Sustainability Freshman Inquiry Oct. 19, 2009 Jeff Fletcher

Logistics I Assignments –HW3 returned Wed. –Read for next Monday Omnivore Chapters 10 to 12 Loder, N., Finkel, e., Meisner, C., and Ronald, P., The problem of what to eat. Conservation Magazine, 9(3).Loder, N., Finkel, e., Meisner, C., and Ronald, P., The problem of what to eat. Conservation Magazine, 9(3). –you can ignore comments at end (just print first 9 pages) Ways of Writing, p (Topic Sentences) –HW4, hand out next time

Logistics II Fieldtrip Week Oct Tryon Farms? –Leaving earlier than this –Getting back later –Appropriate clothing, shoes Lunch Tuesday (tomorrow) 12:00 One on one meetings this week and next –sign up sheet –Meetings are at my office Next week energy awareness Movie Night—Next Tuesday (Oct. 27) 7:30 pm

Follow up Events (Be sure to write up soon for HW0): –Why Our Health Matters, Andrew Weil,Why Our Health Matters Thursday, October 15th, PM, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (tickets available at PSU box office?) –The Moral and Political Challenges of Climate Change, Dale JamiesonThe Moral and Political Challenges of Climate Change October 16, :30 p.m. Smith Memorial Student Union, Room 238 (free)

Diseases From Food Besides diseases of overconsumption and bad diets Most common foodborne infections (from CDC) –Bacteria: Campylobacter, Salmonella, and E. coli O157:H7CampylobacterSalmonellaE. coli O157:H7 –Viruses: Norwalk and Norwalk-like viruses.Norwalk –Occasionally foodborne, infections by Shigella, hepatitis A, and the parasites Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidia, tapeworms. Shigella hepatitis AGiardia lamblia Cryptosporidia Foodborne toxins –pesticides, herbicides –Natural toxins: Bacteria grow on food: Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium botulinum. Harmful even after cooking and bacteria have been killedClostridium botulinum Other: poisonous mushrooms; poisonous reef fish Fungi that grow on foods, e.g. peanuts

Biological Reproduction Differences Basic Transcription and Translation of DNA into ProteinBasic Transcription and Translation of DNA into Protein Bacteria (can make its own proteins)Bacteria –Most scientists consider this LIFE: a living organism Viruses (cannot make its own proteins)Viruses –Some scientist consider this LIFE, many don’t Multi-cell parasites –GiardiaGiardia –TapewormsTapeworms

New Form of Disease Causing Agent Protein Structure (e.g. Hemoglobin)Protein Structure Hemoglobin Prions (proteinaceous infectious particles)Prions Stanley Prusiner first coined the word and first proposed that these infectious proteins were the cause of the disease scrapie in sheep and more importantly Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. Prusiner also proposed that the way that this protein multiplied was not though genetic information like DNA or RNA, but rather through the conformation change of normal proteins into rogue proteins. Affects nerve cells in mammals –Cannot Kill –Not neutralized by digestion, cooking, even normal autoclaving –Kills nerve cells, but slow process

Consequences of Cheap Corn Policies? In groups construct a causal diagram –Include as many details as you have time for Both positive and negative effects Both positive and negative feedbacks Capture as many of the intermediary steps as possible Example: Cows eating corn –What are upstream causes? Farmers get paid more the more they grow, more corn on market drives down price, cattle raisers go for cheapest calories. More subtle: USDA grades corn fed beef higher –What are down stream consequences? Cows get sick (bloat, acidosis), need antibiotics, increased resistance, increased human disease, need for more expensive antibiotics More subtle: acid environment causes E. coli and other bacteria to evolve to be acid resistant, so if humans eat these bacteria they are not killed, leads to more human infections

Exercise Questions 1.What was the original definition of “organic” food? 2.Why does Joel Salatin consider “industrial organic” to be a contradiction in terms? 3.Do you think that the term “industrial organic” really is a contradiction in terms? Why or why not? 4.What are some of the differences between “Big” and “Small” organic? 5.What are some of the negative consequences of industrial organic farming techniques, in terms of soil health? 6.What is “beyond organic”? 7.What are some of the positive consequences of large-scale organic farming? What are some of the negative effects? 8.If you had to write a realistic definition of what organic food should be, what would it say?

Exercise Questions 1.What was the original definition of “organic” food? 2.Why does Joel Salatin consider “industrial organic” to be a contradiction in terms? 3.Do you think that the term “industrial organic” really is a contradiction in terms? Why or why not?

Exercise Questions 4.What are some of the differences between “Big” and “Small” organic? 5.What are some of the negative consequences of industrial organic farming techniques, in terms of soil health?

Exercise Questions 6.What is “beyond organic”? 7.What are some of the positive consequences of large-scale organic farming? What are some of the negative effects? 8.If you had to write a realistic definition of what organic food should be, what would it say?