Biology
Global Crisis in Diet
I think my top priority would be for everyone to adopt Michael Pollan's idea: eat food, mostly plants, not too much. When I read that, my whole body smiled. I am beyond frustrated with misinformation on nutrition that is fed to the public as fact. It isn't just the food Kellogg's and Kraft Foods of this world that are to blame, though they do a lot to create false comfort to people that they are eating well. It comes from everywhere: sports enthusiasts, alternative health aficionados (for lack of a better word because they are in most cases self-appointed). I'm talking about extremism in any form: Atkins eaters, raw foodists, calorie restricters, etc. Everyone has a story to tell as to why their conception of the optimal human diets is correct. But, it just doesn't pass the common sense test. I can just see a grandma type hearing some of these ideas and scratching their heads. You eat what honey???
The only advice that makes sense to eat a moderate amount of unprocessed foods, as natural as you can afford. I suppose this is where you need resources, to make more of such food available in more remote areas, and to create systems for doing this that are environmentally sound.
Carbon Offsets:
I am in favor of carbon offsets because they draw people's attention to the issue of global warming and their direct relationship with it. There's a good article in the NY Times today about carbon offsets. Basically, it says that when people know the effect of their energy consumption, they use less. People are looking into how to best communicate enregy consumption and its effect to consumers in real time. I think carbon offsets aren't a panacea, but their a positive development.
Laughter as the Best Medicine:
I think laughter is right up there. Deeply fabulous food and sex are right there too. But all of these things are definitely good for our health, and probably much more beneficial than anything they sell in a drug store. Strongly Agree.
- Ocean Acidification
Ocean Acidification is when more carbon dioxide enters the ocean. These extra amounts of carbon dioxide make the ocean more acidic. This makes it harder for animals with shells, such as oysters, to form their shells. Their shells are fragile and the shells...
- Ecology Revision
Ecology The following are some points to help you, it does not contain everything! You must revise on your own making summary notes and diagrams to help you. You have your notes, this web and your text book to help you. Please use all of these resources,...
- Ecology
Ecology Webquest Name: __________________________ Period: ________ Date: _____ Part I: Ecosystems and Nutrient Cycling I. FOOD CHAINS http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/frogs/chain_reaction/index.cfm and click on ?play the game? to begin. Answer...
- Week Six
Living and Non-Living Systems This subject threatens to become very intense and arcane. I can't say I fully understand the autopoetic definition of living systems. I really don't understand the role of cognition in it. That being said, I'll...
- Week Four
A Drug For Everything? It seems like that is the way that we are headed. Clearly, there's an alarming trend toward medicalizing everything, even personality, and then making nearly every aspect of the human condition "treatable". Looked at from this...
Biology
Week Eleven: Forward
Global Crisis in Diet
I think my top priority would be for everyone to adopt Michael Pollan's idea: eat food, mostly plants, not too much. When I read that, my whole body smiled. I am beyond frustrated with misinformation on nutrition that is fed to the public as fact. It isn't just the food Kellogg's and Kraft Foods of this world that are to blame, though they do a lot to create false comfort to people that they are eating well. It comes from everywhere: sports enthusiasts, alternative health aficionados (for lack of a better word because they are in most cases self-appointed). I'm talking about extremism in any form: Atkins eaters, raw foodists, calorie restricters, etc. Everyone has a story to tell as to why their conception of the optimal human diets is correct. But, it just doesn't pass the common sense test. I can just see a grandma type hearing some of these ideas and scratching their heads. You eat what honey???
The only advice that makes sense to eat a moderate amount of unprocessed foods, as natural as you can afford. I suppose this is where you need resources, to make more of such food available in more remote areas, and to create systems for doing this that are environmentally sound.
Carbon Offsets:
I am in favor of carbon offsets because they draw people's attention to the issue of global warming and their direct relationship with it. There's a good article in the NY Times today about carbon offsets. Basically, it says that when people know the effect of their energy consumption, they use less. People are looking into how to best communicate enregy consumption and its effect to consumers in real time. I think carbon offsets aren't a panacea, but their a positive development.
Laughter as the Best Medicine:
I think laughter is right up there. Deeply fabulous food and sex are right there too. But all of these things are definitely good for our health, and probably much more beneficial than anything they sell in a drug store. Strongly Agree.
- Ocean Acidification
Ocean Acidification is when more carbon dioxide enters the ocean. These extra amounts of carbon dioxide make the ocean more acidic. This makes it harder for animals with shells, such as oysters, to form their shells. Their shells are fragile and the shells...
- Ecology Revision
Ecology The following are some points to help you, it does not contain everything! You must revise on your own making summary notes and diagrams to help you. You have your notes, this web and your text book to help you. Please use all of these resources,...
- Ecology
Ecology Webquest Name: __________________________ Period: ________ Date: _____ Part I: Ecosystems and Nutrient Cycling I. FOOD CHAINS http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/frogs/chain_reaction/index.cfm and click on ?play the game? to begin. Answer...
- Week Six
Living and Non-Living Systems This subject threatens to become very intense and arcane. I can't say I fully understand the autopoetic definition of living systems. I really don't understand the role of cognition in it. That being said, I'll...
- Week Four
A Drug For Everything? It seems like that is the way that we are headed. Clearly, there's an alarming trend toward medicalizing everything, even personality, and then making nearly every aspect of the human condition "treatable". Looked at from this...