is not a typical PETA video of slaughterhouse violence, although these scenes are not omitted. The film strikes rather closer to home, sharpening a focus on foods — like your breakfast cereal — that we have always eaten without question. It reveals that farms, farmers and animal producers no longer are capable of supporting and feeding themselves due to a system that insists on the exploitation of the land and animals.
Government programs support regulations that encourage farmers to grow strictly corn and soybeans, not subsistence crops. The same programs allow highly processed, nutritionally devoid “foods”, made from these same crops, to be marketed to us as healthy options, and permit selective labeling that may or may not mention that the food you are eating is genetically modified. You will be surprised to learn that the label “Organic” does not even mean everything we think it ought. Cutting corners in the food industry comes at the expense of everyone involved, on every level: of the producer, of the integrity of the product and of our health.
“Food Inc.” intersperses shocking narrative with clear advice. These are easy, approachable tips, like “read your food label – know what you are eating” (not just the nutritional information, but does this product contain high fructose corn syrup, which my body does not recognize as food?) and “know where your food comes from.” It is easier than ever to buy local. Nutritionally superior eggs, meat, and vegetables are available any Wednesday in the Brickyard at the N.C. State Farmer’s Market!
Do not expect “Food Inc.” to turn you into a militant vegetarian. But don’t underestimate the power of this film to affect you. It will not happen as a sweeping lifestyle change, but as small, baby-steps — the steps that really count — toward a healthier food system and a healthier you! I encourage all students with active interest in their wellbeing and the world around them to see “Food Inc.” this weekend.
Nyssa Collins
freshman, undeclared
Recycling may not always be helpful
Since I can remember, I have been taught to recycle. I was told it would help save the Earth, so I blindly went along with it. It wasn’t till I got older that I realized that I was never given any information to back up the many claims about recycling.
If you look into the subject, you will find that it is generally far more expensive for manufacturers to purchase recycled materials than raw materials (the one exception being aluminum). This is backed up by the fact that, across the board, recycling programs bleed money. It costs the government billions every year to continue to fund recycling programs. That cost is only going to increase in North Carolina when the plastic bottle law goes into effect. That money is coming out of all of our pockets. Every time a taxpayer recycles a plastic bottle instead of throwing it away, it costs them money.
Recycling also requires vehicles to transport the materials from your bin to the recycling facility and then from that facility to manufacturing plants. That requires millions of huge, diesel burning trucks in addition to the ones that already pick up your garbage. Can you imagine the carbon imprint that creates? That’s not to mention the polluting emissions created from the recycling processes themselves (especially the waste runoff created from bleaching and grinding up recycled paper).
I understand that most people recycle because they believe they are helping the planet. But if they actually took the time to look under the surface, they might find that recycling is not so helpful.
Nicholas Uhland
senior, mechanical engineering
