Article in Harper's on Energy Usage

[Guest guest]

This article sounds fascinating. As you say, we've been thinking like this for

years: When people in modern society eat bread and meat, practically speaking,

they are simply eating fossil fuels transformed into another form.

 

And, as we mentioned before, without the help of Srila Prabhupada's followers,

it seems unlikely that the oxen will be there to help them produce food once

the petroleum becomes to expensive for agriculture -- because they will already

have eaten most of them up, during the early phases of upward spikes in grain

prices.

 

But if those of us who believe in protecting cows can do something, then there

is a good chance that when they come to us to learn how to produce food without

petroleum, then they will also learn how to chant Hare Krsna at the same time.

 

ys

hkdd

 

-

"Rupanuga (das) TKG (Dallas, TX - US)" <Rupanuga.TKG (AT) pamho (DOT) net>

Sunday, January 18, 2004 8:10 pm

Article in Harper's on Energy Usage

 

> Some interesting points are made by one Richard Manning, in his

> article,"The Oil We Eat: Following the food chain back to Iraq,"

> appearing in the

> February, 2004, issue of Harper's Magazine.

>

> Regarding processed foods, the author states, "There is another energy

> matter to consider here, though. The grinding, milling, wetting,

> drying,and baking of a breakfast cereal requires about four

> calories of energy for

> every calorie of food energy it produces. A two-pound bag of

> breakfastcereal burns the energy of a half-gallon of gasoline in

> its making. All

> together the food-processing industry in the United States uses

> about ten

> calories of fossil-fuel energy for every calorie of food energy it

> produces.

> "That number does not include the fuel used in transporting the

> food from

> the factory to a store near you, or the fuel used by millions of

> peopledriving to thousands of super discount stores on the edge of

> town, where the

> land is cheap" (44).

>

> Manning goes on to point out the energy inefficiency of growing

> foods to be

> fed to animals, so that humans can then enjoy flesh foods, which

> provideonly a fraction of the energy required to produce those

> foods. Not really

> new information to us, but interesting to read in a fairly prominent

> publication.

>

> What to speak of the energy wasted in food production, he makes a

> provocative statement about converting corn to ethanol: "Fuel alcohol

> already ranks second as a use for processed corn in the United

> States, just

> behind corn sweeteners. According to one set of calculations, we

> spend more

> calories of fossil-fuel energy making ethanol than we gain from

> it. The

> Department of Agriculture says the ratio is closer to a gallon and

> a quart

> of ethanol for every gallon of fossil fuel we invest. The USDA

> calls this a

> bargain, because gasohol is a 'clean fuel'" (44).

>

> Other statements made by the author are a bit obtuse, such as this

> one:"Vegetarians claim their habits are kinder to animals, though

> it is

> difficult to see how wiping out 99 percent of wildlife's habitat

> is a

> kindness" (44). He seems to have some sympathy for wildlife, but

> none for

> domesticated creatures. Overall, though, the article supplies

> some pretty

> good points about the wastefulness of the industrialization and

> commercialization of Western food production and distribution.

>

> We might wonder whether anyone out there, besides devotees, will pay

> attention to this kind of article. It should be obvious

> (shouldn't it?)

> that our present Western "civilization" is hanging by a very

> slender thread

> (oil pipeline), and is tenable only with relatively cheap energy

> sources,oil and coal.

>

> How much time does our movement have to establish working, self-

> sufficientfarming communities, before the mass exodus from the

> cities begins? Can you

> imagine the preaching opportunities that will be there when

> thousands, or

> millions, of persons are carrying whatever belongings they can

> haul on their

> backs or in wagons and wheelbarrows away from the cities and into the

> countrysides, where they can find water to drink, and soil in

> which to raise

> food? Will we be ready to accomodate them and train them?

>

> Rupanuga das

>

> -----------------------

> To from this mailing list, send an email to:

> Cow-Owner (AT) pamho (DOT) net

>

[Guest guest]

You would have to protect your cows with your life if this comes to pass.

 

---- Original Message -----

Rupanuga (das) TKG (Dallas, TX - US) <Rupanuga.TKG (AT) pamho (DOT) net>

Cow (Protection and related issues) <Cow (AT) pamho (DOT) net>; Giridhari Swami

<Giridhari.Swami (AT) pamho (DOT) net>; Bharat <r_bharat (AT) hotmail (DOT) com>; Carl

<herzigcarl (AT) sau (DOT) edu>; Indra <Indra187 (AT) aol (DOT) com>; Jahnavi

<jahnavi108 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com>; Krishna dd <krishnaharrison >;

Madhavendrapuri <mpdas99 (AT) aol (DOT) com>; Mathuranath <Housesinc (AT) aol (DOT) com>;

Nityananda <Ndadhikaaritkg (AT) cs (DOT) com>; Radhavinod <RadhaVinod (AT) aol (DOT) com>

Monday, January 19, 2004 6:28 AM

Article in Harper's on Energy Usage

 

 

>

>

> that our present Western "civilization" is hanging by a very slender

thread

> (oil pipeline), and is tenable only with relatively cheap energy sources,

> oil and coal.

>

> How much time does our movement have to establish working, self-sufficient

> farming communities, before the mass exodus from the cities begins? Can

you

> imagine the preaching opportunities that will be there when thousands, or

> millions, of persons are carrying whatever belongings they can haul on

their

> backs or in wagons and wheelbarrows away from the cities and into the

> countrysides, where they can find water to drink, and soil in which to

raise

> food? Will we be ready to accomodate them and train them?

>

> Rupanuga das

>

> -----------------------

> To from this mailing list, send an email to:

> Cow-Owner (AT) pamho (DOT) net