Book Review: The Omnivore’s Dilemma

The Omnivore’s Dilemma

written by Michael Pollen

published by Penguin

ISBN-10: 0143038583

ISBN-13: 978-0143038580

A wonderful new look at the food we eat.

Where does the food we buy at the grocery store come from? In The Omnivore’s Dilemma Michael Pollen traces down three basic ways we get our food: factory farms, organic farms, and growing and hunting it ourselves. From following the life of a cow he bought at a factory farm, to doing some farming himself, to hunting pigs in the wild, Pollan sheds some light on all of the practices and why we should make the effort to get more in touch with our foods.

To be honest with you, I went in expecting to like this so it was no surprise when I did. Ever since I switched to a vegetarian (pescetarian to be exact) I’ve really become interested in all aspects of food. I’ve read several books on the issue. This one is something that I think is great overall for anyone. You don’t have to be a vegetarian or a vegan to like this book but you may become one after reading it.

I found the part about factory farming to be as disgusting as Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. It is truly amazing what they get away with at factory farms. I’m not just talking about how harsh they are for the environment or how terrible that they treat the animals (both of which are reasons for us to shut them down). I’m speaking about things like how disgusting the food is treated before it ends up on people’s plates. I am glad that I no longer eat meat.

The polyface farm that he visits is super fascinating to me. There is so much good going on here even if it ends with animal slaughter. I’m not against all others not eating meat. I’d like to see everyone cut back dramatically. But if you do eat meat I’d love to see people eat meat from places like the farm in the above link. It is just run in an ingenious manner that is good for all of us.

And the trip he goes on hunting and growing his own food is funny and informative. Could you imagine if all of us had to do this once in our lives before we could eat anything? Our relationship with food would be some much more constructive and it would be better for the earth in general.

I highly recommend not only buying this book for you but also getting it for your friends and family. There is an amazon link above and you can get it really cheap at Half Price Books.

5 out of 5

Green Links For The Week Of 1.13.13

Here are some green stories for the last few days:

California Solar Initiative Reaches 1 Gigawatt Milestone

A new grand strategy for the U.S., built around sustainability

Coral Fights Back Against Warming Seas

Coal Loses Crown As King Of Power Generation

El Salvador Prioritizes Geothermal Energy Development

Plastic Seduction

Here's a funny little video about how much plastic we dump in the ocean each year:

Green Links For The Week Of 1.6.13

Here are some cool stories from this past week:

Starbucks' Reusable Plastic Cup In Cafes

The Average Fuel Economy of All Vehicles Sold in the U.S. in 2012 was 23.8 MPG

Which Kind of Booze Is Best for the Planet?

The Greenie Pig’s guide to a cleaner, more sustainable 2013

How retrofitting a California suburb for walkability is spurring economic development

Jars, Jars, Jars And What To Do With Them

Glass can be recycled more efficiently than plastic. So whenever you are given the option between the two you should go for glass. But before you stick the empty jars and bottles in the recycling bin remember that reusing them is much better. Here are a few things we do with our extra jars:

We buy a lot of our food in bulk or at farmer’s markets. We bring reusable produce bags with us and then fill jars when we get home:

We make our own dishwasher soap and laundry detergent. The soap doesn’t always match up to the quantities needed so the extra goes in jars until we need it again:

I like to draw and paint in my spare time. I use extra jars to put various tools in. One for pens, one for pencils, and one for brushes:

And you can always use jars in place of cups and glasses:

Energy 101: Solar Power

Here is a neat little video I found on youtube that goes over the basics of solar power. Enjoy:

Quick Tip #10: Warming Up Your Car

It is often believed that a car must be “warmed up” before driving it in the winter. Unless your car still has a carburetor and a choke you don’t need to do this and you are just wasting money and gas. Your car’s engine needs about 30 seconds to get its oil flowing and then it is good to go. Don’t waste money and gas this winter.