Food Inc. and King Corn

           When I watch documentaries I usually become obsessive. I can't describe how many penguin articles I read after watching March of the Penguins or the amount of research I did on Anonymous after watching We Are Legion. The class viewing of Food Inc. was no different. Once we finished the documentary a friend of mine happened to be watching King Corn the moment I returned to my dorm room. I sat through yet another documentary on how Americans use corn to extreme lengths and the potential risks of using corn to feed our cattle. After the documentary high wore off I began my research on the affects of producing this amount of corn and the nourishment it is providing for our cows.

            My results were somewhat astonishing. I discovered that having cows eating this much corn obviously hurts the cow, and causes the meat to be higher in cholesterol and less nutritious to us which we all know. Furthermore, the corn causes a cow's intestinal tract to be far more acidic which encourages the growth of E. coli. I read one article that explains the profound impact that corn feeding has on fossil fuel energies. "According to David Pimentel, a Cornell ecologist who specializes in agriculture and energy, the corn we feed our feedlot cattle accounts for a staggering amount of fossil fuel energy. Growing the corn used to feed livestock in this country takes vast quantities of chemical fertilizer, which in turn takes vast quantities of oil. Because of this dependence on petroleum, Pimentel says, a typical steer will in effect consume 284 gallons of oil in his lifetime."

            So what can we do? A common theme throughout everything I have read was the theory that meat should be used as a garnish and not a main course. Yes, buying grass-fed meat does sound like the way to go, but let's face it, we are college students and I know I wouldn't be able to afford buying my own groceries. If humans consumed meat the way it was intended to be eaten then it would essentially solve the problem. Prices would fluctuate, less oil would be used, and we would be all around healthier as a society.