Back to the class discussion of how our food is made...

As we go through every class period, I find that the course holds a lot in common with a book written by Michael Pollan entitled "The Ominivore's Dilemma." I began to read the book before I started this course, I have yet to finish it, but already it helps me understand the course more.

Pollack tries to answer the age old question "what's for dinner?" in his book. One thing that specifically reminded me of "The Omnivore's Dilemma" was the film we saw in class, "How to Get Fat Without Really Trying." As we watched, we learned that our food is increasingly made with corn. In some shape, way or form, we can trace corn in just about everything we eat. Pollan adds that corn is also used in nonfood items we consume such as "toothpaste and cosmetics to the disposable diapers, trash bags, cleansers, charcoal briquettes, matches, and batteries, right down to the shine on the cover of the magazine that catches your eye by the checkout: corn," (Pollan, 19).

Before taking this course and reading this book I had no clue that corn was such a dominant presence in our lives. Pollan writes that most Americans would not consider themselves to be "corn people." We associate that term to indigenous people who grow their own food, or whose poverty leaves them with no other choice but to consume high amounts of corn. Yet when I realized the extent to which corn was involved in our lives, I would say that we are more "corn people" than the people we stereotypically label as such.

In "The Omnivore's Dilemma" I also read about Fritz Haber. He is a tragic figure, his invention is easily the most influential invention of our existence. Whether this influence is beneficial or harmful is extremely subjective. In my opinion it is difficult to commit to one side of this debate.

Reading "The Party's Over" has instilled a new fear in me that this life that I have gotten used to is only temporary, it is by no means a standard and available to me forever. We've been destroying the planet to live as comfortably as we can, and certain groups make money from creating this illusion that this lifestyle is what is necessary to the masses. I've been thinking lately, the term "retail therapy" is truly an expression of the triumph of this system that destroys the planet and exploits its inhabitants.