The smell in the air of supermarkets

An important question that Raj Patel raises in the full speech is that to what extent conscious buying can really help solve the problems of global economy, social justice, and the environment.

Related to the clip, see also this story from the LA Times: How businesses coax shoppers into buying
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-shopping-psychology-20101122,0,1283284,full.story

The article provides a good summary of the tactics that businesses use to coax shoppers into spending. The article also illuminates how the ideology of 'choice' can be illusionary. I may think that I am buying this particular item out of my personal, independent choice, but in reality that choice or preference is conditioned by a number of stimuli, both within the store and from outside (ads, culture, media).

On how consumers are now lured by slogans of "Green" and "Fair Trade", see

The Great Green Swindle
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/oct/23/ethicalbusiness-consumeraffairs

But the question for me is more than just social-justice-environment-conscious consumerism. It's consumerism itself: to not be dependent on consumption to find fulfillment in life. That perhaps is the key to freedom.

How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint - English

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7zwrzEyzkA

These steps only 'reduce' carbon footprint; they don't relieve us of our responsibility - that is, if we are complacent in other aspects or if we are apathetic to the exploitation of environment and people by big corporations and by people in our very neighborhoods. The steps in this video can only be a starting point.

On a different note, on the use of tap water, obviously the suggestion in the clip applies only to some countries - mostly in the west. But over in those countries too, it is recommended to use effective filters: Pharmaceuticals - like antibiotics, mood stabilizers, and sex hormones - have been found in drinking water supplies in America. See here http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/pharmawater_site/day1_01.html

The last point about factory farming of cattle and greenhouse effect in the clip relates to the issue of excessive meat consumption. The more the demand for meat, the more grain would be fed to cattle, instead of humans. It takes about 7 gm of grain to produce 1 gm of meat protein. About 40% of world grain is fed to animals, whereas you have more than 1 billion people in the world who, as per UN estimates, sleep undernourished or hungry each day.

On top of that, there is environmental degradation (with excessive emission of 'methane') that the clip refers to.

According to one analysis food 'production' process is more environmentally costly than food 'transportation', and if average Americans replace only 1/7 of their meat consumption with vegetables, it can minimize environmental cost equivalent to that which can be obtained through maximum localization (eating local). See more about that study at: http://www.ethicurean.com/2008/06/23/food-miles-vs-food-choices/

Some people want to make it an argument about "food miles vs. food choices". I think we can incorporate all of these good ideas into our lifestyle - as we encourage eating local and organic (wherever it's realistically possible), we should also encourage cutting down on meat consumption.

The sorry state of local and packaged milk in Pakistan - Urdu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSfyRc-9lw4

This is from the program, Hasb-e-Haal, run by Dunya TV. The host is known for coming up with researched content. So the argument should be taken seriously even if we don't accept it at face value.

I had some idea previously, but this is terrifying. I don't have high hopes from the big companies. From what I have been told most don't own dairy farms; that is, their production is largely dependent on these gawalas. Perhaps the international companies taught some of these techniques to the gawalas. Even if not all gawalas use these techniques to the fullest extent, I have been told that most, at least, do use emulsifier-s, to preserve milk for longer period (in the absence of cooling facility) and thicken its texture. I have been told that these practices are also applied to milk (khula dood) supplied to local shops. What is fed to these animals and the conditions under which they live is another terrifying story.

It's time people took "halal organic" seriously, which was, more or less, already part of established farming practices in Pakistan - though, obviously, not with that name - before the arrival of big companies and the so-called "green revolution". We need to scale down and make food production part of farming methods that are more humane, local, diverse, seasonal, and sustainable. We need to re-connect to our food sources to better appreciate the value of what we eat and associated environmental and human cost-s. We need more awareness of what we already had and what we could improve but that we are losing due to short-sighted greed and corporate gains.

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From the above clip:

The formula for artificial preparation of milk:

1 kilo milk
1 kilo cooking oil
10 kilo water
1 kilo dry milk

CMC powder (a stabilizing agent) - to increase density

"LR" (?) content found in natural milk - is made up for by adding urea, salt, and detergent.

Liquid hydrogen to preserve overnight.

If milk gets bad (phat ja'ey) then they add Caustic Soda.

Oxytocin and other booster injections to animals given for easy milking and increasing productivity.

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From Daily Times: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\12\10\story_10-12-2009_pg7_12

Mixing of harmful substances in packed milk confirmed

"Petitioner Dr Muhammad Yaqoob Bhatti, central executive member of the Watan Party Pakistan, had challenged the alarming situation caused by adulterated milk being supplied in market. The petitioner relied upon a report published in a newspaper on Feb 4, 2009, which stated that dairy farms and milk supplying companies had been adding various chemicals and unhygienic material in milk.

The percentage of impurities includes urea, or melamine as protein booster (30 percent), substandard cooking oil (70 percent), powdered water chestnut (40 percent), unhygienic water (50 percent), formalin, a chemical used by doctors to preserve human body (35 percent), penicillin for enhancing the thickness and fragrance of milk (47 percent), hair removing powder (29 percent), zoonotic pathogens (27 percent) and other adulterants including soda bicarbonate, to improve the taste."

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From: http://www.defence.pk/forums/current-events-social-issues/52817-packaged-milk-being-sold-tainted-melamine.html

"PSQCA says that it allows 5 mg melamine in one kg milk for adults’ consumption and 1mg in one kg milk for children. The Chinese milk controversy involved < 0.2 mg/kg per day consumption causing renal problems in infants.

Melamine Tolerable Daily Intake across the world are as follows

EU : 0.5 milligrams per kg of body mass per day
Canada : 0.35 mg per kg of body mass per day
US : Originally 0.63 mg but now 0.063 mg per kg of body mass per day
WHO : 0.2 mg per kg of body mass per day
China : 2.5 mg per kg in products with more than 15% milk content

So, the FDA says that we should not be consuming more than 0.063 mg of melamine per kg of body mass per day. That means a 20 kg child shouldn't be consuming more than 1.26 mg of melamine per day, and that is the tolerable limit. If these guys have been found exceeding these already relaxed limits set by the PSQCA, I wonder what the kids have been consuming."

"As for the petitioner, an internet search reveals that Dr Muhammad Yaqoob Bhatti is on the HEC Control Panel as well and is an Associate Professor of Livestock Management at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad."