The Omnivore's Dilemma By Michael Pollan

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In The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan ventures out to answer the seemingly simple question of: “What should we eat for dinner?” (L1). Our ability to consume just about anything nature has to offer has left us with what Pollan states as: “the omnivores dilemma”. Throughout his book, Pollan seeks to unmask the secrets behind our seemingly harmless everyday meals. Currently, agribusinesses’ dominate the U.S food production, employing unethical practices in order to maximize profits at the expense of the environment, animal welfare, and even our health. Economically, other methods of harvest often “require higher capital and petroleum energy inputs” that lower “the return to the farmer/rancher” (L34) which results in farmers using other more convenient methods that higher their …show more content…

The “triumph of capitalism” (L3) puts a strain on our resources by food industries burning “nearly a fifth of all the petroleum consumed in the United States” (L3). A study by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of The United Nations), reports that, “…the livestock sector is exerting mounting pressure on the world’s natural resources” (FAO). Deforestation, caused by clearing of the land for livestock production, releases “enormous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere” (FAO) causing the extinction of several plant and animal species. Along with deforestation, the livestock sector accounts “for nearly one tenth of global human water use” (FAO) and is “probably the largest source of water pollution” (FAO). The excessive amount of waste created by raising lots of animals in one over-packed place also pollutes our air, land, and water. To counteract the health problems presented by unsanitary and congested living conditions, antibiotics are used throughout industrial farms, creating drug-resistant bacteria as well as putting human health at

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