Research Paper Topic

Topic: Technology in agriculture
Tentative argument: Technology in agriculture (Ag) has created a situation where Americans have a major disconnect with their food while concurrently having negative effects on health and the environment.

Sources:

‘A Conversation with ‘Food, Inc.’ Director Robert Kenner’
By John Birdsall from Sf Weekly
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2009/06/a_conversation_with_food_inc_d.php

‘Environmental Impacts of Agriculture’
Adam Litterman, Tolu Onigbanjo and Teresa Soroka, Princeton University
http://www.princeton.edu/~chm333/2003/agriculture/index.html

‘Food, Inc.’
Film

Mothers for Natural Law
http://www.safe-food.org/-issue/dangers.html

I have been inspired to do this research essay after reading the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbra Kingsolver, but I wasn’t exactly sure the direction I wanted to take it in. It seemed like perfect timing when I saw previews for Food, Inc. on KQED. I watched the movie and knew I had to do my essay on this topic. It is shocking to see the way industrial technology is used in the food industry. It struck me as very unnatural and left me wanting to learn more.

I’ve learned that Ag was a technologic advancement from hunting and gathering. Ag changed the way people lived. It used to be that people moved to where the food supply was, but Ag made it possible for people to permanently live in one centralized location and form communities.

The industrial production of meat, vegetables, and grains is extremely unsustainable. Not to mention that the industry is monopolized by a few big companies who are mass producing cheap food with heavy reliance on petroleum-based chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers). The food can also be contaminated due to unsanitary practices of mass production farming.

Americans are no longer connected to the origin of their supply beyond the supermarkets. This is not surprising due to the fact that mass production companies do not advertise their farming techniques. In an interview with SF Weekly, director of Food Inc., Robert Kenner states that "All we want is transparency and a good conversation about these things."

Genetically engineered foods look safe, but in reality there is not enough evidence or a large enough time span to prove they are completely safe for consumption. Genetically modified crops can contaminate natural crops by cross pollination. If this increasingly happens to natural crops and even wild plants, then there will be severe decreases in genetically pure plants. Where will be when the world comes to realize that GMO foods are not an option, but so much genetic contamination has resulted in no other options?

The industry seems to want to continue to rely on technology to solve the problems that current technology is causing. Maybe the answer is in less reliance on technology and going back to basics.

"The First Technological Revolution and It's Lessons"

Technology can be scary, especially in the hands of those who either abuse it or for those who lack the understanding of the details and consequences. For example, technological advances in the agricultural industry have allowed for genetically modified (GMO) food. Many Americans do not know enough about GMO (or even how their food is grown and where it comes from which is another side affect of technology). It is not a requirement to have food labeled as GMO which seems deceptive to me. In fact, GMO technology has not been around long enough for even the experts to deem it safe. So, we are the guinea pigs of this technology, but we do have options. Although it is not always easy to change, GMO technology can be avoided by eating organic.

On the other hand, GMO is essential in certain circumstances. It is saving the lives of those who do not have access to grow their own food organically. GMO has made it possible for plants to produce higher yields in order to feed more mouths. GMO has also helped to keep food fresh for a longer period of time in order to increase shipping distances.

In the end, I don't think that people should completely rely on GMO foods because of the unknown health consequences. When at all possible it is best to eat organic.

Favorite American Vacation Destinations

Part 1
Leisure time has really changed over the past several decades. I believe that this is mainly due to electronics. The more electronics brought into homes equals less time utilizing the natural surroundings available to use to relax and have fun. Leisure time of the past was simple. Today's leisures seem to take more planning and cost more money. Many people don't want to stay close to home, so they seek leisure elsewhere. It seems that today people have a hard time being content with what they have, instead they know there is always something bigger and better to be done or had.

Part 2
For the most part, Disneyland has stayed the same and is succinctly American. Of course, they have expanded, but one can always rely on Disneyland as a destination of happiness and fun. I could never imagine anyone leaving Disneyland with ill feelings. I love that I can go from everyday life to a world of fun and childlike fantasy within seconds of passing through the admission booth.
Mr. Disney describes it best: "To all who come to this happy place: -Welcome- Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past...and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America...with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all in the world."

Why We Travel

The points I really connected to in Pico Iyer's "Why We Travel" was his analogies of travel to that of being childlike and being in love. If a person is truly on an adventure to a new place then they will feel as though they are a child again. Most adults wish they could be children again. And for those who don't relate to that can surely relate to wanting to feel in love. I laughed when reading that traveling is like being in love because one is unable to communicate properly or know where you're going or who you are falling in love with. Just like being in love this is what makes traveling adventurous and exciting!

Iyer describes travels to foreign countries that are very different than America. It seems that he stays away from the popular commercialized way of travel. He instead explores places by practicing the regular routines of the culture and as this is done, his own culture is being admired by those native to the area. With this he(the traveler) can begin seeing what he thought he knew in a different light. "We travel, then, in part just to shake up our complacencies by seeing all the moral and political urgencies, the life-and-death dilemmas, that we seldom have to face at home." I believe this is an important part of travel and can improve people's lives. We often take too much for granted which leads to unhappiness, but experiencing other cultures can leave a traveler more appreciative to return home.