Preachy post

I have to be very careful when discussing specifics related to my job, but I will say that my last project has made me even more passionate about real food and even angrier about the food industry. It makes me angrier still when they play the populist card, the natural-is-elitist card. There’s some truth to that: there’s a smugness about the Whole Foods “lifestyle” that has made me cringe even before the industry started mocking it. But when you get down to it, mass-produced, processed food takes a greater economic, health and environmental toll in the long run. Organic doesn’t, shouldn’t have to be elitist. I don’t buy everything organic, but, for example, I’ll only buy organic soy products. I do aim for the least amount of processed food as possible, and I really believe in appreciating good food. So I’m glad this guy, among others, is doing what he’s doing.

By the way, I’ve not seen “The Goode family”—I don’t have a tv, and I haven’t sought it out online. I do think that Che is a great name for a dog, and I realize that I’m very much the person the show is making fun of, but when it comes down to it, I’d rather try than not do anything at all.

And so you have, on one end, the people that try to hard, and on the other, the people like Stephen Colbert’s character, that will microwave a Styrofoam cup for 72 hours as a f*-you to the planet. And in between, you have people like my roommate, who just doesn’t know any better. In that sense, he strikes me as an anachronism, coming into the house with disposable plastic bags that hold frozen waffles and uber-processed “maple” syrup. Did I ever noticed what Kevin bought, ate? He had fruit-sweetened ketchup and whole-wheat pancake mix. He recycled but didn't vote, didn't think it made a difference. If everyone like him had voted for Kerry... well, whatever, too late now. I guess what I'm saying is, it's not a live and let live issue. Not doing anything is a choice, and it has consequences. I'm not trying to elevate myself into righteousness-- I'm not an envirosaint. But it never hurts to do what you can.