#9: A Rich Man's Wine, A Poor Man's Poison

                Organic food is healthier. Organic food is cleaner. Organic food is better. These are the ideas drilled into our heads, fostered by false advertisements and other misleading sources. Too often are we convinced that organic farming is not only better for our own health, but also beneficial for the environment. However, in all reality, while "organic" sounds far better, it is not always synonymous with good and safe. Many tests and analyses have been carried out and they all came to one similar conclusion: "our notion of organic farming is an idyllic fallacy."

                One of the main reasons consumers lean toward organics is the fact that they love to see the word "natural" slapped onto the wrappings of their food. Sure I'll admit that natural does sound more pleasing but let's just take a moment to consider all the things that occur naturally in our world, shall we? As Christie Wilcox, a Ph.D. student in cellular and molecular biology at the University of Hawaii, states, "anthrax and botulinum toxin are 100 percent natural." Does that make them safe? Would you be willing to consume these as well? I didn't think so. Fact is, natural does not always mean you're out of harm's way. Moreover, proponents of organics also stress that naturals are better for the environment. I beg to differ. In a study conducted by a member of AAAS, statistics projected that "organic farms are only about 80 percent as productive as conventional ones." This decrease in productivity brings with it devastating environmental consequences when we consider things on a long-term basis. Since productivity is lower, farmers will begin to seek more land to increase their yields as their current plots take a while to grow. The problem with this, however, is that  already more than a third of our ice-free land has been wiped out for agricultural purposes.  The thirst for more farming plots would only increase this proportion and fragile ecosystems could be severely shattered. Not to mention, a study conducted by Oxford University scientists clearly indicates that organic methods actually produce more carbon emissions per unit of food. Such emissions contribute greatly to the issue of global warming as these gases warm the atmosphere, significantly altering the climate and species that live near that certain area. Thus, this so called "environmentally friendly" way of producing food is seriously flawed. To take this further, when looking at the economical impacts of organic food, we begin to see that fruits and vegetables costs 10 to 174 percent more. If the U.S. were to convert all foods to organic, poorer individuals would begin to avoid fruit and vegetable consumption as it is much too costly. This would decrease consumption by approximately 10 percent, as Bjorn Lomborg calculates in The Skeptical Environmentalist. To push the envelope further, Lomborg proposes that this decrease in consumption would, in theory, increase the chances of cancer by about 4.6 percent, with 26,000 annual deaths, since the consumption of certain fruits and vegetables helps lessen our vulnerability to cancer.

                All in all, the switch from current production methods to a completely organic society would entail a tremendous price tag. Of course organic foods are, in some ways, beneficial, as they use less pesticides. However, prices would skyrocket and the benefits of such farming would not overshadow the damages.  World hunger is already a prevalent issue in our world. Thus, we must strive to produce cheaper foods instead of more expensive ones. What are society needs is a balance between productivity and sustainability. Organic food is not the solution. Organic food is food for the wealthy, not for the poor, a rich man's wine, a poor man's poison.

Work Cited

Hall, Mckenzie. "Does Organic Food Matter?" The Detroit News. N.p., 21 Mar. 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2013. <http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130321/LIFESTYLE05/303210326>.

Tepper, Rachel. "Whole Foods CEO: Organic Food Is Worth It." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 19 Sept. 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/19/organic-whole-foods-defense_n_1895551.html?utm_hp_ref=organic-food>.

Wilcox, Christie. "The Ecological Case Against Organics." The NY Times. N.p., 10 Sept. 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/09/10/is-organic-food-worth-the-expense/the-ecological-case-against-organic-farming>.

#8 : Parents Are Not Helicopters 

                Throughout history, parents have always proved to be a major influence in the mindset and character of a child. A strong relationship is built between them as the child grows and matures. Naturally, parents hover over their children, trying to keep them out of danger, regulating what they can and cannot do, influencing them on the choices they make. This discipline is what shapes the child into becoming the very character he is and, essentially, always will be. However, as a child begins to move into high school, it is best for this control to come to a slow halt as children, especially at that age, need to stumble and learn from their own failures.

                It is known that a parent's job is to aid in the growth and development of a child and to prepare them for all the obstacles in life before they venture off on their own. Most parents nowadays find no trouble in disciplining and walking their children through life. What I am addressing is the issue of over parenting, helicopter parenting, puppet parenting.  What on earth, you may ask, am I talking about? Well ,you see, parents naturally detest seeing their children struggle. Parents just hate seeing their children fail and it's a fact, as stated by Karen Karbo of the New York Times.  Therefore, whenever such hectic circumstances confront the child, parents feel the immediate need to jump in and rescue him before the child is even able to scope out the roadblock for himself.  What most parents do not realize is the need for young children to be subjected to such difficulties in which they must struggle through themselves. If parents automatically rush to a child's side, no matter how minimal the conflict may be, the child will not learn.  After all, life is full of daily aggravations that one must overcome himself, and what kind of parents would you be if you failed to adequately expose your child to this reality?

                In Ann Hulbert's book entitled Raising America: Experts, Parents, and a Century of Advice About Children, Hulbert stresses the fact that "hyperparenting isn't great for anyone's devlopment." Hyperparenting only "turns mothers and fathers into anxious taskmasters." Then, as a result,  the lot of the child's life is virtually dependent on his parents. Overparenting, as recent studies documented by NBC News confirms, only produces "dependent, neurotic and less open" children. Parents need to learn, no matter how painful it might be, to just step back a little and let their children develop their own autonomy. Otherwise, the child may never learn how to care for himself and will remain essentially in the child mindset throughout his adult years as he is fully unable to cope with hardwork and stress.  A PEW Research survey conducted in 2011 projected that 40% of individuals aged 18-24 years old currently lived with their parents, most of which admitted to staying home due to the fact that they were struggling with their economic conditions, suggesting that overparenting makes it difficult for the individual to make a decent living in the real world, without the help of their parents.

                That is not to say, however, that hyperparenting is solely a bad thing. This form of parenting may, in some ways, be beneficial as sometimes our children need a little guidance before taking a huge leap forward. Nevertheless, parents still must learn when it is time to let go and let their children take a stab at life themselves. The most beneficial parenting involves parents being caretakers, role models, guides, allowing their children to find content in discovering himself. As Lisa Firestone says, parents "should be a secure base from which a child can explore the world," and nothing more than simply that.

Work Cited

Firestone, Lisa. "The Impact of Overparenting." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 24 Apr. 2012. Web. 15 Mar. 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-firestone/overparenting_b_1431720.html>.

Hulbert, Ann. "Guilty Parents, Ungrateful Kids, Easy Solution." The NY Times. N.p., 14 July 2012. Web. 15 Mar. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/07/14/when-parents-hover-and-kids-dont-grow-up/guilty-parents-ungrateful-kids-and-an-easy-solution>.

Rettner, Rachael. "€˜Helicopter€™ Parents Have Neurotic Kids." Msnbc.com. N.p., 3 June 2010. Web. 15 Mar. 2013. <http://www.nbcnews.com/id/37493795/ns/health-childrens_health/t/helicopter-parents-have-neurotic-kids/>.

#7: The Fishing Dilemma

                Over the years, the world population has accelerated at an alarming pace, gaining momentum day by day, never seeming to subdue. Such acceleration brings with it a sharp increase in demand of goods and services. One industry in particular, the seafood and fishing industry, has felt the harsh lashes of such a strong demand. Note that, as a principle of business, an increase in demand consequently results in a decrease in supply as customers deplete the markets. This being said, producers are now looking for ways--that is, unethical ways--to continue manufacturing goods, worming their way around a thinning supply of the very product they sell and produce.

                If I asked you to picture a fisherman, naturally you'd be prone to dreaming up an aged man, dressed in simple garments, his head shaded with a faded fishing hat as the sun dances around its edges. You would be likely to dream up a calm atmosphere, the fisherman waiting patiently, listening to the ripples of the water, waiting in serenity for the fish beneath him to tug at his fishing line. This is the concept  of the word "fisherman" that has become etched into our minds by literature as well as the media. Sadly, this traditional way of fishing is no more. What if I were to tell you that most fishermen nowadays propel through the water on massive boats, water churning beneath them with deafening tones? What if I were to tell you that fishermen nowadays laugh at the idea of using a fishing rod and, instead, are using miles of nets, dragging these gargantuan fish catchers through the water, destroying organisms and aquatic homes as it blasts along? What if I told you that millions of species are rapidly declining and are threatened with extinction due to these harmful practices? Is this what fishing is supposed to be like?

                Overfishing is a major issue in our world today as it can lead to a multitude of environmental as well as economical consequences. Using mass fishing nets depletes the waters of fish as hoards of fish, weighing  many tons, are scooped up out of the water. When we think about this logically, we would start to realize that many other organisms get unintentionally caught in these deathly nets as well, such as dolphins, sharks, and sea turtles. These unintended catches usually die in the chaos as the fishermen are unable to single-handedly remove the organism from the catch and release it back into the water on time. Overfishing also has long-term effects as the depletion of one species may cause a domino effect in aquatic ecosystems. In other words, the species that depend on the extinct species may soon begin to fade out as well due to the lack of food and resources . In addition to this, the jobs of fishermen are threatened when the fishing industry runs out of specific fish they are prized for selling. So what do companies do to compensate for the decline in a certain species of fish? They certainly cannot just give up and close the business. Imagine all the profits they would lose if this were the route they were going to take. Thus marks the beginning of the rise of an even greater dilemma. With desperate times comes desperate measures, and so, fishermen and companies are catching one type of fish but selling it under the name of another. Is this ethical? Absolutely not. But does the average person know the difference between two different types of fish that are similar in size and appearance? Not a clue. So has the fishing industry gotten away with such practices? You bet.

                What, then, can individuals do to help? Simple tasks such as making sure the fish you eat was sustainably fished and not endangered can do miraculous things. This would decrease demand of overexploited fish and would, therefore, hinder the practice of mass fishing of the certain species. Consumers should feel good about the fish they are eating instead of having to worry about the environmental impacts of poor fishing techniques. Thus, it is imperative that consumers pinpoint exactly how and where their seafood comes from in order to ensure that oceans are kept stable and are preserved.

Bowman, Shiela. "Consumers, Speak Out." The NY Times. N.p., 9 June 2009. Web. 7 Mar. 2013. <http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/the-seafood-eaters-latest-conundrum/>.

"Overfishing: A Threat to Marine Biodiversity." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. <http://www.un.org/events/tenstories/06/story.asp?storyID=800>.

"The Ocean." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. <http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/critical-issues-overfishing/>.