Why ‘Food is Different’
More than 80,000 British Columbians turn to food banks to help feed themselves each month, while experts estimate that about half of the value of food produced in this province is exported…
Connecting Diet and Climate
ABOUT THE IMAGES ABOVE: The Canada Food Guide image (right) suggests a model healthy ‘plate’ that is very similar to the EAT-Lancet Commission’s ‘Planetary Health Diet’ (left) Connecting Diet and Climate Useful…
Potatoes: Good Food in War or Peace
Our time of COVID has brought challenges, especially to those who have become ill or lost businesses or jobs. If you’re among them, I extend my thoughts and wishes that you recover…
Like Wartime Appeasers, Climate Change Deniers Can Change Their Views
When I hear deniers bellow that climate change isn’t real or serious, I think of historical accounts of the 1930s and another group of deniers. That included Neville Chamberlain, prime minister of…
Leaving “Gotcha!” Behind: Helping Ourselves and Others Move Toward Good Eating
A friend of mine has decided to become vegan. Let’s call her Lisa in honour of Lisa on The Simpsons who famously stopped eating meat after realizing that “lamb” on the plate…
If You’re Buying Meat and Dairy, Buy Sustainable and Humane
GRASS-FED BEEF comes from cattle that are more humanely raised. Some ranchers are also using more labour-intensive “managed grazing” practices, which are better for soil health, as part of their application of…
Pandemics Are Poised to Arise
The Connection Between Pandemics and Factory Farming ABOVE: WHERE ARE THE ANIMALS? This is why we see so few actual chickens, pigs, or cattle when we drive through rural areas these days….
Finding Fun — and Sanctuary, at Home
Finding Fun—and Sanctuary—at Home ABOVE: MARGARET jACKSON, with her brother and “best buddy” during World War II. ‘We grew up knowing how to entertain ourselves’ Last weekend, I got a phone call…
Am I Biased on the Topic of Meat? Here’s My Position
Am I Biased on the Topic of Meat? Here’s My Position Today I’ll focus on a question I occasionally encounter from people who hear me talk about meat. A hidden agenda? Imagine…
Just in Time for Christmas: An Essay on Rationing of Emissions-Intensive Consumption
As you can read in this morning’s Globe and Mail, there are strong arguments that our societies should consider what may sound like a shocking initiative — rationing of emissions-intensive consumption. My…
Antimicrobial Resistance in Humans Has a Lot to Do With Factory Farming
Far more antiobiotics are ingested by animals produced for food than by humans directly Animals raised for food use the majority of antimicrobials sold on Earth— Thomas Van Boeckel et al. Science….
Eat Less Meat to Address the Climate Crisis
Global livestock production really does emit inordinate amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs), and not just as a portion of agricultural emissions. The sorry fact is that meat and dairy are responsible for…