By Austin Stahl | as506610@ohiou.edu | @AustinStahl24

Today’s topic is food, specifically meat. Producing meat takes a significant amount of resources, and there is some debate over how we should raise meat. There is also agreement among environmentalists that we should probably consume less meat. Regardless of how much we consume, there is definitely a need and a movement to reduce the impact of meat and agriculture as a whole.

1.     “To Kick Climate Change, Replace Corn With Pastured Beef”

http://motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/04/our-corn-driven-agriculture-vulnerable-climate-change

            The Midwest has long been known as the corn belt. But with global warming, researchers are saying that the prime corn-growing area will move northward into Canada. So what will we do with all that farmland? Make giant beef pastures that will help mitigate climate change, of course. Read on about King Corn and the fascinating proposal from researchers at the University of Tennessee.

2.     “The Myth of Sustainable Meat”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/13/opinion/the-myth-of-sustainable-meat.html?_r=1

            Animal products have a serious impact on the environment because of the amount of resources they use. Because of this, James McWilliams argues that we should ditch meat entirely and that we really can’t raise “sustainable” meat.

3.     “Joel Salatin responds to New York Times’ ‘Myth of Sustainable Meat’”

http://grist.org/sustainable-farming/farmer-responds-to-the-new-york-times-re-sustainable-meat/

            In response to McWilliams’ accusations, Joel Salatin, a leader in sustainable agriculture and the owner of Polyface Farms, gives an in-depth look into how meat can be produced in a more sustainable way. Marrying modern technology with the smaller-scale farms of the past could be the way to go.