¶ … Omnivore's Dilemma
In Michael Pollan's book he touches on many issues relative to what humans eat, and in the process he spends time covering the poor eating habits of Americans and the likely reasons for the obesity crisis in the United States (think carbohydrates). His narrative includes animal flesh that is produced on so-called "factory farms" -- including pig meat he proudly kills himself -- and in doing so he raises moral and psychological issues in a very well-presented book. His moral perspective comes through between the lines and between the issues, but his approach to the subject of vegetarianism comes with a sprinkle of cynicism and a splash of cryptic tokenism for good measure. Thesis: A broader view of vegetarianism -- and the reasons why millions of people (including 15-year-old Matthew) eschew animal flesh -- would have given Pollan's book more contemporary vitality and could have addressed the obesity crisis in America more realistically.
Morality and Vegetarianism
Strangely yet interestingly, Pollan discusses the gourmet chicken dinner he prepared with food from an idyllic organic farm in Virginia shortly after describing the way factory farms sever the artery of the chicken, not the head. Was the real point of his chronology the dramatic juxtaposition of the two approaches to killing chickens? Maybe he used that contrast in killing styles to justify his passion for animal flesh. Meanwhile, Pollan suggests that killing one chicken that has been raised in a place "…of almost classic pastoral beauty" is healthier and more moral than the slaughter of myriad chickens in a factor farm, and he certainly...
Omnivore's Dilemma: Part I: Industrial/Corn "the Omnivore's Dilemma" - review Michael Pollan's book "The Omnivore's Dilemma" is not necessarily meant to put across breakthrough information or to trigger intense feelings in individuals reading it. Instead, it is actually intended to provide important information so as for readers to be able to gain a more complex understanding regarding what foods would be healthy for them to eat and how they can develop the
Omnivore Science is a neutral human pursuit. It is only the application of science that raises potential ethical questions. Kurt Vonnegut's novel Cat's Cradle perfectly exposes the ways science can be manipulated by the hands of its sponsors. Money determines the nature of research, its methodologies, its findings, and its applications. Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma raises similar ethical questions and concerns, focused not on the military but on the food
Pastorilism The way humans eat affects the globe in many ways. The balanced ecosystem requires a homeostatic process that achieves cooperation and will allow the environment to thrive. It is possible that humanity may very well eat its way into extinction if certain practices are not curtailed. Smil (2013) wrote " this increased demand was met by a combination of expanded traditional meat production in mixed farming operations (above all
Food Inc. After the current outbreaks of salmonella which brought a scare to those living in the U.S., looking at the documentary Food Inc. has actually been the best thing. This film is known as the expose of the food industry. Directed by Robert Kenner, the documentary was brought to the movie theaters in the U.S. In 2009, and then it hit the DVD stands in 2010. Even though it did
This is underscored by the brief history of organic farming as described in the text by Paull (2006). Paull would refer to a British agriculturalist named Lord Northbourne, who would coin the term organic farming to refer to that which viewed the whole ecology of the farm as something which must be preserved. In his work with Lyons (2008), Paull would renew his endorsement of organic regulatory measures, this time in response to increased consideration of
This diet made it possible to remove cattle from their natural environment and encourage the efficiency of mass confinement and slaughter. But it causes enough health problems that administration of antibiotics is routine, so much so that it can result in antibiotic-resistant bacteria that threaten the usefulness of medicines that treat people" (Bittman 2008, p.1). Beef mass production also releases methane gas into the atmosphere because of the sheer volume
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now