from Ali
Week Three

On Monday, my group presented on the Effects of Meat and Dairy Production, and the information I came across, I found to be extremely disturbing because in such simple ways, we could easily change how much energy, waste, and problems we produce. The article that I found to be the most interesting was in the New York Times called Re-Thinking the Meat Guzzler. It actually compares oil and meat and here is the direct quote where it does:

"The two commodities share a great deal: Like oil, meat is subsidized by the federal government. Like oil, meat is subject to accelerating demand as nations become wealthier, and this, in turn, sends prices higher. Finally — like oil — meat is something people are encouraged to consume less of, as the toll exacted by industrial production increases, and becomes increasingly visible."

It was so interesting to see the two compared side-by-side because normally, you'd think there would be no comparison. Not true. The two are actually becoming more and more alike. The article went on to reveal that other countries are noticing that meat production today is a problem and are actually halting the deforestation of land for livestock and dairy. They referred to factory farms as "growing meat" rather than raising it, because the cows are just growing with no end. It also discussed that if every American were to just skip one meal of chicken a week, and substitute it with vegetarian products, it would be the equivalent of taking over a half million cars off of US roads. Crazy, right?

My favourite foods this week were the desserts... The raw lemon meringue and the raw peach pie were out of this world. I was so astonished that something could taste so good. The crust was amazing, the filling was amazing, the topping was amazing, and the peaches were amazing. It was so good! I also loved the taco salad, because I loved the crunchiness of the chips mixed with the freshness of the vegetables. It was a great, easy meal to make and to eat, and it was just simple. I also really loved the pesto sauce on the pasta, as well as the zuccini noodles! That was so cool, and it made them so much better. Vegan cuisine is so suprisingly delicious that everyone should be able to have some. I love that not only does it taste good, but it feels good when eating it and it gives me energy and leaves me feeing refreshed.