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1.Summary of Debate 8.3 Classmate Responses For the topic, “industrial organic food production is better than conventional industrial food production when it comes to the environment, farmers, public health, and taxpayers, but is still unsustainable” (182-184), before reading the debate, 14 classmates were for and 12 were opposed. After reading the debate, 14 were for and 13 were opposed. One person was undecided before the debate and moved to the con position; therefore, the con position wins, although more students were in support of the pro side. Those on the pro side were mainly for organic production and the benefit in not using chemicals and artificial fertilizer, as well as a reduction in subsidies. Those on the con side felt organic was much more expensive and continued to have negative impacts on the environment, such as in the use of fossil fuels. In the chapter “Big Organic,” Pollan is critical of how industrial organic is similar to conventional industrial in many of the production methods, such as mass production of animals, feeding cows corn, and the use of fossil fuels for transportation. However, he ultimately thinks organic is better because it is produced without pesticides and artificial fertilizer which impact the environment and possibly consumers. Yuhao and Zhengxi, Please submit your response to this summary and your experience doing the debate to Debate 8.3 classmate response by Thurs. 5/9.

Con: Industrial organic food is not better than conventional industrial food when it comes to environment, farmers, public health, and taxpayers.

The organic food industry started out as an idea of creating sustainability in feeding ourselves in line with nature’s orientation. Going organic is actually resonating with the need to try out sustainable ways in growing our food. Plants that are grown with no use of either pesticide or industrial fertilizers are truly in agreement with the current concerns about our environment. For the past three decades, the organic food industry has slowly interrupted the food chain and it’s currently a major force in the food market. Notwithstanding, the industry is today filled with industrial values other than ecological ones if any is left. The capital side of the business is pushing the organic food industries to market their products mostly with eye-catching phrases that are aimed at moistening souls. This question may be seen as quite premature to be answered, but all directions do point to a very intense and questionable impact that the organic food industry has made in protecting the environment in logically numeral perspective.

The organic food industry has, of course, created a huge market for farm products in almost every part of this world, thereby, giving the farmer other alternatives. When the conventional food industry works best on the economies of scale and other industrial values, the organic food industry utilizes similar concepts but hugely hangs around the term ‘organic’ to demystify any sense of conventionalism. To the taxpayer, we are actually losing out because we import as many organic foods that we produce. The overall cost of production has gone up, forcing the burden to be shifted to the customer. As expected, organic foods are pretty expensive, making it difficult to justify the extent to which customers have to chip in to fund sustainability. Organic foods have been lauded to contribute to better public health. However, conventional foods have nothing to do with limiting human health. It is rather an issue of how well you manage your body with regards to; exercise choice of food, and mental relaxation.

A cow raised in a cage-free farm with a natural stream flowing across it remains to be beef and the calories from that cozy cow won’t hamper any risks associated with their consumption. Such pampering of the organic plate with words is alarming and freaking as the food is been turned into an experience that deserves the well-mannered chicken who has spent the better portion of her life in an open farm with freedom and natural amenities to be stocked. I acknowledge the importance of facilitating the transition from conventional to organic, but not the organic as just an undertone of fanning for markets.

Rebuttal and question

The debate on the benefits that comes with organic foods has been hitting hurdles from the perspective of sustainability. If going organic would be such easy as Yuhao Lin makes it look like, then the world would just switch to this wonderful way of eating that saves the world from a myriad of problem caused by conventional foods. The question here should be; how realistic are organic foods with respect to our health, taxes, environment, and to the farmers who farm them on the ground? The answer is a brutal no!

First, organic farming is much more expensive and labor intensive than its conventional counterpart. This is easy to understand given that no fertilizers are used rather huge amounts of animal manure that are bulky to transport because they are required in large amounts compared to synthetic fertilizers. Furthermore, the energy required to produce a single unit of the industrial organic foods is more or less equivalent to what conventional industrial foods would cost. Again, rearing those animals for their manure is another cause of global warming and further derails soil regeneration. In reality, the taxpayer is not spared as well when they go organic because the prices are way through the roof for much of those organic foods. Looking at the way the federal department of agriculture and other state-run corporate that are signatories to regulations, it would plain to note that organic food has been marred with poor regulation and therefore not guaranteed what we may refer as organic food could easily fail the organic test.

Secondly, organic foods are meant to improve the health of the public who consume them. However, that is not happening at the moment as big chain supermarkets are filled with imported organic foods that end up being overly aged than expected. Some of the organic industrial foods just find themselves among other organic foods because there is a clear lack of distinction between what is exactly organic or not. The USCD’s regulatory measures are way too much watered since they allow the use of GMO’s and other unorthodox ways in growing organic foods, therefore, leading to their loss of authenticity.

Thirdly, organic industrial foods are fanned by the capitalist markets that market them as a new concept that had been hidden from humans. In fact, I have agreed all along that organic foods are meant to improve on public health and save our beautiful planet from depletion, but my concern is the promoters of those organic foods are more interested with creating a huge business out of our curiosity. The philosophy of organic food is more of a thing to the commercial aspect than the farmers and their farms that produce those magical foods. Why would a supermarket run out words in describing a chicken that has been reared normal to an extent the buyer isn’t sure either they are buying food for their stomach or rather food for their souls? The debate might not end today, but my stance on organic industrial foods remains one filled with suspicion and disbelief.

Discussion

Discussion 14.1: Week 14: More about Essay 3 Discussion: Analyzing Samples

Answer ONE of the following questions that has not been answered by a previous poster, unless they have all been answered once already. Also post a paragraph response to one of the other postings by your classmates. Make clear which comment you are responding to. You may agree, disagree, ask a question, or try to come up with a transition connecting two of the ideas in different postings. Please post by Thurs. 5/9 at midnight.

Students have asked me about what an introduction would look like for essay #3. Please see attached for introductions and the first body paragraph from some student samples of a literature review, one step in the process of writing the research paper, in Professor Mikolavich’s class (he’s developed the assignment working together with Professor Fischer). While these are not exactly the research paper, the students write with style and a unique voice to engage the readers, something you should strive for in your essay.

Choice 1: Describe this assignment, Essay 3 “Creative Research Paper” and how it is similar to and different from other assignments you have had. What are the basic requirements? What is your critical question? How might you organize different components, such as a review of the literature and field work?

Choice 2: Look again at the Student Samples excerpted from Proteus papers in Professor Fischer’s class. In particular, look at the interviews conducted for sample 1 and 2. For each one, how do you think this could be integrated into the overall research paper? Remember that these are actual excerpts from the papers.

Choice 3: Look again at the Student Samples excerpted from Proteus papers in Professor Fischer’s class. In particular, look at the interviews conducted for sample 3 and 5. For each one, how do you think this could be integrated into the overall research paper? Remember that these are actual excerpts from the papers.

Choice 4: Look again at the Student Samples excerpted from Proteus papers in Professor Fischer’s class. In particular, look at the interviews conducted for sample 6 and 7. For each one, how do you think this could be integrated into the overall research paper? Remember that these are actual excerpts from the papers.

Choice 5: Given the circumstance that your topic doesn’t lend itself well to observation or participation (for field work), you may need to write a fictional account based on the facts that you can find out. Look again at the Student Samples excerpted from Proteus papers in Professor Fischer’s class. In particular, look at the fictional reconstruction of the experience of an arranged marriage in sample 4, based on a photograph and family stories. How do you think this could be integrated into the overall research paper? Remember that these are actual excerpts from the papers. If you need to write a story for your participation/observation, how will you go about this? What factual evidence and research will you base this upon?

Choice 6: For the document Sample 1, “The Passive Problem,” look at the introduction and first body paragraph. How does Aidan make the introduction engaging and creative? How does he integrate his research in the body paragraph to support the main points of the paper? What would you say are the thesis statement and topic sentence(s), whether stated explicitly or implied?

Choice 7: For the document Sample 2, look at the introduction and first body paragraph. How does Maddie make the introduction engaging and creative? How does she integrate her research in the body paragraph to support the main points of the paper? What would you say are the thesis statement and topic sentence(s), whether stated explicitly or implied?

Choice 8: For the document, Sample 3, “A Culture of Scarcity,” look at the introduction and first body paragraph. How does Wendy make the introduction engaging and creative? How does she integrate her research in the body paragraph to support the main points of the paper? What would you say are the thesis statement and topic sentence(s), whether stated explicitly or implied?

Choice 7: For the document Sample 2, look at the introduction and first body paragraph. How does Maddie make the introduction engaging and creative? How does she integrate her research in the body paragraph to support the main points of the paper? What would you say are the thesis statement and topic sentence(s), whether stated explicitly or implied?

The first thing I noticed when I opened sample 2 is the way that Maddie structured her essay. She uses short and simple sentences strategically. Usually sentences like that make the essay hard to comprehend and piece together, however she makes the essay flow using these sentences. She also uses descriptive words to paint a picture in your mind. Her essay focuses on mathematics regarding infinity. She uses quotes to help solidify different views on whether infinity is actually infinite. I think her thesis statement is saying that you can either be the person who is static and believe that infinity doesn’t truly exist, despite how little we know about science, or you can be the person who is willing to explore and learn more.