This I Resolve

Last updated on: January 4, 2010 at 4:26 am by Justin Whitaker

This I Resolve 2010-01-04T04:26:00-07:00 Justin Whitaker

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

In 2010 I resolve to be more mindful of where my food, and stuff, comes from.

Apple Juice…. From China.

This is from my folks’ house over Christmas. The print near the top says “Concentrate from China.” Apparently it’s now cheaper to raise apples in China, press them for concentrate, ship that, and reconstitute it somewhere in the US and ship that to Montana than using Montana or Washington apples for the same product.

I brought this up to my folks and my Dad, whom I greatly admire, said, “Well, it’s just hard to get things made in the US these days… Even furniture all comes from China.” No, no, no…. I pointed out that you can get HELENA-MADE furniture if you wanted, and there are probably a dozen more furniture makers in Montana if you look for them.

The problem, we all agreed, is that buying local (often) means spending more money or settling for something that is not exactly what you want. And we as a culture are practically hardwired to find the cheapest acceptable item to fulfill our immediate desire.

Last night I finally watched “The Botany of Desire” with Julie and while I was mesmerized by each of the four stories, the fourth, on potatoes, was most interesting. There we see the evolution of potatoes, focusing on the last 3oo or so years, when they’ve gone from the wide varieties found in S. America (pictured lower left) to the monocultures well-known in the US and Europe. The resulting famine in Ireland in 1847 (should have) taught us a great lesson in why not to simply focus on what is easiest and cheapest (economics overriding morals or other decision-making mechanisms).

I’ve heard Michael Pollan speak before, and one thing he strongly advocates is the redevelopment of local/regional food networks. Today we are (most of us at least) dangerously dependent upon transportation networks to bring us our food. Luckily there are folks moving to turn this around, but it will require awareness on the part of the consumer – me and you- to make it work. As I sip my Californian wine and type on my Chinese-made computer, I can’t help but wonder how much I’ll really be able to “act locally” – but I’ll try.

I’ll post updates along the way – under the below label “local living” and hope you’ll join me in deepening awareness of the sources of all this stuff in our lives.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

January 3, 2010

New Years Resolutions: Buddhist Style

Next Post

January 5, 2010 Winter in Montana - Photos

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Academia Activism American Buddhism Art Book review Buddhism Buddhism Today Buddhist Ethics Burma/Myanmar China Christianity Commodification Environment Gender Happiness Health Humor India Interfaith Islam Japanese Buddhism Kant Media / News Meditation mindfulness Photography Poetry Politics quicktakes Running Teaching Technology Thailand Theism/Atheism Theravada Tibet Tibetan Buddhism Travels Uncategorized Unitarian Universalism video Western Philosophy Zen

Select a Month June 2021 January 2021 November 2020 August 2020 July 2020 March 2020 January 2020 October 2019 August 2019 June 2019 May 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 November 2004 September 2004 August 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz