The article “Tanning Trippers Get UV High”, written by Arian Burton, discusses the effect of the frequent use of tanning beds and the effects in blocking endorphins during tanning. They study subjects included eight frequent tanners and eight infrequent tanners. The tanners were either given a placebo or a 5, 15, or 25 mg of naltrexone, which is central and peripheral opioid receptor blocker. The blockage causes withdrawal symptoms only in addicted people. The tanners were then asked to lie 10 minutes in a true UV bed then 10 minutes in a bed that was rigged to not deliver UV light. The study that was conducted revealed that the constant use of tanning beds lead to addiction of endorphins. These endorphins are neurochemical produced by ultraviolet light occurring naturally in the brain and having painkiller-like symptoms. Unexpectedly the study also found that a withdrawal symptom could be felt if the effect of endorphins were blocked. “Half of the frequent tanners developed nausea and jitteriness with the 15 mg dose of naltrexone. These are common withdrawal symptoms and they were bad enough for two subjects to drop out” (Burton). Steven Feldman, a professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, believes that such effects are the reason why there are lots of individuals hooked to tanning in tanning beds.
Burton, Adrian. "Tanning Trippers Get UV High." Environmental Health Perspectives 114.7 (2006): A403. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
The article “Fact or Wishful Thinking? Biased Expectations in I Think I Look Better When I'm Tanned", written by Banerjee et al, discusses the study that was conducted to examine the impact of tanned female images on respondents' perceptions of attractiveness, healthiness, height and weight estimations. The study included 3 female individuals of differing skin color; one light, another medium, and the last dark. Then, 2 individuals, one male and one female, examined the other females being studied and concluded their perceptions. Only male respondents, and not female, perceived the dark tanned woman as more physically attractive and thinner than both light and medium tanned women. Men also perceived the dark tanned woman as more interpersonally attractive and healthier than the medium-tanned woman. Banerjee et all came to the conclusion that campaigns targeted at males need to reduce the perceptions that tanned females are healthier, thinner, and more attractive. Educational efforts targeting females need to reduce attraction-based motivations. Some startlingly yet great facts for my research paper are: “Skin cancer is the fastest-growing and the most common type of cancer in the United States”, “The incidence of melanoma has increased by 1000% in the last 50 years”, “More than
one million cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer diagnosed annually in the United States are sun related” (Banerjee et al).
Banerjee, Smita C., Shelly Campo, and Kathryn Greene. " American Journal of Health Behavior 32.3 (2008): 243-252. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
Additional Scholarly Sources:
Bagdasarov, Zhanna, et al. "Indoor Tanning and Problem Behavior." Journal of American College Health 56.5 (2008): 555-562. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
Banerjee, Smita C., Shelly Campo, and Kathryn Greene. "Fact or Wishful Thinking? Biased Expectations in I Think I Look Better When I'm Tanned." American Journal of Health Behavior 32.3 (2008): 243-252. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
Berwick, Marianne. "Are tanning beds “safe”? Human studies of melanoma." Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research 21.5 (2008): 517-519. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
Cafri, Guy, et al. "Investigating the role of appearance-based factors in predicting sunbathing and tanning salon use." Journal of Behavioral Medicine 32.6 (2009): 532-544. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
Hurd Clarke, Laura, and Alexandra Korotchenko. "Older women and suntanning: the negotiation of health and appearance risks." Sociology of Health & Illness 31.5 (2009): 748-761. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
Burton, Adrian. "Tanning Trippers Get UV High." Environmental Health Perspectives 114.7 (2006): A403. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
E.B. "Tanning beds and the `safe tan' myth." Medical Update 21.8 (1998): 6. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
Roberts, Daniel J., Carlton A. Hornung, and Hiram C. Polk Jr. "Another Duel in the Sun: Weighing the Balances Between Sun Protection, Tanning Beds, and Malignant Melanoma." Clinical Pediatrics 48.6 (2009): 614-622. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
Woo, Denise K., and Melody J. Eide. "Tanning beds, skin cancer, and vitamin D: an examination of the scientific evidence and public health implications." Dermatologic Therapy 23.1 (2010): 61-71. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Blog #9 4/2/2010
Before the Equal Rights movement and the days of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. started, racism could be seen all throughout America. And even to this day traces of racism can still be seen. Racism never ended, it only became less severe. Today there is a new form of racism called privilege. Time Wise, an antiracist writer and activist, believes that racism is still a defining problem in America today through the use of privilege and how it grants others some sort of advantage. He tries to help define the meaning of what it means to be racist and what privilege is in what he calls “white privilege”.
We have come a long way since the days of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and have pushed his dream on to this day. Progress has truly been made but we as a race are nowhere near a perfectly accepting society of people. Racism still exists and it now comes in many forms and degrees. Anti-racism activist, Time Wise defines racism “Racism is an ideology that says certain people, by virtue of their race, are either inferior or superior to others of a different race, with race usually being defined by skin color” (Cook, p. 5) His definition of racism can be even further taken apart by labeling racism and privilege as two separate categories. Racism is usually the focus on another’s “inferiority” to anyone else, while privilege is the idea that one is “superior” to another. These ideas have unfortunately been developed into unique ways to different cultures of the world.
Questions of color and race have been at the center of some of the most important events in American experience, and Americans. Many have come to believe that racism stopped with the enactment of the Civil Rights Act however, as Wise puts it, “just because you’ve made something illegal doesn’t mean it no longer happens” (Cook, p. 6). It’s just like the prohibition of alcohol in America in the 1920’s. It was illegal to drink alcohol but did that stop everyone? Certainly not. It is the same with racism, even though it may be illegal to discriminate people still do it just because they simply want to, whether it is because that is the way they have always lived their life or if they truly believe that it is right. Historically, an individual’s race was base upon where they came from and their ancestors. Now days, race has become more about how an individual looks, such as the color of their skin. Individuals of a particular race may be instantly judged because of the color of their skin and disguisable traits. For example, no one would ever suspect me to be a plane terrorist because I have fair skin and look American, but if I were darker skinned and had similar facial traits to a middle-eastern I would have a great chance of being looked down upon for my appearance. Racism incorporates both privileges and disadvantages. For instance, Wise reports that, “job applicants with ‘white-sounding’ names are 50 percent more likely to get called back than those with ‘black-sounding’ names, even if both have the same qualifications. That is privilege” (Cook p. 6). This directly shows how white privilege and racism is still carried out in today’s society. Race is still a powerful social idea and the American government along with the society has created advantages to being white. This frankly affects the entire nation.
As a white person I have been given many privileges when I come to my daily life. According to Tim Wise I will have a better chance of getting a job, not being pulled over by the police and I will start out with a monetary advantage (Cook, p. 6). One may notice that Mr. Wise does not say that whites have a privilege during college admissions, which may have to do with the controversial issue of affirmative action. Affirmative action, though constitutional, is viewed by many as racism as many people; this is because it is a program that is meant to level the playing field for minorities (Brunner, p. 1). This is racist because it is saying that minorities need help, implying they are inferior, and discriminating against whites. Reverse discrimination is not only prevalent in the universities but also in the work place. One evident case of this is when, in Connecticut, firefighters exams where thrown out because whites where the highest scoring and no African Americans passed the exam (Mears, p. 1). Justice Anthony Kennedy found that this was unconstitutional because the department was doing this out of fear of litigation alone (Mears, p. 1). I would have to say that privileges and racism go both ways. I am not denying that some whites are racist and receive privileges, just to look at the other side as well of the privileges given to minorities and the discrimination against whites.
In my Paper 3, I never incorporated racism but I did mention how some races are more likely to eat vegetarian than other races. For example the most likely race to be a vegetarian is Asian at 8.1%, then Blacks at 3.5%, and follow that are Whites at 1.6%.
In conclusion, racism is still seen today whether we want to believe it or not. Racism can be any form whether it’s having certain privileges than someone else or maybe even the simple fact that if one looked like they were or are from the Middle East, they would be looked down upon because they could be a “terrorist”. Like Wise said, “The flip side of disadvantage is advantage. You can’t have a down without an up,” (Cook). Having “white privilege” is still considered racist. It is little things like these that can make a person racist and can therefore still make it seeable in America to this day.
References
Brunner, Borgna. "Affirmative Action History." Infoplease. Pearson Education Inc. Web. 1 Apr. 2010.
Cook, David. “By the Color of Their Skin: I’m Wise on the Myth of a Postracial America.” The Sun 2009. Copy of print.
Mears, Bill. "High Court Backs Firefighters in Reverse Discrimination Suit." Cnnpolitics.com. 29 June 2009. Web. 1 Apr. 2010..
We have come a long way since the days of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and have pushed his dream on to this day. Progress has truly been made but we as a race are nowhere near a perfectly accepting society of people. Racism still exists and it now comes in many forms and degrees. Anti-racism activist, Time Wise defines racism “Racism is an ideology that says certain people, by virtue of their race, are either inferior or superior to others of a different race, with race usually being defined by skin color” (Cook, p. 5) His definition of racism can be even further taken apart by labeling racism and privilege as two separate categories. Racism is usually the focus on another’s “inferiority” to anyone else, while privilege is the idea that one is “superior” to another. These ideas have unfortunately been developed into unique ways to different cultures of the world.
Questions of color and race have been at the center of some of the most important events in American experience, and Americans. Many have come to believe that racism stopped with the enactment of the Civil Rights Act however, as Wise puts it, “just because you’ve made something illegal doesn’t mean it no longer happens” (Cook, p. 6). It’s just like the prohibition of alcohol in America in the 1920’s. It was illegal to drink alcohol but did that stop everyone? Certainly not. It is the same with racism, even though it may be illegal to discriminate people still do it just because they simply want to, whether it is because that is the way they have always lived their life or if they truly believe that it is right. Historically, an individual’s race was base upon where they came from and their ancestors. Now days, race has become more about how an individual looks, such as the color of their skin. Individuals of a particular race may be instantly judged because of the color of their skin and disguisable traits. For example, no one would ever suspect me to be a plane terrorist because I have fair skin and look American, but if I were darker skinned and had similar facial traits to a middle-eastern I would have a great chance of being looked down upon for my appearance. Racism incorporates both privileges and disadvantages. For instance, Wise reports that, “job applicants with ‘white-sounding’ names are 50 percent more likely to get called back than those with ‘black-sounding’ names, even if both have the same qualifications. That is privilege” (Cook p. 6). This directly shows how white privilege and racism is still carried out in today’s society. Race is still a powerful social idea and the American government along with the society has created advantages to being white. This frankly affects the entire nation.
As a white person I have been given many privileges when I come to my daily life. According to Tim Wise I will have a better chance of getting a job, not being pulled over by the police and I will start out with a monetary advantage (Cook, p. 6). One may notice that Mr. Wise does not say that whites have a privilege during college admissions, which may have to do with the controversial issue of affirmative action. Affirmative action, though constitutional, is viewed by many as racism as many people; this is because it is a program that is meant to level the playing field for minorities (Brunner, p. 1). This is racist because it is saying that minorities need help, implying they are inferior, and discriminating against whites. Reverse discrimination is not only prevalent in the universities but also in the work place. One evident case of this is when, in Connecticut, firefighters exams where thrown out because whites where the highest scoring and no African Americans passed the exam (Mears, p. 1). Justice Anthony Kennedy found that this was unconstitutional because the department was doing this out of fear of litigation alone (Mears, p. 1). I would have to say that privileges and racism go both ways. I am not denying that some whites are racist and receive privileges, just to look at the other side as well of the privileges given to minorities and the discrimination against whites.
In my Paper 3, I never incorporated racism but I did mention how some races are more likely to eat vegetarian than other races. For example the most likely race to be a vegetarian is Asian at 8.1%, then Blacks at 3.5%, and follow that are Whites at 1.6%.
In conclusion, racism is still seen today whether we want to believe it or not. Racism can be any form whether it’s having certain privileges than someone else or maybe even the simple fact that if one looked like they were or are from the Middle East, they would be looked down upon because they could be a “terrorist”. Like Wise said, “The flip side of disadvantage is advantage. You can’t have a down without an up,” (Cook). Having “white privilege” is still considered racist. It is little things like these that can make a person racist and can therefore still make it seeable in America to this day.
References
Brunner, Borgna. "Affirmative Action History." Infoplease. Pearson Education Inc. Web. 1 Apr. 2010.
Cook, David. “By the Color of Their Skin: I’m Wise on the Myth of a Postracial America.” The Sun 2009. Copy of print.
Mears, Bill. "High Court Backs Firefighters in Reverse Discrimination Suit." Cnnpolitics.com. 29 June 2009. Web. 1 Apr. 2010.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Blog #8 3/29/2010
Before coming to Washington State University, the sources that I would most often use were online sources, books from the library and text books. I would usually always use online sources because they were the easiest way to find a lot of information on a specific topic, however, now I realized that these sources weren’t probably always reliable. Library books I used rarely because I hated searching for books but the information was definitely more reliable. Now that I am attending Washington State University I was introduced to the WSU library web page and how to find millions of sources from this web page without ever having to go to the library. For my English 101 Papers that I need good research information for I will use the EBSCO research web page which helps me find good sources and fast. I will simple type the subject of the information I need into the search bar and plenty of useful sources appear. To make sure that they apply directly to my paper I open up each link to the source and read the preview of the paper, if it sounds applicable I then open the paper or article and read the entire thing, searching for information that I would like to include in my paper. Another source I use for my English 101 papers is required readings for the course such as “Omnivores Dilemma” written by Michael Pollan. These readings are required for a reason and therefore should be a good source for my papers. Contrary to my research habits in high school, I rarely use online sources now. I am usually able to find way better sources through EBSCO. I could further improve my methods for finding sources by narrowing down my search topic or searching more words at one time when using EBSCO. Doing this will give me better results that are more focused on the specific information I am looking for rather than a very broad topic.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Blog #7 3/9/10
Rich, Tracey R. "Kashrut: Jewish Dietary Laws." 1995-2007. Judasim 101. 9 March 2010 .
This would be a good source for my paper 3 if I write about the Jewish food community. It list all of the dietary laws which includes:
Certain animals may not be eaten at all. This restriction includes the flesh, organs, eggs and milk of the forbidden animals.
Of the animals that may be eaten, the birds and mammals must be killed in accordance with Jewish law.
All blood must be drained from meat and poultry or broiled out of it before it is eaten.
It also goes into extensive details about all of the rules.
This source talks about the symbols on a package to recognize if a food is Kosher or not. The website goes into detail about why all of these laws are observed. A useful quote I would use in my paper relating to health issues would be, “Many modern Jews think that the laws of kashrut are simply primitive health regulations that have become obsolete with modern methods of food preparation. There is no question that some of the dietary laws have some beneficial health effects.”
This would be a good source since off the top of my head I wouldn't know any of these facts, so they would be important to include in my paper to inform the reader of what being Kosher really means.
In response to Norman Borlaug's article
I think that the advancement of biotechnology is very vital for our world since there are tons around the world dying every day, and if not dying, millions are starving. The ability to grow more of, faster, and cheaper really defines what our world has become as of late. The world's population has been growing exponentially and there is going to be a time when we exhaust all of the resources. But thanks to technology we are able to significantly push back this time and provide for billions of humans that we would not have been able to otherwise. The thing that is truly frightening though is growing all of these genetically modified crops is a huge risk. Every single crop is the same and while they have been genetically modified to resist pests or other limitations that have been faced in the past, they have the ability to fail 100%. If a pest becomes immune to the resistance then, goodbye EVERYTHING. 100% of the crop would be lost and the world would be in a WORLD of shit. So although I do support biotechnology I believe that if it is going to last it needs to advance even more to successful support the world to the end of time.
This would be a good source for my paper 3 if I write about the Jewish food community. It list all of the dietary laws which includes:
Certain animals may not be eaten at all. This restriction includes the flesh, organs, eggs and milk of the forbidden animals.
Of the animals that may be eaten, the birds and mammals must be killed in accordance with Jewish law.
All blood must be drained from meat and poultry or broiled out of it before it is eaten.
It also goes into extensive details about all of the rules.
This source talks about the symbols on a package to recognize if a food is Kosher or not. The website goes into detail about why all of these laws are observed. A useful quote I would use in my paper relating to health issues would be, “Many modern Jews think that the laws of kashrut are simply primitive health regulations that have become obsolete with modern methods of food preparation. There is no question that some of the dietary laws have some beneficial health effects.”
This would be a good source since off the top of my head I wouldn't know any of these facts, so they would be important to include in my paper to inform the reader of what being Kosher really means.
In response to Norman Borlaug's article
I think that the advancement of biotechnology is very vital for our world since there are tons around the world dying every day, and if not dying, millions are starving. The ability to grow more of, faster, and cheaper really defines what our world has become as of late. The world's population has been growing exponentially and there is going to be a time when we exhaust all of the resources. But thanks to technology we are able to significantly push back this time and provide for billions of humans that we would not have been able to otherwise. The thing that is truly frightening though is growing all of these genetically modified crops is a huge risk. Every single crop is the same and while they have been genetically modified to resist pests or other limitations that have been faced in the past, they have the ability to fail 100%. If a pest becomes immune to the resistance then, goodbye EVERYTHING. 100% of the crop would be lost and the world would be in a WORLD of shit. So although I do support biotechnology I believe that if it is going to last it needs to advance even more to successful support the world to the end of time.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Blog #6 3/1/10
In the last section of reading, Pollan challenges himself to make a meal that has been grown, hunted and foraged. He talks about the evolution of the human body and how it is all connected to the Earth, from our jaw structure and teeth to enzymes in our stomachs. Something that the human race lacks that other animals do not is the natural instinct to know what we can and can’t eat. Humans have discovered through trial and error what is edible and nutritious. I wonder, do we lack this instinct simply because we do or is it because unlike most other animals, our bodies and brains are extremely complex and require many sources of nutrition to survive. I’m thinking the later. But I do wonder if humans could lead a healthier life with a small diet that includes only the necessities like other animals. The thought of developing a disease such as diabetes or developing cancer is frightening to me, and there is no doubt that the increasing numbers of deaths and diagnoses is from the diets/habits/environments that we live in. If there was a simple yet proven diet guide to living a cancer/disease free life I would follow it in a heartbeat, I do not like the thought that I could be slowly killing myself and not living my life to the fullest.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Blog #5 2/23/10
While reading through chapter 16 of The Omnivore's Dilemma, especially part four titled, "America's National Eating Disorder", I realized how uneducated the majority of American's really are and how easily they will trust anyone to make them look better without looking into the consequences. And yes I said looking better and not eating healthier, because the truth is American's will do anything and eat anything (or nothing if that is the case) to fit the perfect mold. I hear about new diet fads all the time but it never really hit me how disgustingly gullible America's people are. This is an epidemic! America is notorious for being overweight and instead of untrustworthy fads that are just looking for a quick and easy buck, we need a reliable resource to get us on the track to happy, healthy living. Books like Omnivore’s Dilemma are a step in the right direction, but America needs a big smack in the face, so to speak.
Not only is it these diet fads that are tricking us, but it is the bad habits that we have established in our lives such as snacking, eating alone, and eating those highly processed foods that are pumped with sugar. I honestly can’t believe I grew up believe it was okay for me to eat chocolate muffins and pop tarts for breakfast and snacking literally all the time. Omnivore’s Dilemma has really opened my mind and made me want to research further to find a healthier way to eat and live my life.
Not only is it these diet fads that are tricking us, but it is the bad habits that we have established in our lives such as snacking, eating alone, and eating those highly processed foods that are pumped with sugar. I honestly can’t believe I grew up believe it was okay for me to eat chocolate muffins and pop tarts for breakfast and snacking literally all the time. Omnivore’s Dilemma has really opened my mind and made me want to research further to find a healthier way to eat and live my life.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Blog #4 2/15/10
I find the ideas that are presented in chapter 6 of “They Say, I Say” valuable. It really bothers me when I read a paper where the author is extremely close-minded and is trying to persuade me to think a certain way yet the author only provides what they think and not other point of views. To successfully and fully persuade an audience it is mandatory to present many, if not all, views on a subject. And simply just listing the opposing views doesn’t cut it, they should be given a fair amount of attention since the reader deserves to know the whole story, and not just an opinion. The audience is entitled to knowing all aspects of an argument. The purpose of the paper should be to inform the audience on all grounds, then present support of why the author’s point of view is better than others, but then leave it up to the reader to decide what they want to believe. A persuasive paper should never be forceful, rather more informative and supportive. If force or bias is used in a paper, more often than not the reader is turned off to the opinions presented and trust is entirely lost.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Source Citation:
Darwin, David. "Advertising Obesity: Can the U.S. Follow the Lead of the UK in Limiting Television Marketing of Unhealthy Foods to Children?." Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 42.1 (2009): 317-350. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 9 Feb. 2010.
link:
http://ntserver1.wsulibs.wsu.edu:2057/ehost/pdf?vid=8&hid=4&sid=664ca2fb-927a-4624-9c9d-2e4ff2f42645@sessionmgr11
Darwin, David. "Advertising Obesity: Can the U.S. Follow the Lead of the UK in Limiting Television Marketing of Unhealthy Foods to Children?." Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 42.1 (2009): 317-350. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 9 Feb. 2010.
link:
http://ntserver1.wsulibs.wsu.edu:2057/ehost/pdf?vid=8&hid=4&sid=664ca2fb-927a-4624-9c9d-2e4ff2f42645@sessionmgr11
Monday, February 8, 2010
Blog #3 2/8/10
I am not going to lie, I wasn't exactly sure that "They Say, I Say," by Gerald Graff, was going to have anything to offer me. However, I was mistaken. The first 3 chapters screamed "DUH!" to me, but chapter 4 had me pleasantly surprised.
Chapter 4 covers different ways to respond to what they say. There's the completely agree, completely disagree, and then the mixture of both. In high school it seemed as though the teachers really pushed my peers and I to take one stance or the other, agree or disagree, but not both. I find it extremely crucial to be able to agree and disagree at the same time. Why? Because that's real life. For example, American's can choose to be Republican, Democratic, etc. but in reality just because one takes the title or Republican doesn't mean that they share exactly the same views on every political stance. They would obviously agree on the majority of Republican views, but then there are issues where they might completely disagree, or agree yet impose other views. And this is the way life is. I appreciate that agreeing and disagreeing at the same time is encouraged in chapter 4 because every individual is unique and therefore should be able to share their views, whatever they may be.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Blog #2 1/30/10
Chapter 9 titled “Big Organic” of Omnivore’s Dilemma, written by Michael Pollan, really makes me rethink about what I eat every day. You think you’re just eating cow for dinner right, but really these cows were just raised to be slaughtered and they could have been injected with growth hormones along with many other things that are just disgusting to think about. Honestly, just imagining what goes on during the process of farming animals and crops officially made me lose my appetite. So why not eat organic foods that promise a more reasonable farming technique?
At this point in my life I would probably never spend the extra money just to make sure that what I’m eating is organic, I just don’t have enough money to throw around. However I could see myself in a couple years, out of college and getting paid salary, spending that extra money to feel more comfortable about what I am eating.
The sad point of this all is that most consumers care more about a lower price than they do a healthier choice. They don’t necessarily truly care about what is best for them to eat. Therefore, most producers don’t give a damn either. They care only about their yield, so they will do whatever it takes to maximize the yield, even if it detriments the nutrition.
At this point in my life I would probably never spend the extra money just to make sure that what I’m eating is organic, I just don’t have enough money to throw around. However I could see myself in a couple years, out of college and getting paid salary, spending that extra money to feel more comfortable about what I am eating.
The sad point of this all is that most consumers care more about a lower price than they do a healthier choice. They don’t necessarily truly care about what is best for them to eat. Therefore, most producers don’t give a damn either. They care only about their yield, so they will do whatever it takes to maximize the yield, even if it detriments the nutrition.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Blog #1 1/25/2010
Last semester in Biology 101 I learned that technology has enabled man kind to accomplish many goals and discover numerous things, especially when it comes to exploring the human body and food. As technology has advanced so has GMOs, genetically modified organisms, which are organisms that are modified using genetic engineering techniques. Specifically, BT corn was genetically engineered to produce its own pesticides to keep away the organisms that destroy it. The Omnivore’s Dilemma written by Michael Pollan, presents two farmers in Greene County, Iowa who are faced with the controversy of growing corn and whether or not to plant BT corn. In Pullman, Washington I am faced with the terrifying question of, why grow corn in the first place?
Corn has this bizarre supply and demand concept. Farmers have been facing lower prices and the only way for them to support their families is to produce more corn. However, the more corn each farmer produces, the less it is worth, and then consequently the farmers are being extremely underpaid for their crop. For this reason, farmers become desperate to maximize their crop turn to BT corn and brutally degrading their land. One of the Iowa farmers, George Naylor, doesn’t plant BT corn due to his lack of trust of the technology, “Sure, you might get a yield bump, but whatever you make on the extra corn goes right back to cover the premium for the seed.” (Pollan, 36) Sounds to me like these farmers are being used by technology and its controllers, a very bright red flag symbolizing reason to find a new job! On the other hand, Billy, George’s neighbor plants BT corn and claims it is the greatest. What he doesn’t share is that he is in tremendous debt. While Billy is ripped off and brainwashed into thinking that BT corn is all that, George is producing more corn for less per acre.
I find that there is a very simple solution to the farmers’ dilemma… get a new job! I get it, farming has been in your family since they came to America, but save your worries and ditch the corn. You’ve been farming long enough to hopefully realize that the government is using you while stripping away what they are truly in debt to you. Any person has to potential to accomplish anything they put their mind to, and there are other jobs that will support your family, so get out there!
References
Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma. Penguin Books, 2007. Page 36.
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