NEWS: Holy Cow - PBS Nature special 08/28/05

[Guest guest]

There was an interesting documentary on the PBS show "Nature" on Sunday

night, called "Holy Cow." It looked at different aspects of cows in

different cultures around the world. It looked at both positive and

negative things. It talked about the pollution caused by industrial

cattle raising, and the environmentally preferable methods of modern

grass pasture management.

 

I didn't see the beginnig of it, but a friend called us up and told us

about it, so I tuned in about 5 minutes into the program.

 

I did not agree with all of it, and was disappointed that there wasn't

more about the value of ox power -- an that no great civilization on

earth has ever been established without the engine of ox power, whether

China, India or Rennaisance Europe.

 

Some parts were a little ironic. Modern idustrial cattle raising was

criticized as too dependent on petroleum (which is today about $70 per

barrel). Grass fed cattle were offered as an alternative. But then one

man said, that's a luxury. For those who are poor, they will always

have to rely on traditional agriculture -- but having no inkling that in

20 years the price of oil will make that type of farming extinct.

 

One other irony was that the grass-pasture advocate was going on about

how they take the time to "gentle" their calves (beef calves) so that

all the animals are friendly to them and not afraid of people. Of

course the cynical part of their apparent thoughtfulness was that they

wanted to tame the animals so in the end when they have to round them up

to slaughter them, it will be much easier.

 

Another thing was the mention of how a Masai man pays 30 cows to get a

wife. My son said that in Karamoja, the price is 100 cows to get a

wife. And the only way to get 100 cows is to steal them from someone

else. The result is that in order to get a wife, you have to go through

this violent process, where people are often killed. I'm not sure if

it's the same in Kenya as in Uganda, but the TV show did not mention

that aspect.

 

Nevertheless, it was a interesting show. At the bottom of the show's

preface, I have included the website, which includes photos, and

probably a study guide for teachers, also a place where you can order a

copy of the video.

 

your servant,

 

Hare Krsna dasi

 

**************************

 

*Discover how cows have altered human life, human biology, and the

geography of the world. *

 

About 8,000 years ago, the relationship between cows and man began with

the revolutionary advent of domestication in Mesopotamia, the Indus

River Valley, and Africa. There were many possible candidates for the

job but only the cow fit the specific criteria humankind needed: not too

flighty, breeds well in captivity, grows at a good pace, not aggressive,

requires a low maintenance diet. Our ancestors chose wisely: Cows

provide just about all of our basic needs, from milk and meat to muscle.

 

Today there are about 1.5 billion cows in the world. In many different

countries humans and cows have formed close relationships. In England,

dairy farmer Mark Evans spends all of his waking time with his cows,

milking, feeding, and otherwise nurturing them. The African Masai tribe

believes that all cattle were given to them from the great god N'gai at

the beginning of time -- a belief which today remains at the heart of

their culture. India is home to a quarter of the world's cow population.

One major reason for this is that India's majority Hindu community

reveres cows and considers them to be "second mothers."

 

NATURE explores how we've changed the cow and how the cow has changed us.

 

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/holycow/