Things I was pondering this morning, based on a discussion on National Radio:
- Why do carbon emissions from cows (ie their farts) fed on naturally grown grass and grown to feed the world count the same as carbon emissions from cows fed on grains or manufactured foods, or for that matter pollutant and resource hungry industries?
- Why don’t NZ exporters market the fact that our meat and cheese and dairy products come from grass-fed animals, and that this means they are higher in omega three fats. (A fact I only learned yesterday). At least this means I won’t feel SO guilty when I tuck into my favourite South Island brie.
- Why do people think that buying locally is always better for the environment? Why don’t they know it’s not?
My thoughts walking into a store having a sale for children’s clothes, and trying to find something for my gorgeous red-haired niece:
- Why are clothes for little girls so unrelentingly pink?
- And what is it doing to this generation of girls to be so constrained in choice, so stereotyped as pretty in pink, so young?
My thoughts as I drove around a roundabout and on the motorway:
- Why do people complain so loudly when they hear that talking on cellphones in their car might be made illegal? Do they honestly think they are 100% safe when answering and talking on their phone, whilst indicating, driving around a roundabout, and maybe changing gears?
- Why don’t people use their indicators when driving?
- Why do they drive below the speed limit on the fast lane of the motorway?
My thoughts as I was thinking about youth today:
- Why is it that your career choices can be more limited when you have educated (and opinionated or even biased) parents, than when you have parents with little experience of higher education and the opportunities available to you?
My thoughts as I was thinking about this post:
- Why is it that I’m 46 and still know so little?
I think we must have heard the same report about the 100-mile diet not always being the most environmentally friendly option. And drivers not using their indicators (or using them just as they’re starting to turn or change lanes) drive me crazy.
Re your last point, that’s what Wikipedia is for.
Why, in these days of being so overly afraid of pedophilia, do we (apparently) encourage little girls to walk around with words like GAP or JUICY on their asses? Does this not in fact make people look at their asses?
How in the world am I supposed to know what to eat?
What about carbon emissions from human farts? What about carbon emissions from grass-fed human farts?
I will never get to sleep tonight.
IB: Excellent points (especially the first one). More to worry about.
Play it for me Sam: play ‘As Cows Go By’
you know it in your heart
a fart is just a fart
a cow still has the same arse
on grain or grass
and the worst thing about dairy is the colossal amount of water it takes to keep the pastures green: which may not be such an issue down there of course.
And the answer to all your questions? Except the last one.
I didn’t hear the 100 mile diet thing. I belong to a CSA, but it is certainly not all we eat. Living in Missouri/Illinois, well, this place is designed for farming. We have a colossal amount of water, for instance. I don’t think our CSA has a 100 mile rule, but everything is from Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Iowa. The reason I belong has to do with knowing the farmer who raises the pig that becomes the bacon I eat on Saturday morning kind of thing. But we do eat in season, and we eat things that are appropriate for where we live–nobody is raising hydroponic lemons or some such nonsense. A lot of cuke-zuke-puke in August, lemme tell ya. The food we get from them is stuff I could raise in the backyard (that and the meat, that is, oh, and pecans, since I think we get too cold right here for pecans).
I think about food a lot (duh)….
And why do offices, malls etc. crank up air conditioning so that the temperature drops to a point at which in winter the heat would kick in?
oh, Betty, I do so love the Cramps. that is the answer.
Mrs S: You should come over sometime. I’d show you fields full of green grass, from rain. What’s rain, you ask? That’s water that falls from the sky.
Though I agree with the dairy/water point, as I think I may have ranted at some stage about one of my favourite parts of the country (and one of the driest) being converted to dairy and requiring irrigation, because of the ridiculous prices dairy was getting internationally.
Bridgett: I’d think about food more if I had kids, I know that. And I can relate to why you buy locally – I like to eat seasonally too. It puts variety in my diet at least. Though I have been known to buy pineapple (definitely NOT grown locally at any time of the year) and Australian beans.
Helen: And why do offices, malls etc crank up the heat so that the temperature increases to the point at which in summer the air-conditioning would kick in? I find that especially the case in Europe.