VegHead’s Recent Comments

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  Clarification needed...............

  David, I am wondering if you could just clarify something for me.  In the third point, you wrote.... "And finally, GMOs do offer some intriguing possibilities around ethanol."  Was Michael Pollan making this claim or your opinion on the matter?  A very concerning statement nevertheless.  I appreciate your speedy responseOn Grist cooks lunch for America's leading food writer posted 10 months, 3 weeks ago 11 Responses

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  Re: Buis not what he appears

  Clare D, do you think any of the other contenders come close to Buis.  NFU 2008 Policies support things like a moratorium on any new genetically enginnered grops being deregulated until ethical, legal and other considerations are taken into account.  NFU is also for manditory labeling of products treated by irradiation, hormones and have suggested genetic engineering as well.  In regards to COOL, I think that the system has many flaws as it is right now but Buis was an avid critic of the "mixed origin" label for meat, which is a plus.  From what I've gathered on the other potentials they don't seem any better...

  Vilsack was endorsed by BIO as well as founded the Governors' Biotechnology Partnership.

  After being defeated for reelection, Stenholm became a prominent lobbyist for the horse meat industry and a major opponent of the Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill that passed in the House.

  Wolff pushed the ban on rbGH labeling in Pennsylvania before Governor Rendell overruled him.

  Peterson has received support and endorsements from pro-biotech and big industry for his role as Chair of House Agriculture Committee.On Monsanto's man in the Clinton admin joins the transition team, and more posted 1 year ago 5 Responses

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  Is everyone forgetting Tom Buis?

  Now, I can certainly relate to people's anxieties about Obama's cabinet choices.  But hey everyone, are we jumping on the pessimistic train a little too soon here?  Tom I am a big fan of your posts but to you and the commenters above, why are you all forgetting Tom Buis?  Buis was the first name after all on both of the serious candidate lists you linked to Tom.  

  Buis has been the president of the National Farmers Union since 2006 and while in charge, he has improved the direction of NFU's policies on organics, biotechnology, country-of-origin labeling, irradiation and more.  I think that he would be a very good choice and after all one must look at who he lobbies for - small family farms, not the big agribusinesses or industrial farms.  Out of the list of serious contenders, he would be the best bet and we certainly need to put up a fight against the others!On Monsanto's man in the Clinton admin joins the transition team, and more posted 1 year ago 5 Responses

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  In Response to the Comments made by guade00

  In response to the comment by guade00:

   I feel that there are two types of environmentalists out there.  The ones that can help make this system (that believe it or not we are pretty much stuck with - so deal with it) better by advocating for solutions like organics, and there are those who are the naïve environmentalists.  And you, guade00 are a naïve environmentalist.  I am personally a vegetarian.  I choose to not to drink milk and I rarely eat other dairy products.  This is simply my choice and I couldn't be happier with it, but to think that everyone is suddenly going to give up drinking milk because cows are an "oversized, methane-spewing, watershed-poisoning, energy-devouring, semi-domesticated, hoofed monstrosity" is simply preposterous.  

  This type of idea is what is holding people back from eating less meat, drinking less milk, driving their cars less and taking public transportation, choosing to limit their use AC and heat, walking more, biking more, growing their own food, eating organics, farmers choosing organic, etc.  If people see an all or nothing choice (like yours) they are more likely to be put off by it and choose the easier step, immediately, and thereby doing so they will be more likely to be put off by similar choices later on.  Let us remember one of the first rules of economics - people are self-interested.  

  Thinking that people will stop buying milk is a great idea, but not a practical one.  Remember we don't want to push people out - we want to bring people in.  So let's bring the organic standard to the front line and let that be the baseboard for our new ideas and new standards.  Allowing people to choose organic milk as one way of reducing their footprint will open people's eyes to a whole new way of seeing the world, one where they have a choice and where that choice matters.
  On Sustainability goals for the U.S. dairy industry posted 1 year, 4 months ago 10 Responses