11/13/09

A recent segment on NPR about author Jonathan Safran Foer and his upcoming book, "Eating Animals," instilled in me an urge to get real about my pescatarian diet. Foer admitted that he loves the taste of meat, misses it even--but could not justify eating it after the system revealed itself in his year spent researching the subject, visiting various sites. I'm the first to admit that seafood is one of life's greatest pleasures, but is it really worth consuming in comparison to the dramatic effects the fish and meat industries are having on our global climate and personal health? I wish the reality wasn't so sad, that I could eat beautiful tuna and salmon without feeling that pang of guilt at knowing the gruesome, undeniable truth. Maybe if I lived in a more wholesome part of the world, I wouldn't be so paranoid, but its usually not the case that I can afford to regularly eat fish that is wild caught and delivered by the labor of an independent fisherman.

Most distance themselves from knowing where their food comes from to such an extreme that it fuels the irresponsible attitude of the industries further. This stigma of not wanting to know or turning a blind eye is unsettling to me--and I'm the first to admit I've behaved this way myself. If we started caring, holding these companies culpable, our food industry could reform to something much more tolerable.

Listen to the story here on All Things Considered, Foer is quite eloquent and well informed: "For Foer, Meat it Murder...And Worse"

Photo: Van Camp tuna cannery in American Samoa, taken by Carl Mydans in 1962 -- since then, the amount of tuna consumed in the USA has increased at a haunting rate

2 comments:

raccolta said...

oh my god those poor women. that is worse than shrimp desheller at jons (good thing alisa didn't get that job in mash)

Interludes said...

I think this is definitely worse then de-shelling shrimp at Jons! I cannot believe I even considered that as a part time position!!! ;)

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