Tom Philpott’s Posts

• Plate Tectonics

  No to Obama's agrichemical industry man, yes to Bed-Stuy Farm 1

  Posted 17 hours, 47 minutes agoThis post marks the launch of "Plate Tectonics," a new feature that highlights ways that citizen action can move the food system in more sustainable directions. First task: jamming the revolving door between the agrichemical industry and the Obama administration.

• Choice nuggets

  Gourmet's conscience, Gopnik on cookbooks, and other tasty morsels 3

  Posted 1 day, 17 hours ago

  Grist's food editor serves up a brief rundown of interesting food/agriculture journalism from around the web.

• Meat wagon

  Why the USDA has no business overseeing conditions on factory farms, and more 15

  Posted 4 days, 4 hours agoWhy isn't the federal government seriously investigating the possible CAFO-swine flu link? I've posed that question several times recently, most recently here. Now let me venture an answer.

• Denialism and H1N1

  Time for the mainstream media to face the factory farm-swine flu link 21

  Posted 1 week, 2 days agoThe famed novelist Jonathan Safran Foer has been speaking bluntly about swine flu and CAFOs. Will the mainstream media now follow suit?

• Slow food, fast trains

  Random Monday thoughts inspired by a throwaway line from Mark Bittman 4

  Posted 1 week, 3 days agoPerhaps feeling punchy because it's Monday, Tom Philpott jots down some random thoughts after reading an interview with home-cooking authority Mark Bittman.

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Tom Philpott’s Recent Comments

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  The FDA would make logical sense--if it got a proper budget increase. Or maybe meat is different and requires an independent entity answering to the FDA. Right now, Obama can't even manage to appoint a director to FSIS--the USDA subagency that oversees meat safety.On Why the USDA has no business overseeing conditions on factory farms, and more posted 7 hours, 41 minutes ago 15 Responses

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  Thank you, askantick. I can not always be bothered to get into silly back-and-forths with the likes of "food provider." Oh my God! Who will regulate CAFOs if not the USDA!!!!!!!!! [faints.] If Food Provider would trouble himself with engaging with the argument being made, conversations might actually be productive around here. Yes, regulatory capture is vexing; yes, the FDA is shamefully compromised by Big Pharma; but its role in life isn't to promote Big Pharma. It's got big problems overseeing the drug industry, but those problems don't lie in its very DNA. The USDA clearly has no business overseeing conditions on factory farms. It's like tasking an 8-year-old with overseeing the cookie jar.On Why the USDA has no business overseeing conditions on factory farms, and more posted 7 hours, 46 minutes ago 15 Responses

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  JMG3Y, Your point is well taken and your analysis is pungent. You're essentially saying that the situation is even more screwed up than I'm portraying it; "regulatory capture" has prevailed fully, through what amounts to leveraged buyouts of Congressional committees. I don't really have an answer for that, except, damn. But I still think that charging the USDA with overseeing CAFOs and charging them with promoting the interests of the meat industry is insane. Maybe the focus should be attacking the second function, not trying to remove the first?On Why the USDA has no business overseeing conditions on factory farms, and more posted 3 days, 6 hours ago 15 Responses

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  "It's been the Book of Job up here." Haha. Good stuff.On Lester Brown and I, diavlogging posted 1 week, 1 day ago 4 Responses

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  Nicely put, Cyberfarer. And I would be willing to bet that your not some coal-industry flack, but rather a person who genuinely believes climate changes is a hoax. And I still think it's lame that Michael Specter didn't devote a chapter to folks like you. And while I find your attitude mystifying, I have to congratulate you on the political power of your position. Why, just yesterday, climate change legislation died in the Senate: http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2009/11/climate-bill-2010On Michael Specter's new book 'Denialism' misses its targets posted 2 weeks, 2 days ago 49 Responses