mrdavidbarrie’s Recent Comments

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  snobby...

  Why be so snobby about such shows? Few in the Western world give half a thought as to what they eat and where their food comes from. And it's shocking how a foodie culture so devoted to local, seasonal and authentic food experiences turns so culturally hoighty-toighty about what other cultures eat and call local, seasonal and authentic. We should thank our lucky stars that the slow but sure drip drip of this media product is starting to slowly but surely encourage more and more people to take a greater understanding of what they eat. No one pretends that it's more than entertainment so maybe best to take it on its own terms?On New travel and cooking shows valorize the very practices destroying frogs and other living things posted 9 months, 3 weeks ago 4 Responses

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  Blank canvasses

  I love 'greened' cities: but they're often designed just now to be little more than urban savannahs. Amenities are one thing. But diversification is another, bigger issue. turn some of these spaces over to mixed use. farmland. playland. swimland. kissingland. livingland. On Big urban parks sprouting across the U.S. posted 1 year, 7 months ago 5 Responses

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  What is the decommissioning endgame?

  I find it astonishing that we are committing to nuclear power production without due consideration or confident affirmation of what the endgame is for waste storage and the destiny of sites used for power generation.

  I ran a project a long time ago here in the U.K. on how nuclear sites can, should and might be returned to the human, natural landscape. It might be of interest to readers here: http://tinyurl.com/yqfql2.

  It certainly should be of interest to the designers of the next generation of power facilities and their host local government agencies. On British government embraces a nuclear-powered future posted 1 year, 7 months ago 13 Responses

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  A green and pleasant land...

  Great that Grist has pulled this story out. This eco-town thing is about to become a massive issue here in the U.K.: a total re-casting of a 'green and pleasant land' that has to happen. There will be a burden on rural infrastructure but urban infrastructure is already collapsing...mmmm.... :-? On Protests arise over British government's "eco-town" plans posted 1 year, 9 months ago 4 Responses

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  Feral food

  I'm not a great fan of Pollan. I find him holier than thou. But he has done us a bit of a service by combining the idea of local-food and feral killing.

  Advocates of 'local', 'seasonal' and 'authentic' cuisine are often up their own spring kohlrabi.

  The Testament of 'local' and 'seasonal' in places other than the Holy Lands of Santa Barbara or Central London can mean that cat, rat and dog are on the menu.

  It seems like blinkered chic to me for people to feel awkward about the combination of hunting and devotion to the cause of local and seasonal food culture - and this is where Pollan might be doing some kind of a service.

  In Vietnam, dogmeat is locally reared, eaten only at the close of the lunar month and a modern-day expression of an historic rural and ethnic tradition of hunting for and eating wild dogs.

  Anyone for steamed dog in shrimp sauce, rice flour and lemon grass?

  More on this and other doggy recipes at http://tinyurl.com/33vfz5.  On Why Omnivore's Dilemma should be avoided posted 1 year, 9 months ago 22 Responses