Fake Milk? You've Got to be Kidding Me!

"Milk" by Daniel Hurst
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28390932@N07/3332225132/

But then again, why am I surprised!? I'm including a link to snopes.com regarding the information, just so I have all the facts. I think the saddest part of this is that the International Dairy Foods Association feels that adding artificial sweeteners would "benefit school children" who only like to drink sweet beverages. There's that sugar/corn beast rearing its ugly head again, plus the idea that everything can be manipulated, except our own willpower and understanding of the detrimental effects of both sugar and sugar substitutes.

Next week will end the blogging portion of the blog project, and then we'll have book discussions and blog visits, an assessment, and...a taste testing day. I mean, we can't leave the world of food ethics without eating, can we? :)

Other issues you may want to research in the next two weeks:

CHOCOLATE and SLAVERY? When there is no standard for ethical behavior and decision making, anything goes...

80% of Supermarket Items are Spiked With...SUGAR! When is a calorie not a calorie? Protect your health!

Why are STRANGE ITEMS ending up in our food? This seems to be happening on a regular basis. Is it that we are short on inspections? Inspectors? What is behind this decline in safety?

Did you know that more people have a mobile phone than a toilet? Check out interesting water facts here.

A good place to get started on looking into animal treatment ethics is here. Follow the links!

Happy hunting and good eating on this fine St. Patty's Day!

Here We Go! Welcome, Class of 2014!

Dottie and Lucy Collier

(courtesy of Jan Collier)

YES. These are two of my four chickens. My life is never boring. Sort of.

I just want to make sure that we are all on the same page regarding this project. You are blogging on aspects of food ethics: economy, animal welfare, organic vs. conventional, environment, and the locavore movement. But--the goal of this project is not to make you change your eating habits, though Miss Carney and I would like nothing more than to instill in you the importance of being your own health advocate. The overarching aim of these next few weeks is to make you a citizen of the larger world: to recognize the interconnectedness of issues, to learn how to sift through information, and to research and synthesize, in order to create an informed opinion. As part of this, you will learn to write, publish, post, and attribute pictures and information, as well as link to articles and websites. Along those lines, here are a few links to get you started (many of these will apply to more than one group):

Food Safety and the loss of inspectors due to spending cuts means we're in trouble! Check it out here.

What are the 12 scariest things in your food?

Farmers' use of genetically modified soybeans grows into a Supreme Court case.

Are we in a new era of food scarcity, and if so, how is this connected to collapsed civilazations?

Cotton--it's ubiquitous. From paper towels to clothing, to "unmentionable" products, we use/wear a lot of cotton. So what's the problem? Check here.

Did you know the Mississippi River is experiencing many problems due to the drought, and that many of these issues affect FOOD. It's pretty serious. Here's a report from the National Geographic. 

Russia and the US--not the best of friends. But Russia absolutely snubs its nose at US meat. Why?

Monsanto is one of the biggest and most influential companies behind GE seeds, patented with a Roundup-ready gene. It was bound to happen...pesticide resistant superweeds.

Wow! Walmart wants to LABEL GMOs? What!

So, here's one for the Francophile and the locavore, and especially, anyone who loves all things PARIS! Plus, it's a blog. Great ideas here!

Animal lovers--does your seafood feel pain? It's worth a look!

OK! Have fun. Miss Carney and I will be checking with each blog group weekly, bringing up your blogs on the big screen and getting your thoughts on what's interesting and in the news. 

Tex Collier: The Chicken Protector (he loves them)

Courtesy of Jan Collier