https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQEiAU6VsRQ

I fixed my video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQEiAU6VsRQ

Superficial Senior Year

Robin Hwang "Truth of my Senior Year"

Michelle Aaron Senior Reflection

Alexis Clark "More To Come"

alyssa talamantes senior project

4 Years by Israel Barrancas

Neill Conti - "Time of Our Lives" ⏰

Senior Reflection Video "Push Through"

"The Last Moments Of Living In My Youth"

senior video

My senior video project

Samantha Gastelum Senior Video

 

"Decisions" by Marquis Ward

Mone't Ward Focusing On Your Goals

Lindsay Littleton

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nMeT5uKZHQs

Michelle Rios (Senior Video)

2016 Senior Reflection

Sarah Parten- Senior Video

Heidi Rouse- Senior Video

Jazmine Hernandez- Senior Video

https://splice.gopro.com/v?id=G6rG8oEpb

Joe Emmsley (Senior Video)

Dominic Shafer ( Odd Commencement )

https://splice.gopro.com/v?id=VJ97MeapM

Alexis Mora (Reflection)

Jessica Nwabuzor (Reflection Video)

Reflection Video

Kaila Douglass (Dirt)

Marissa Mobley (Commencement Video - 2016)

Seniors: "How to" and a naming protocol

Seniors, below are some YouTube videos that provide instruction on how to upload videos. The first video explains how to upload it to YouTube; the second from YouTube to Blogger (the class blog).

When you do upload your video, please make sure to title your post as follows:

Student first and last name (video title) 

Example:
Justin Turner (Swing for the Fence)

Here are the instructional videos:

Vocab Quiz on Tuesday

Shared Inquiry Circles, Into the Wild

The Groups:

Jordan - Mackenzie - Alyssa
Lindsay - Joe - Michelle  R
Neill - Lulu - Alexis C
Jessica - Caleb - Robin
Tyler - Alexis M - Briel
Dominic - Victoria - Sam
Kaila - Brian - Michelle A
Annalise - Sandra O - Sarah
Jacob - Monet - Israel
Jazmine - Sunny - Brennan
Rebecca - Marquis - Johnathan

Floaters:  Marissa - Heidi - Ronnie

Decide who is the leader for the discussion on Wednesday. (This first Wednesday, we decided that the first person on the list will be the leader).  That person writes discussion questions that can be answered in more than one way.  These are not "fact-finding" questions, but questions that lead to more open-ended, philosophical discussion.

From the slides on Shared Inquiry Circles:

Four rules:

1. Only those who have read the selection may take part in discussion.
2. Discussion is restricted to the selection that everyone has read.
3. Support for opinions should be found within the selection.
4. Leaders may only ask questions—they may not answer them.

What the leader does:

1. The leader poses a question that can be validly answered in more than one way.
2. The leader allows time for students to respond.
3. The leader only asks questions.
4. The leader often asks students to support their ideas with evidence from the text.
5. The leader asks students to listen to and consider the ideas of others.
6. The leader and the group remain focused on the question posed at the beginning of discussion.

The first circle:

• The leader must have read the assigned reading and come to the discussion with FIVE original questions. No Sparknotes!
• The other group members must also have completed the assigned reading and should come ready to discuss.

Next Wednesday, April 20th is our first Shared Inquiry Circle, and it will cover chapters 1-5.

A Changed Mind, A Changed Kind (Possibly)

     I know for a fact that my mindset about what is food, and where I get my food from has shifted rapidly in this course, no pun intended. I've learned so much about the harsh injustices of the mechanized and hyper-industrialized food industry. I can't believe that not only processed foods are put on the conveyor belt and shipped so inhumanely; somehow, it's almost like everything from vegetable to animal suffers in this fast paced environment and we appear to have no intention in stopping it. My consciousness about the food industry makes me a bit squeamish and makes me feel appalled, I feel that it's only right for us to eat other living being, only if their death was respectful and as painless as possible. I've changed my diet around to compensate for such feeling; I eat more organically when possible, and I've convinced my parents, mostly because my mom loves animals, that we eat from approved farm sources where the animals don't have to suffer as they do in their factory cages.
     If I had went back four years ago in my life with this knowledge I have currently, it goes without saying that I would have changed my entire diet. I wouldn't have the gall to consume processed foods, and I would have taught myself how to cook tastier, more filling meals back then, besides the common egg and ramen I was accustomed to. I would have made sure my parents understood that'd I would only eat from cruelty free labels and that no other source would be efficient for my diet. My dad is a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to food, whatever he can afford, most often at the cheapest price, would suffice. But, I would have tried my damnedest to persuade him to think about the treatment of these animals rather than solely money-we were tight on money in those days, but I think there would have been a probably compromise between the two of us.
     If I had to change the food industry in one way, I would have to say that I would have insects added to the world's distributors of food. This would most likely raise the prices of beef and chicken, thusly improving their treatment, while the lower class would be able to feed on this new chain of food. Insects seem to be far more healthy than what meats we consume as of today-they have far less fats and cholesterols than pork, beef, and even chicken, and to that fact, they also come with a smaller price tag. This could very likely reset the poor dieting in the United States, as well as first world countries; it would destroy the incentive to only eat cheap and heavily processed junk food, and to consume much more healthy, and in many people's opinions, much tastier alternatives. The variety as of now of what you can buy on the internet such as crickets or meal worms is stunning; sour cream and onion flavored crickets, baked not fried, and barbecue mealets are just some of the odd, yet fascinatingly delicious foods that could substitute for the chips that everyone seems to buy, day-to-day, in corner stores across the country. The addition of insects, would revolutionize not only the food industry, but the health of every nation across the planet.

Eating Healthy

Everyone says to lose weight you have to eat work out or go on a diet. When I think about you can't lose any weight without EATING HEALTHY! If you just work out and lose a little weight, and then eat something that isn't healthy like a burger, fries, or pizza then you just gain all of you weight back on to your body. Also, instead of stocking all of the cookies and ice cream up in your home, people can switch out all of those unhealthy things with healthier things like vegetables, fruit, and like yogurt. Another thing about going on a diet its unhealthy for your body. People need a certain amount of proteins in the body, and if a person doesn't getting enough then you mess something up. So eating healthy made me think that i was doing something wrong with my diet. I should start eating more healthy foods, and start working out more; as should everyone else. EAT HEALTHY!

District Writing Assignment

The TED talk today was interesting even though the lady speaking wasn't very enthusiastic. This just goes to show you that almost anything in proper amount is good for you. This writing assignment for the district is going to be a piece of cake but the last article didn't really do it for me the others made their stand obvious and supported right away. The way he finishes his article is by telling us that there isn't evidence proving whether the internet has positive or negative effects.

My Grocery List

This unit about food and politics has opened my eyes to a lot of things.
1. Production. The way our country produces food is frightening - frightening in the sense that if we continue down this path of mass production it will ultimately lead to a path of mass destruction. We are quickly destroying our environment by allowing big corporations to abuse the land. When all the fish in the seas disappear, when there's no more clean water to drink, and when we discover that soil is no longer habitable for seeds, that is when we will see that we can't eat money.
2. Government. Our government encourages everyone to stay in shape and be healthy. The first lady's "Let's Move" program encourages young kids to live a heathy lifestyle by eating the right types of food. However our government subsidizes crops like corn which is a cheap way to get sugars. Sure our government is promoting a healthy lifestyle, but what they have neglected is our health - by which the foods available to us and the process in which those foods are made.
3. Labeling. Whatever is on a products nutrition label says a lot about the product. Before I would get distracted by a product marketing itself as "zero-calorie" or "hormone-free" or "gluten-free". But after doing some research on how to properly read labels I can say I'm more cautious of what products I purchase at the store. I now know that matodextrin is sugar with glucose and "gluten free" has nothing to do with your glutes.
4. Distribution. America produces enough food to feed the world; but why do we still see world hunger as an issue? It all comes down to the uneven distribution of food and resources; the bottom line is America has a lot of resources and third world countries don't fair too much. Whenever I see fast food toss food out, I feel bad because I know there are people starving out there.
5. Junk Food. Prepackaged food like a bag of chips and a can of soda are convenient since they are easy to carry, however they can cause some serious health problems. Our nation is plagued by obesity. I now keep in mind the consequences before I buy chips from the black market at school. I also try to cook and prepare food at home more often. By doing this I'm actively participating in my eating process.

🍴

We have all been able to learn something valuable by the end of this unit. In the beginning when the topic of food was brought up we were all thinking of how easy this would be since we all love good. However, we of course were wrong. There is so much more to food politics then we would have ever thought of. The government is involved in everything our country does, but what I didn't know was how heavily involved they were in the food system. The food system is all around messed up but there is not much being done about it because of the governments strong involvement. This unit has also taught me how hard it is to write a paper with such a broad topic and freedom. Just today another ERW student and I were talking to a friend who was not in ERW. We were speaking about the topic, and like us in the beginning, the non ERW student went on how easy that would be. All in all, I was able take away information from this unit that I will be able to use in the future.

My writing process

My writing process i would say is very complicated. I am really liking this unit but finding sources for my topic. My topic is why organic food so expensive. I found articles that really catch my attention but have nothing to do with my article but as I was finishing my final draft I started to realize that I was just looking in all the wrong places. It was my first research paper and I was really scared to start writing it but as we went over things in class I felt way more confident. This is going to help in me college what also helped me with my research was say what mean chart we did right in the beginning of the unto. It helped by reading each article and made it easier for me to fit it isn't my research paper. Many little tools like that totally helped me with my paper.

Kids Are The Future

For the past couple of weeks, I've been researching about food and children. I've found out different information about how to teach children about food and how it could help the planet if the next generation knows how to eat healthy. So many foods have ingredients that affect our body in a bad way. Children should know what is bad for them and what is good for their body. By them getting into the habit of how to eat healthy at a young age, then the obesity and diabetes percentage would drop. Not only that, but it would help the earth by saving food to last, because we are running out of food. That is no good. We need to do something about this before it gets any worse. Kids need to know this stuff because they are the worlds future. Boom! Have a great day!

Throughout writing my paper I have found my question taking many different directions.  Now I have found it turning out solid the more I started to write. One of my major problems is the length of the paper, I cannot get it to reach five pages. Much of my paper is my opinion expressing how I feel about the subject but I have realized it should be based more upon facts since it is a research paper.  My question is about how food industries/companies get us to eat all of their product with the help of mass production. It seems to be really specific but it works out with all the articles that I have read. Hopefully my paper isn't boring because I really rather inform instead of just stating things that could be just repeated.

the way we eat.. right or wrong?

Throughout this whole process of whether or not we should eat processed food, I've come to figure out that its doing nothing but harming my body. Will I stop eating fast food? No, but I will try to only eat fast food once in a great while. I definitely think that through all the researching and watching videos I've learned more than I thought I would. Its sickening to see how the animals are being treated. I guess we expect our food to be handled with care and consideration but that's not the way it is. I think I want to start eating organic foods, just simply because organic food is way healthier. In five years I want my body to be healthier than ever, and by eating fast food that won't happen. Hopefully they start treating the animals with good care so that we can start living healthier lives. I guess its a matter of when. This whole food process has brought light to the end of the tunnel, if that makes any sense.

People are pretty awful

We've all learned recently that the food industry is behind a lot of the awful things currently going on in our world today. Obesity and diabetes are fueled by fast food and are more common in poverty stricken areas. Kids are dying from acid resistant bacteria. Food companies are polluting our skies, oceans, land, and wildlife. They lie about whats in their products and pay off legislators so that they can continue to lie. We all know this now, but as enlightened as we are, this isn't totally true. Companies are not responsible for all of this, they're just companies. Inanimate, non-sentient, unable to make decisions for themselves. What's truly to blame are the people running those companies. Abhorrent piles of sludge that somehow fool others into thinking they're people. These are people that care more about adding to their already unspendable pile of money than they do about the life of a human being, or the well being of a population, or the ever decreasing lifespan of our planet. How could we ever fix the problems that plague our society when there will always be people like this that exist? People like that will never acknowledge their misdeeds and will continue to act that way until the day they finally die and head back down to where they came from. We'd have to somehow change the way our society thinks. Thankfully, we're already in the process of doing that. Our generation is more forgiving, helpful, and selfless than those before it. We're doing a wonderful job, but it's not quite enough. We need to raise the generation after ours to be even more selfless than us. Eventually, the majority of people will care about the majority more than themselves. Only then will companies truly have our best interest at heart.

vegatarianism

My perspective of food has changed drastically in many ways since we started this food research project. I believe that it changed so much because I chose to research the conditions for the animals and the workers in the slaughter houses. At the beginning of this research paper I never really thought about how our food got to where it is or what it went through to get there. I would just eat it without any thoughts because without this further knowledge I did not know any better. Therefore, when we first started watching Food Inc., I did not think it would have much of an impact on me because I never really understood the harsh reality of it all. After watching the movie my main thought was to further research the conditions of the animals and the workers. To my surprise it just seemed to get worse and worse because I assumed that maybe Food Inc. was just making it seem worse than what it really was, but it was clearly showing the reality. Therefore, it got me thinking about becoming a vegetarian. I have always kind of wanted to become one, but now I actually have a reason to and I have been one for about two weeks now and plan to continue. This assignment has made more of an impact than I ever thought it could have because it has actually changed my mind on a huge part of my life for the better.

Are we the problem?

My research question is asking ,” Is the population taking enough precaution in what we eat in order to keep our health in good condition ?” This topic was a hard topic to research because I had to really find the main roots to our food processing. I learned the main source of many food productions today is corn. Corn can be alternated in diverse forms. It can also be used in replace of sugar. High fructose corn syrup, for example is a common sweetener that many manufactures use instead of sugar because it is cheaper to process and less expensive for federal budget. Although, what we Fail to realize is that it  puts us at risk because of the amount of hidden sweeteners( high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, sucralose) used in foods, leads to common diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and High cholesterol. When we just eat whatever we see without taking our health in consideration we risk the cause of diabetes. I would consider thinking about all the foods you consume and make sure you being wise about what you are putting in your mouths.

Alexis Mora 

period 5

After viewing articles, watching videos, and discussing about this unit of food politics it has really opened my eyes to how industries simple mass produce animals to fulfill our hunger needs. I find it surprising how corporations use antibiotics to enable the animal to grow at a abnormal rate. I believe the reason for all these antibiotics being injected to the animals is due to the lack of food policies that are being placed, which my research question is based upon. as I researched I came up across articles that the head honchos of food corporations pay off congressmen in order to look the other way of these food policies which is quite shocking, it goes to show that these head honchos don't seem to care about what happens to the animals because they simply care about profits. as well as how Americans have a high chance of getting diseases from these foods the have poor food policies

My knowledge on the food industry has grown a lot over the lessons we have learned. My mindset for food started changing before I learned about this stuff, but it changed even more after learning about all the horrible things that happen with our food. I gave up drinking soda and eating chips one day, and two years later I still continue to not eat chips or drink soda. I see my fellow classmates eating chips all the time, and I just think to myself "Don't you know how bad these chips are for you, and how they will affect you in the long run?" I now order a hamburger and think to myself, was this "cow eating a normal grass diet, or did this cow eat corn as their diet?" We need to be informed of these things because if someone is allergic to corn, we have to know so we don't die from it. Another thing is, people think just because they eat strawberries or blueberries that its healthy, but we don't know is if they have been sprayed with pesticide to keep the bugs away, and keep the fruit fresher for longer. That is why I would advise you to always wash off the fruit before you eat it, to ensure your not eating the pesticides. When I go to the grocery store with my family now, I pay attention to all the labels and make sure I know a little about the product before I buy it. I now know how important reading the food labels are, and making sure you understand what you are eating. I don't usually buy foods that have ingredients that I have no idea what they are.

What I've gained from Food and Politics

Throughout my whole writing process I've learned so much about Food and politics. Because of the research required I've learned different things such as the process of becoming an organic based company, the rules and regulations of organic farms and so on. This unit has taught me a lot of things about food and politics that I didn't even know existed. My writing process was all research before I started anything and that's where I just kept reading and reading different articles. I now know some statistics and found out some interesting information on where my food was coming from. This just wasn't a writing assignment it was also a learning experience.

Knowledge Gained From "Politics of Food"

When we began this unit, I had very little knowledge about our country’s food policy. Now that I’m more educated on the topic, I see it everywhere; gallons of milk with “Growth Hormone Free!” Stickers and articles on GMO’s seemingly everywhere I visit online. I have learned that a lot of the labels on our food are deceiving. Just because you're eating an apple does not mean that it hasn't been sprayed with pesticides and even though the milk came from hormone free cows, the doesn't mean the cows weren't treated poorly. Everyone seems to be jumping on the organic band-wagon, like big snack companies such as General Mills, buying smaller companies like Annie’s Organic. Did General Mills really buy Annie’s because they believe organic foods are better? I don’t think so.

As eating organically becomes increasingly popular, big companies see it as a business opportunity. I wonder if clean eating and organic foods are just a fad or if these are lasting lifestyles that will still be around in 20 years. A decade ago, no one was doing pressed juice cleanses and there wasn't a vegan donut or cupcake shop on every block in Los Angeles. We knew people who were vegetarians, but to come across someone who was vegan, was rare. It’s encouraging to see this organic and non-GMO movement take off like it has, but I’m doubtful that it will last.

While this unit has been very informative and has opened my eyes to our food policy, I admit that it has not impacted my diet. If anything, it has made me more understanding of the process our food goes through. I now know the difference between regular produce and meats and organic meats and produce. I’m now more educated on the issues and don't just turn a blind eye to them.

Practical

Of all the units we've covered so far, I would say that this is the most interesting one. In ERW, I understand that this class explores topics that are practical nowadays. What's not more practical than food? In the last unit, we have looked into the issue of anonymity. We get it; it's a problem that rose because of modern-day internet. But we are not thinking about it all the time unlike food. Essentially, we are the sum of the food we eat that constitutes our growth. Because of this unit, our attention is brought into the contents of the food we blindly take from our local market shelves. I'm pretty sure many of us are now becoming more aware of what is in we eat.

As eye-opening this unit is, we all still groan at each at the need for each of us to write a research paper. The process is definitely tough and frustrating. We all have our sources but the hard part is actually putting everything together to get your point across while making yourself sound clear. Not to mention we have to give credit for each fact written that was not of our prior knowledge. One thing I dislike is just not having enough information from a source. For myself, I really don't like the imbalance of information I receive from my sources.

My Writing Process

I would have to say that this unit by far has been really challenging. I've cone across multiple questions about food in general and just so many other things that we put in our bodies. Its actually quite scary too. This unit has also been very eye opening also, it helped me realize that my topic question not only help me understand the true growing process of most of our fruits, but it also raised many more questions. Not only did I start questioning everything about our food after that, but I also started questioning how it affects our Earth. See, and this is why this unit was so difficult for me, because as I felt like I was headed towards the right direction writing my paper, there would come times where another question would form in my head and just completely throw me off. I'm going through my paper now and I'm noticing that I have to stay focused, because it shows in my paper that I'm completely going off topic and its not flowing how I would like it to. Nothing like a little trial and error to help you to become a better writer right?

During this unit I learned more about food than I thought. I feel more aware of the issues that are in our food system. Even though I'm still going to eat the same way I was, I feel better informed. Every time I'm at the store I tell my mom about GMOs like some nature loving nerd. But I think its interesting how much I've learned by just reading the articles in class. The different videos that were shown also helped me learn a lot. Its really unusual for me to enjoy things like this but I even liked researching my topic. I was curious about the production of these different foods.
While writing this paper I made it a point to try and envision each issue in my everyday life. Relating it to my everyday life made it much easier. Since I've never written a paper this long I made sure to take it one paragraph at a time. I explained the issue only using sources that interested me. This paper however, has been the hardest for me to write. I think it's because I was allowed to pick my own topic and make it as broad or specific as I wanted.

Unfair

This unit has taught me so much about different topics. My topic specifically is about animal cruelty and why it should be considered illegal just like animal abuse. While I was researching I came across so many gruesome descriptions that the animal go through on a daily basis. Some of the daily living included poor conditions and others included a cheater life. To further expand, cheating their lives is one of the top reasons why I am against this issue. I believe that all animal have the right to live the way they want to. I understand that they might not fully understand, but that doesn't mean they don't have feelings. It's just disgusting knowing that the chicken I'm boiling at home was given antibiotics to grow bigger without consent. Why don't these animals get to live on their own? It's unfair! Also, the abuse they are treated with in the factory farms should be stopped because it's just as cruel as kicking a dog around. I just wish that one day the way these animals are treated would stop and that the food producers would think of a better and safe way to treat them.

Trapped

I feel trapped while I write about my topic. My topic is on organic food. There are many links about organic food but most of them don't specifically show me the information that I need for my writing process. There are some things that I grabbed upon. One is that it shows most organic milks are considered unhealthier than regular milk. Many companies lie about the foods they put in to their milks so they can get consumers to buy their products. Also, it is shown that organic food is healthier, but pricier than regular foods. Consumers buy to whatever they consider healthy or foods that make them feel happy. My topic is that if we should change our lifestyles to organic foods. But if not, should we just eat however we please? And in conclusion, I think in my opinion, it really doesn't matter what you eat because there are people who eat unhealthily yet, they are seemingly the healthiest than those who care about themselves to the point where it's annoying. I just feel like organic food is a boost to your life insurance, whereas you might be able to live a little longer because it's healthy.

-Robin Hwang
ERWC 5

Good Eats

This unit has been extremely eye opening. Before this unit I had seen videos of slaughter houses and some processes of how our food is produced. However, when we watched Food Inc. my perspective of food changed. I had no idea of the different methods of producing food. To be completely honest, I did not know cows were fed anything besides grass. Learning about how cows' consumption of corn can affect us so greatly was very surprising. When I used to go out to eat and see "grass-fed beef" as a description in the burger section of a menu, I used to wonder why that detail was included. Yesterday, I went out to eat and saw that same specific detail. Although, this time I had a new understanding of what it meant.

Food is a very uniting thing. Over this break some of my family has been over to my house, including my cousin and his wife who is a registered dietitian. They are very healthy individuals; but, they do allow themselves to be a little extravagant every once in a while. I've always wondered why they put so much effort into purchasing the right foods, checking nutrition labels, and cutting certain foods out of their diet. After this unit, I now understand why they take such measures. They're very healthy eaters and are aware of the consequences of eating the right and wrong things. My parents are always trying to stray me away from fast food and introduce me to new "deliciousness" such as vegetables, soups, salads, and much more. Their advice to eat better used to go in one ear and out the other but now I understand why they try to get me to make better food choices.

My dad has a garden full of fresh herbs, vegetables, and sometimes I grow some fruit here and there. He tried to get me involved in helping him garden when I was very young but as I grew older I slowly deviated from that practice. I never truly understood what the point of growing your own food was besides the fact it saves some money here and there. Now, I see that it has many more perks besides decreasing the amount of spending one does. It results in freshness and having the control over what you are eating. Plus, it can unite people (like my dad and I) if individuals grow food together! I love food and although I can't promise I'm going to completely eat healthy after this unit, I definitely have a new awareness of what I consume that I didn't have before.

A New Mindset Going Forward

From the first day that we started this food unit, I have learned something new everyday. My eyes have been opened to the glaring food issues in this country. The monopoly of huge corporations like Monsanto is only the start of the issues involving food in America.The healthiness and proper production of food has become second to the amount of money or profit that can be made. I've learned that many of the things that I would eat almost everyday is in fact not healthy at all, and contains biochemical products and other harmful things. This unit has definitely raised my consciousness of they way our food is produced in this country. Also, I have learned ways to still have access to healthy food, like gardening. To influence the food industry today i would propose that we build more community gardens in those areas that are considered food deserts.      

Writing process

My process to write this research essay started off with me asking myself what's something I have a lack of understanding towards that relates to the subject.  I've always been told about processed foods and how it negatively affects our health but never the environment.  So I figured if it takes a toll on us,  it probably has the same impact toward our earth.  So I searched up my question and found some articles that have informed me exactly what happens to our earth through this industrial agriculture. I saved some of these articles that I felt would benefit my research essay and then started making my first drafts.  I cited some of the drafts for textual evidence and then analyzed what I had cited.

My Writing Process

My writing process for my food politics research paper has been a tough one. To begin with, I had trouble thinking of a topic and it took some time before I actually found something I liked and wanted to stick with. After I  found my topic the research process was a little bit easier. I enjoyed finding reliable articles and writing short summaries of them for my annotated bibliography. When reading the articles I found that they were filled with lots of information about the topic. Some of the information was exactly what I was looking for, but I also found a lot of stuff I did not know, that would be great to include in my research paper. While reading several articles, I became aware of a lot of issues in our food system. For example, I learned that meat (along with many other foods) is so processed that it loses all of its flavor and has to be injected with chemicals that make it taste like meat again. That is only one of the many new things I learned while researching about my topic. Honestly this whole chapter on foods has been interesting and I enjoy writing about it in my research paper.

Broccoli Kale Salad for Dinner, and Food Policy Changes on the Menu for Tomorrow

When it comes to responsible eating, I consider myself to be pretty darn lucky. My mom is one of those slightly obsessive health moms who is constantly reading articles on food, warning everyone that Red 40 causes cancer, and shopping at Sprouts. Mealtime in the Douglass household is quite different than many households. We pour organic, non-GMO Silk Almond Milk over our Grape Nuts, spread sugar free organic peanut butter on our sprouted bread, and have broccoli kale salad for dinner. (Maybe I'm slightly exaggerating... but not much. My mom regularly feeds us all those things). Sometimes the healthy eating gets old, but most of the time I'm grateful for my mom's wisdom. This ERW unit has taught me why my mom chooses to eat carefully. Now that I see the harmful effects that the food industry has on the health of ourselves, animals, and the planet, I am so grateful that I have been taught to eat right. 

It still can be so hard to eat healthily. There are seven people in my family, and we can't always invest time and money into cooking and eating right. Life happens. It's sometimes just cheaper and easier to pick up a Costco pizza for dinner, even though we know that the environmental and human health costs of consuming it are high. Also, it is hard to be motivated to eat healthy foods when salty, deep-fried and sugary goodness can be located instantly just by telling Siri that you're hungry. What really needs to happen is changes in the food industry. If healthy food was cheaper, it would be easier for consumers to make smarter decisions. I like Mark Bittman's idea of taxing unhealthy foods, as this would be a step in the right direction in making healthy food available to all; however, several other changes, such as greater regulatory power for the FDA, changes to nutritional facts labels, and banning harmful food additives such as trans fat and artificial dyes, will have to be made if we have any intention of saving our planet. 

Overall, this ERW unit has changed my attitude towards healthy, responsible eating. I realize now that consumers have power over the food industry. If all consumers stopped buying nonorganic or unhealthy products, the food industry would stop making them. If consumers demand organic or non-GMO products (as they are beginning to do), the food industry will provide them. As an ERW class, we are no longer ignorant of weaknesses in food policy. We cannot spend our time complaining about the food system and then hypocritically support the same food system we despise by continuing to purchase their products. As Ghandi said, we've got to "be the change [we] wish to see in the world."

Policy wise, I have tons of ideas for how our food industry can be better. We can follow the examples of other developed countries and ban harmful additives such as trans fat and artificial dyes. We can improve nutritional facts labels to make product information more accessible to consumers. There are a plethora of other ideas out there that I've come across as I've worked on my research paper. Real changes can only be made, however, when consumers demand them. 

What do you guys think? Has this food unit motivated you to change your diet, even if only in small ways? And what more can be done to change our food system?

What Can We Do To Change Our Food System?

We can stop drinking sodas and other sweetened beverages.

You can lose 25 lbs in a year by replacing one 20 oz soda a day with a no-calorie beverage.
We can eat at home instead of eating out.
Children consume almost twice as many calories when eating food prepared outside the home.
Tell schools to stop selling sodas, junk food, and sports drinks.
Over the last two decades, rates of obesity have tripled in children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years. Don't eat meat as often because that's one of the reasons there's obesity.

We should buy organic or sustainable food with little or no pesticides.

According to the EPA, over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the U.S.
There should be a demand in job protections for farm workers and food processors, ensuring fair wages and other protections.
Poverty among farm workers is more than twice that of all wage and salary employees. I believe that if we begin to make our own healthy food or moreover our healthy meal plans, it will lead to a healthier life-style for everyone.

They Say/I Say Templates

You may want to look at these helpful templates when trying to figure out how to integrate the words of others into your paper.

Details on Blogging Course 3: Dessert

My Writing Process

My writing process has been good because surprisingly I have not procrastinated. I started my draft and bibliography days before it was due and I wrote everything as well as I could. At first I was lost and didn't know what to write but once I figured it out it came easy and I was on a roll. Now all I have left is to fix my work cited page and edit my draft/make it a little longer. Honestly this research paper has been easier to write than I thought it would be and it has helped me gain new knowledge about what I eat, after all the research I did, I’ve been trying my best to eat healthier and cook meals for myself instead of eating out or stopping at fast food places. I have tried to make my family aware of the chemicals and other unhealthy substances that are put in our foods but they don’t seem to be bothered by it and that is really upsetting. I feel as though writing about food politics has really opened my eyes to all the dangers of eating not only fast food but the stuff we consider healthy as well, and I wish my family could also know all this and try to live a healthier lifestyle along with me.

Is it Worth it to Change?

My question is, "Has organic food become the only source of healthy food for the people?" There are other foods that is healthier than organic foods. For example, fruits. Another example is that organic milk is really unhealthy. It's said to be that organic food is very expensive to purchase which is why people don't usually change their diets. Many people either get tired, lazy, or broke to find a healthy diet. People just want to eat what they want. Many say organic food is healthier and it's really nutritious but some think different. Is it worth it? I think it's not really worth it to go change your lifestyle. Also, there are other healthier foods out there not including organic foods.

-Robin Hwang
-Period 5

Why Don't We Try Alternative Food Sources?

     Imagine, a world where beef, chicken, and pork aren't the only common and readily available sources of animal based proteins. So many more various choices can be used, so many different types of animals can be used; poultry, birds, and mammals aren't the only edible proteins we can have in our diets. We need to be more willing to eat and we also have to be more open-mided with what we do eat.
     When we see an insect, whether on the ground, on a plant, in the house, or even on the big screen, we tend to think of them as docile, and passive creatures with nothing beyond them, but I see them as a cheaper, more efficient means of obtaining food for those who cannot survive on what we have to currently buy in our neighborhood supermarkets. Many compare my inquiries as lunacy, as if what I just had said was to completely shift our country to that of a third world country; to anyone who thinks that they should be above consuming certain types of food, one, you cannot be opposed to a viable solution to a huge problem we face currently, obesity and climate change are coming from overconsumption of meats and how these animals produce so many greenhouse gases, and two, you'd be crazy not to try something as trivial as a new source of food just because you think of these creatures as those who dwell crawlspaces and dirt. Just think about it, insects cost less to raise, grow and develop faster, and provide much more dense nutrition than conventional meat sources we consume today. These animals consumes less pound for pound, in this case gram for gram, compared to our furry livestock counterparts. As a result of this, we could feed the poor much easier, and also have the means to make our population healthier with an abundance of these healthier choices. As of now, there are millions of species of insects, but the most commonly, and justifiably so, consumed are spiders-tarantulas and other nonvenomous arachnids, crickets, and grasshoppers; these animals contain the most "meat" and are the most nutritious of the available choices.
     I can concede that a cultural shift would indeed have to occur for us, as the American populous, to consume food that has an exoskeleton or spindly legs, but I would love to advocate for this change. You'd be surprised how great something can taste that we normally would see as disgusting, I've consumed some types of insects, crickets, scorpions, and spiders, and they we're quite decently seasoned, just as any cut of meat would have been. Where have I had these insects, well I've ordered some and others I've had while visiting other countries. And to expand on that last notion, yes, other countries consume these animals as a viable food source, it comes cheap and is sold cheap, street food and many other types of vendors flood the streets selling these hand caught bug to roast, fry, or even bake them. Just as you could do a cutlet of pork, you could do unto a tarantula, cricket, or even ants as I have seen.
     I just hope that one day, we as a society will have changed slightly to accommodate a healthier and much cheaper livestock so our poor and impoverished can afford to live on a minimum wage. One day, I just want to see restaurants all across the United States that sell different types of insects and meats alike so we can truly have a huge variety of not only choices and foods, but prices as well.

My research question is requiring to find out how our food policy does undermine American health. The reason why I chose this question is because it’s important to understand how our government regulates our food choices also due to the fact due to these food policies is the reason why most people in America are obese and it’s due to these poorly made health policies that most of the population is on the bigger side. Simply it’s due to these policies that can cause obesity or maybe even food poisoning which may cause serious health problems/ conditions which may be dire.

False Sense of Security

My research question is "Does the government do enough to ensure our food safety?", and I argue that they do not. I chose this topic because these are the people that we look at for help when a group of individuals are breaking the law, which is exactly what the food industry is doing. They are taking advantage of the fact that they are our major food suppliers and we are forced to pretty much buy their products.  The senate also has a lot of involvement in the lack of progression in this industry. Most senators are basically owned by these large corporations and vote for whatever benefits the food corporations. This happens when a senator becomes desperate to stay in office and corporations such as these (food corporations) run their campaign in return for some "favors". The government is also starting to keep less health inspectors and are letting these companies hire their own, which is obviously a bad idea. These corporations have enough money to bribe these health inspectors off. Even the political officials that fight against this type of injustice get shut down due to the amount of power these corporations have. After the novel, The Jungle by Upton Sinclair was released the government caused us to be way more cautious about our food supply and food safety wasn't as big of an issue as it is today. As time went by the standards of our food went down and the government hasn't done anything about it since the early 1900's! If you don't see anything wrong with this than you must not really worry about what goes into your body.

Fixing a broken world

This is a tad off topic, but I wanted to talk about choosing what you want to do in life. We're at a point in our  lives where are decisions of what we want to do aren't just dreams. We're making choices that effect the rest of our lives, we aren't just being asked what we want to do like we were when we were seven.

I've wanted to be a mechanical engineer for some time now. I've always liked tinkering and taking things apart, making things, it's a profession suited for me. There's plenty of work involved in getting there, it won't be easy, but I believe I'd enjoy it and the work that comes along with it. This recent unit has caused a slight change of heart. I'm heavily considering becoming an environmental engineer, people who worked toward creating environmentally friendly machines and environmental monitors. The Politics of Food has made me realize how awful and screwed our world really is. People are corrupt and greedy and place the value of personal gain over the well being of others. We pollute and desecrate our planet and then deny that it has any effect. The world has too many problems to begin to list, but I want to be a part of the solution.

Environmental engineering would allow me to help slow, stop, or even reverse the harm we're doing to our planet. It's an incredibly important problem and, as a planet, start working towards fixing it. I want to be part of this, to make my mark on the world, however small, in a way that I can be proud of, in a way that matters and helps the world.

There's nothing wrong with deciding on what you want to do because you like it, or because the money is good, nothing wrong at all. But consider the problems the world is facing when making that decision. There's so few people trying to help the world and so many that couldn't care less. Be something important, make a lasting and beneficial mark on the world, be a part of the solution.

Food Safety

For my research paper my topic requires finding out what are some saftey problems with the food system.  I would like to look into all the sanitation problems in factories and the way the animals are taken care of regarding their feeding and treatment. Furthermore I would like to find out about the chemicals put into our plants to make them grow out of season as well as bigger and faster. Not only are the outcomes of the food system affecting us but also the environment. There is so many problems with the way our food is really made and I would like to look into that.

Try Dieting

For my research question it's actually somewhat bewildering because it is relating to how a family's income effects their malnutrition. If you notice when you go into a market place majority of the shopping carts of others is full of junk food that is piled on top of the small portion of healthy foods. It's ironic how we eat so much junk food because we are hungry and it seems to be more fulfilling to us, but yet we complain when we gain weight because of it. If you notice when a family has a small amount of money to spend on groceries they would rather spend every dime on a variety of different unhealthy snack for less money as opposed to buying a few fruits or vegetables at  higher prices.
However as I was reading more into my research I learned that majority of people without realizing it pick up bad eating habits that lead to obesity and other health problems. I feel bad because the people who do having eating disorders because their bodies are programmed to constantly eat and never get full. If we don’t watch how much we eat and the amount of portions we eat you can be putting yourself at risk, be cautious.

Food Safety

The recent E. Coli outbreak in Chipotle restaurants has flooded mass media outlets. Many victims fell ill to the norovirus; this issue with E. Coli is disreputable to the company. I drew inspiration from this incident for my research paper because I too experienced food poisoning from Chipotle’ - twice. Ironically I'm still a patron at their establishments.
Salmonella and E. Coli are two most common culprits in food outbreaks. As I was conducting research for my topic, I discovered that all sorts of food and products were recalled due to contamination.  In the past month there was a recall on Dole lettuce, Costco chicken salads, pistachios, milk and mayonnaise. I was shocked after reading these articles because I didn’t know that various foodborne diseases can happen with a month; I assumed that our food supply was safe.
Initially, my research topic question was along the lines of food contamination and food poisonings. After consulting this with a fellow classmate, he suggested that I take an approach on the political side of food contamination. However, after further research I saw my research topic evolve.The topic that I decided to research was foodborne illnesses and mass production. I want to make a connection between mass producing food and how susceptible they are to contamination. Since the majority of our food sources are centralized, a single error or a bad seed can spell disaster for the entire food supply.
I find it quite difficult to find an article that discusses the cause and effect relationship between mass production and foodborne illnesses. However, I did find a lot of sources that covered food contamination in products of big name brands. The challenge here is making the connection by finding the proper sources. Most of the sources I have under my wing are all news coverage articles and science journals. If you guys are struggling to find sources for your topic, I suggest you guys find any recent news articles on your topic.

My research paper is based around theses two questions, "Why do consumers choose to ignore the way food is made knowing the flaws in the process? What will it take for them to do something about it?" This is not only a question I want to understand from others but also from myself. Every so often there is a big story breaking on the news were something negative about a food company revealed. We are informed about some sort of contamination or informed about how they were not truthful with the labeling. I myself, have learned a great deal about the food process over the years, from how our veggies are grown to how the animals raised for meat and more. However knowing the cruel, unethical, and unnatural process of it all, I have done nothing to make sure what I am eating is fresh or not full of GMOs. I care about what I eat but do I care enough? I had a discussion with a fellow ERW student from another class and she explained to me how she doesn't care what she eats and what's goes into her body. She doesn't want to know what's in her food and even after learning things from this topic, she will continue to not care about what she eats. After this discussion I began to think, "maybe this is how a lot of consumers think?" I know there people who take it very seriously about what goes into there bodies and make sure to only eat certain food that are are organically raised and grown, However the number of people who don't care enough out way the people who do.

Does everyone have access to healthy food??

With the growing rate of obesity and other health related issues in the United States, more and more politicians are battling with these main food industries to tackle these glaring health problems of our country. We often talk about the thought of gaining environmental justice, especially in terms access to good, healthy food. You would think that everyone would be entitled to not only good, but healthy food, unfortunately, there are pockets of areas with low income, and high poverty rates who do not have immediate or nearby access to healthy foods.These tiny pockets are called food deserts. These food deserts can be combated, with more public gardens, persistent activism, and an increase of government incentives on food industries.

U.S. vs. EU

I've been researching the difference between the American Food policies and the European Food policies. Seeing the difference like how we, the U.S. and a few other countries, wash our eggs while other countries don't. What is considered healthy to eat and passes FDA approval and other food  expectations in both the U.S. and other European countries. What our government and European governments do to keep farms going and see that they are qualified to produce food to the mass majority. And what we has people are doing to make sure that what we eat is actually healthy for us and not simply trusting our governments with our food decisions.
 

FRUITS?

I have recently been researching about fruits and why organic fruits were smaller in size and more savory. I've been reading many short articles about the subject and it's pretty obvious to say that chemicals have played a major part in that process. Reading many articles about my topic was or is tough because not only was I stumped on what exactly I was looking for but even more questions filled my brain. I've learned a lot about strawberries though, and how some farmers would inject their soil with chemicals so it could help the growing process. It would kill insects and any bacteria growing in the soil left behind from the season before. This would allow the farmers to continue to grow strawberries in the same spot where as organic farmers would have to leave and find new soil to grow their strawberries on every year or so. Now, this lead me to question a lot about how strawberries were processed and packaged and how they grew which lead me to rethink my research question and just do research more about strawberries. I've read another article, however, about how scientists discovered a way to make fruits bigger, but it made me think back to the article about the strawberries where they talked about bigger fruits being blander. That's when I really started to question whether having larger fruits in our local grocery stores, really worth it. Would you rather have a gigantic strawberry with little to no flavor, if not sour, or would you rather have a smaller strawberry with an abundance amount of flavor? That goes with any fruit out there in the world...

Food Maddness

The research question that I have decided to go with is how does mass production here and internationally affect our human health? This question was directed and developed more on the articles I found. This is something I have never given much thought to until I had to do this research question and looked into it. For example pizza is a dish that was originally in Italy and ingredients that are put on pizza aren't always in season which is why switching off what kind of pizza happens. Here in America we loved the idea of pizza and what toppings we like and we produced more of it. It is now available everywhere, even to be delivered to your own house.

Animals Have the Right to Live

For my research project, my attention was drawn on the animals involved in the process of making food. My essential question is submitted but I am still putting the final touches. My main concern is about how animals get treated during the food process and whether or not it is possible for these animals to go extinct if we continue to kill them for food. I remember as a kid, I would always ask everyone, "Can pigs and cows and chickens go extinct if we keep eating them?" In our ERWC class, we have tackled tons of information about the recent food politics. One thing that stunned me was the way the animals are raised and the chemicals and medication they are inserted with to create mass production. I  personally dislike the idea about giving the animals no reason to live but to be food. They deserve to at least see daylight without having to worry about being slaughtered or watching their fellow species die before their eyes. It's torture having to watch your best friend or mother get hurt and I can't imagine how it would be waiting next in line to add onto the pool of blood and rough, careless hands of the workers. Obviously, I think it's unfair the animals have to go through this and I wished they at least had a better life before being slaughtered. However with recent research on my annotated bibliography, two statements included, "humans are more important than animals," and "animals don't know what's happening to them when they are raised and slaughtered." With this project I hope to answer my question and further discover unknown facts about the production of food today.

research paper question why do we have to pay so much to eat healthy

As i am writing my first draft and i soon start to realize that i am having trouble with this kind of question. My main problem is that i want to try to tie Animal cruelty and the prices but it is so hard to find an article that ties those two things together. I really enjoy writing this paper but at sometimes i got a little stressful. when you think about organic food prices they seem to vary some high cost then regular processed food that tends to be bad for us. this is how my question came about. i want to know the real understanding of why we have to pay so much just to become a healthy person. I remember when we watched the movie food inc in class, there was a family where they would said it easier to get a $1 hamburger then it is to go to the grocery store and buy to groceries to eat healthy. Why do we feel the need to raise prices on such healthy vegetables and fruits.  Ms. Fletcher gave me a great idea to help me with my research paper she said to get a $1 hamburger and see what attracts the consumers to this food other than it's price. I have yet to do so but i want to get my reader's perspective on cheap and unhealthy food.

How do the properties of soil affect plant growth and how do soil organisms affect the plants?

My research topic is about how soil and the organisms affect plant growth. What I've learned so far is that the soil has many different properties, and that they all have some affect on the plants growth. This topic has a variety of different things to say so that's why I decided it would be a good topic to write my research paper on. So far I've learned that the soil is the provider for roots to anchor and grow, the organisms affect the soil by building passageways through the soil, they also affect soil by aeration, drainage, moisture, fertility, nutrient availability, and structure. I didn't even know that organic matter or different types of soil affected a plants growth. Bacteria can also help improve the soil structure by their glue and threads. I've already found so many different things to talk about in my research paper, since I picked an easy topic. Its easy to find multiple articles on the topic, and I find different articles by searching different wordings of the question and still get many articles on the matter. Different organisms that live in the soil do various things for the soil that affects the growth of the plant.

Soil

I have been researching about the soil where our food comes from. An article I read was about how they are trying to use a new system called the water system. The way it works is the nutrients is dissolved into the water and they grow the fruits and vegetables from the water. It seems likes a cool idea to me. This new system would allow them to grow more fruits and vegetables than they do right now. When I read this article I was very interested in learning where our food is coming from. I never realized how interesting dirt could really be. 

For my essay I'm  writing about how food producers and companies are too protected by the law. There have been too many occasions that people up on the account of a food producers negligence. Like in recent events the whole E.ColI issue in Chipotle. I don't it was Chipotle's fault at all. They got their meat from a producer that had tainted meat. In Food Inc., it was mention that feeding cows corn is what caused E.Coli. Cows are not made to digest corn but they feed them it anyway because it is cheap and gets them bigger. The other issue I'm addressing is how the government allows Monsanto's genetically modified beans are appearing in fields that are only supposed to produce organic soy beans. Why isn't the government  saying anything in this matter? It's hurts small farmsize while keeping Monsanto on top. I'm not really  sure if my research questions is approved  but I think it is strong enough  to be stretched to different issues in three food industry.

Food Reasearch

"Slaughterhouse Workers." Slaughterhouse Workers. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.
Slaughterhouse Workers is an article and goes into depth of the employees and the known dangers of working in the slaughterhouse. Many of the workers are aware of the dangers of this job, but many of the injuries that occur can easily be prevented. Many of the companies just don't want to spend the extra money and one to ensure the safety of the workers. They also work 8 hour shifts which are normal,but for this specific type of work, it is much more exhausting physically and mentally because of the fast paced assembly lines. The employees are mainly trained to do one specific job that they specialize in to make the process most efficient. The conditions that are provided for the slaughterhouse workers are not safe because the companies are more concerned with being efficient and making money rather than a positive and safe work environment. I believe that with this type of work, the employees should either work shorter hours, better work conditions, or more breaks. This job is both mentally and physically exhausting because it is not the most pleasant job. There is also no individuality in the type of work because they are trained to specialize in a specific job so the assembly line is as efficient as it can be regardless of what's in the workers best interest.

Food Waste

Research question: Is the way we feed our livestock affecting food waste on a global scale?

    This is the question that my research paper will be centered around, and I feel that my question requires a bit of an explanation. First, let me start where this idea first came from. I was watching a "TED talk" in Ms. Fletcher's class that talked about the globa food scandal. The "talker", Tristram Stuart, first began to define what food waste was and it's impact on a global scale. What stood out most in his talk was the biggest source of food waste on this planet. To my surprise, it wasn't about how many restaurants, homes, fast food places, etc. throw out untouched food (although, this is a reason behind global food waste, it is not the leading cause), but it turns out we waste majority of our food on feeding livestock. Traditional farm animals such as pigs and cows don't have a very strict diet; in fact, pigs can consume almost anything and it will still lead a healthy life; they are considered the farm industries walking garbage trucks. Yet, we spend millions of  tax dollars on feeding our livestock meals that people in 3rd world countries will never be able to eat. Stuart goes on in his "talk" to say that if we didn't focus so much on the nutrition of our livestock we could potentially end world hunger. Of course, the question of how we would feed our livestock after neglecting their diets sprang up from the crowd. Stuart responded with bringing up the vicious cycle of food waste. Food waste is almost inevitable, since not everyone finishes the food off of their plate, and restaurants or places alike throw out food by the dumpster, we can then use this remaining portion of food waste to feed our livestock. There would need to be health code regulations to this change, but it is a movement that could end world hunger and minimize food waste to a fraction of what it currently is. 

My research paper is going to be about "Why fast food is cheaper than healthy foods?" I've learned a lot of information after only doing a little bit of research. I learned that fast food isn't necessarily cheaper, it's just more convenient. You can cook a home cook meal at home, that's way cheaper but most people don't have time to stay and cook at home, since most American's are always on the go. Fast food is more convenient but not necessarily cheaper. I think if most American's new that, they'd still choose fast food, when really cooking a meal at home is way better. I'm going to start having more dinner's at home, rather than going out, so I can save more money!

Help me, fellow ERWians!

So far, I have done my research on how planting and growing our own foods can benefit our mental and physical health. I have research involving "Gangster Gardener", Ron Finley who grew up in South LA and decided to plant in vacant lots throughout the city. I began using the Victory Gardens as reference as well. In World War II, people began to plant fruits and vegetables to get through the food shortages, and to help contribute to need of the items they were planting. Also, Roger Doiron, the TedTalks speaker of "My Subversive (garden) Plot", discusses how gardening our own foods can help us to take our diet back into our own hands. The government has taken so much control over the farming and the way our farmers go about their farming ways, we rarely have control over what we are consuming. Doiron suggests this as a way of showing the government that we have control as well.

I am reaching out to my fellow classmates for help. I continue to vary what I am researching, only to come up with the same sources. Can any of you think of another source I may be able to include? It would be greatly appreciated. :)

My research question is about how the industrial food industry impacts our environment.  I chose this question because I am always told the effects of how are diets impact our health but I have never been told how it effects our environment.  Through research I have found a number of things.  The way food is processed in today's world impacts not only our diets but our climate.  Also our soil used for farming is becoming nonusable due to the way food is made.

The Big Paper

In our ERW class we all have to write this paper on a question that we made up ourselves. The question has be on something about food, anything about food. Then we have to do research on are question. This is very difficult to do because we have to make sure are question is re-searchable. My question for this research paper  is " What makes snacks food so addictive; what is in the some of the snacks?" It took me a while to figure out this question, because a lot of the questions I had in my head were taking. Just like other people in ERW class might be having the same problem. We might also have problems with writing the body of the paper. But if we all work to and make sure we get all the research we can get; we should just be fine. That's one thing Peter Elbow taught me, was to think, plan, and research. WE GOT THIS GUYS!

Benefits and Drawbacks of Organic and Conventional Foods

I often confused the words "healthy" and "nutritious". I now understand that"health" refers to well-being of an individual while "nutrition" refers to the content of vitamin and minerals in a food product. From my research, I read an article that credited Stanford University for finding that organics were not anymore nutritious than its conventional counterpart. Does a strawberry grown organically have more vitamin C than an apple grown by the means of efficiency? It's not, but the processed strawberry would cost much cheaper in markets due to government subsidies. The researchers did admit that the organic fruit contained more antioxidants and phenols which reduce the risk of some cancers. Otherwise, they concluded that there were no meaningful difference between the two foods that are produced differently since the extra nutrients that organics fruit had were not essential. People who preferred organic farming would say that the researchers failed to appreciate the advantages that organics have over regular foods. In addition to the higher amounts of antioxidants and polyphenols that organic food has, it also contains two key flavonoids, quercetin and kaempferol would then be the nutritional advantages. Conventional farming does use pesticides, but the traces found in the food products are apparently in amounts that are "within safety limits". But what are the boundaries and who decides them? Organic foods are regulated so they do not contain synthetic pesticides, hormones and additives. If you want to be completely confident that you are not putting yourself at risk, then organic is the way to go. The extra cost of it is to ensure your safety. It's like paying more for an extended warranty. But are organic foods really worth it?

Is the environmental impact of industrial farming worth the risk?

My blog title is my latest form of a question I have been trying to perfect. I know i want to talk about the environmental impact and the footprint we are leaving and will eventually have to fix but to what extent do i want to go to. Do i talk about the economic as well as environmental stress industrial farming will cause? It seems that in todays world talking about economic factors is the only way to get through to government and corporations-- it's not the health or environmental issues because they could care less, whatever makes them money. We as a species are destroying earth to make room for genetically modified crops and livestock and only see the short term issues nobody seems to be planning for the long term issues. What happens when E.coli becomes such and issue that we can't reuse the manure to make fertilizer because we've stuffed cows so close together that everything is contaminated one box at a time, are big corporations planing to spend millions even billions to improve conditions for the animals? The answer with the greatest possibility is no, the best case scenario is they move the manure somewhere else and now we've destroyed two areas where E.coli was never a problem because it's the cheaper choice at this very moment. How many circumstances will come up to make corporations and the government see the real threat of how industrial farms operate? Is the environmental impact of industrial farming worth the risk?

My Project: Organic Food

I have started researching about my project and i have found some interesting things. For instance, Organic food taste better and is a truer flavor then regular food which is injected with pesticides and other types of chemicals.Scientists now know what we eaters have known all along: organic food often tastes better. It makes sense that strawberries taste yummier when raised in harmony with nature, but researchers at Washington State University just proved this as fact in lab taste trials where the organic berries were consistently judged as sweeter. Plus, new research verifies that some organic produce is often lower in nitrates and higher in antioxidants than conventional food. Organic food I believe is the healthiest but Non-organic food has some good sides too.

Is a World Without GMO’s and Growth Hormones Possible or Practical?

Today, GMOs are in practically everything we consume, unless it directly states ‘organic’ or ‘GMO free’. Although GMOs are almost everywhere, it wasn’t always that way. GMOs didn’t hit grocery store shelves until 1994. So how did a relatively new invention work its way into our lives so rapidly and can we reverse it, or are we in too deep? Not only are GMOs a growing threat, but the growth hormones given to cows are causing damages to our health as well. The hormones allow cows to produce more milk to meet the consumers demand but the have serious consequences to our health including a higher risk for cancer. As the world’s population grows, surely our demand for food will also. The consequences of GMOs are not fully known yet, but there is mounting evidence, that they don’t have a positive influence on our health. While there are other alternatives to GMOs such as eating organically, that isn’t possible for everyone. Eating organically is definitely not economical. We all know it's way easier and more affordable to go to McDonald’s and get a $4.00 Big Mac than it is to shop for organic ingredients and prepare a meal. In order to fight the war against GMOs everyone needs to stand up against them, but we all know not everyone will. This leads me to wonder if we can even have a world without GMOs….