Music Fix #1

I thought it would be cool to let you guys know what I'm listening to while doing these posts. For this previous one it was Radiohead's In Rainbows. If you're not familiar with it, you should give it a listen! Great homework music.

Three Days In

So I began four weeks of vegetarianism on Monday. To be completely honest, I got one last piece of bologna in at about 11:53pm Sunday night. I really do love meat. Feel free to judge me. Now, writing this entry just over 72 hours after that last piece of meat, I'm feeling pretty good. I haven't had an physical withdrawals, probably thanks to the fact that I've kept my diet fairly balanced. I'm keeping up with protein intake - plenty of beans and rice, chick-peas, a meal with tofu, and a protein drink. Hopefully I won't be over-compensating in this regard.

I wanted to use this post to bring to light the environmental benefits of a vegetarian diet, or rather the detrimental effects of meat consumption. This is what really sparked my interest in the vegetarian lifestyle, as opposed to ethical concerns over meat consumption in general. (Although I do feel that factory farms are wrong. But I digress.)

It is important to know that livestock are incredible sources of greenhouse gases, namely nitrous oxide and methane from digestive processes. The EPA has stated that livestock are the number one source of methane pollution in the U.S. The entire commercial process of meat production releases much more carbon dioxide than crop production per calorie produced. Eleven times more in fact, according to PETA.

Livestock production also has a huge impact on natural resources, a subject near and dear to my heart. (My specialization with in my geography major is environmental analysis and resource management.) The EPA has studied the polluted run-off from factory farms and found that it is a larger pollutant of water supplies than industrial processes. PETA has also pointed to the fact that meat production is less efficient in terms of water use. The production of one pound of meat uses 2400 gallons of water, while one pound of wheat needs only 25 gallons. Furthermore, more and more forests around the world are being destroyed for grazing land for livestock. This results in decreases in biodiversity and loss of those forests as sinks of carbon dioxide.

To read more on the environmental impacts of meat consumption, visit PETA's website on the subject. I realize that PETA may seem like a biased source, as they would like to see meat consumption ended regardless of environmental impacts,  but their calls for decreasing levels of animal agriculture are supported by the U.N., the National Audubon Society, the Sierra Club, the Lance Armstrong Foundation (a.k.a Livestrong) and other organizations. Livestrong's position on the subject, for example, can be found here.

I firmly agree that meat production and consumption should be decreased. The environmental impacts are, as you can see, quite significant. But I do not believe we have to get rid of meat consumption completely. For me, a good steak is one of the great joys of life. And no one should take away hot dogs on June day at a major league ball park. But could I get by on only two steaks a year, instead of the six or so I eat now? Absolutely. Do I need meat once a day? Of course not. We all need to start taking steps in this direction to ensure more efficient resource use, a better environment, and a bright future.

We can do it.

Kerala's Steps

photo from billmckibben.com

Bill McKibben, in Hope, Human and Wild, focuses on what this blog is attempting to discuss - the need for sustainability of human action, the promotion of environmental integrity, and the recognition that we have the capability to do great harm to the natural world.

One example McKibben gives of a place that has achieved a high level of economic, social, and environmental sustainability is the Kerala State in southern India. Kerala's political and social traditions have in fact fostered a community that is responsible in terms of resource use and consumption while also creating an educated and democratic citizenry. Peaceful protest is not unusual throughout the region, and a strong Leftist foundation, even among the more conservative politicians, has resulted in high literacy rates (96%, an unheard of rate globally in a developing nation) and quality healthcare. This literacy, and general educational quality, has given citizens of Kerala an incredibly strong understanding of the world around them, with a better knowledge of world events than most Americans.

What is even more amazing about the Leftist spirit of the state is that it does not come with the authoritarian figures for which socialism and communism have become infamous. The government has transfered power multiple times from conservative politicians to the Communist Party and back. As someone who leans pretty far left myself (although I'm certainly not an out-and-out Communist), I found this incredibly intriguing and hopeful for the future of socialist thought around the world.

What is truly amazing about the health and educational quality of Kerala is that it came about without massive industrialization or trade with the West. Consequently, however, Kerala is still impoverished in terms of modern economic standards. Unemployment rates are high. Disposable cash is at a minimum, as is material wealth. You will not see a TV in every home. In fact, you won't see a bed for every resident. On the other hand though, Kerala has the ability to feed itself via local farming, it has a rich cultural tradition that is still enjoyed by all, and it has an incredibly small impact on the environment, unlike the consumerist economies of the developed world. This diminished impact on the environment stems from the lack of "convenience technology," which is over-utilized in the West, such as multiple cars per household and the unnecessarily large "McMansions" of Suburbia. Furthermore, the people of Kerala are intelligent, content, and not starving.

McKibben is making the point that the Western ideal stating of ever-constant capitalist economic development and continued consumption is not the only way to lead to a better human existence. Furthermore, and I agree, the exponential nature of consumption that developed nations seem to have embraced will lead to environment disaster, as it is likely that if all people on Earth lived as Americans do today, there would not be enough resources to go around and pollution levels would be astronomical.

Kerala is given as an example of a society in which the environment is respected, resources are saved and shared, and human dignity is placed at a higher level of importance than increased consumption and corporate expansion. That being said, I do not completely agree with what appears to be McKibben's all-out attack on Western consumerism. While I do feel that developed society consumes far too much,  I do still believe that we can obtain an ecological balance with our surroundings without having to forgo enjoyable things like cable television and convertibles. But perhaps I'm just being defensive about the lifestyle have become accustomed to. We'll save the self-psychoanalysis for another post.

Absolutely, however, McKibben is not overestimating Kerala's power as an example of sustainable development in all realms of life. It is possible for human society to have relevant modern existences and live with, and not fight against, the environment around them.

Small steps brothers and sisters, small steps.

So it begins.

As of 12:00am March 28, I have started a vegetarian diet. Updates to come.

Kicking it off.

Hello all!

Thanks for reading the blog. Just a little info on what I, Ben Roush, will be discussing in it, at least for the next few weeks:

The importance of sustainability for the continued existence of human civilization will be the central theme. It is my belief that we can maintain advanced technological society while also respecting the integrity of the environment and managing resource use in a responsible manner. This ideal will be coupled with a few other topics.

First will be a personal sustainability project of mine. Namely, a stint of vegetarianism. I want to see how the lifestyle affects me on a day to day basis and how it may or may not change my outlook on what I am doing to ensure balance between humanity and the environment. I'll also be posting my thoughts on two books by Bill McKibben about the state of human interactions with the environment and the necessitity for a sustainable human future. And lastly, I'll be comparing and analyzing carbon foot print data between my apartment here in Kalamazoo and my Aunt Ginger's home in Interlochen, MI.

Once we get into May, I'll keep covering sustainability issues, but I'll probably throw some other political, cultural, and, quite frankly, completely random stuff at you too.

Cheers!

-BR