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![[image loading]](http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs279.snc1/10627_100365023318770_100000358177894_7656_1181593_n.jpg)
The amount of food this family has to eat between them for a week is pithy - it makes one feel pathetic when this is hardly enough to feed ONE westerner for a week. Note the amount of water they have - approximately the amount that I DRINK each day. Also note that the packaging used is minimal AND recyclable.
![[image loading]](http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs279.snc1/10627_100365026652103_100000358177894_7657_4328982_n.jpg)
The amount of food this family has to eat is a stark contrast - an injustice compared to the preceding photo. Note the amount of packaging that the food has - all of it will end up in landfills, including most, if not all, of the recyclable products. Not only this, consider the production of the packing - from the felling of the trees and other extracted materials, to the mass production of labels etc in factories. On top of this, most of these foods have flown twice around the world to reach this family because of the diversification and globalization of trade - think of the carbon miles. Another point of information is that MUCH of the foods seen in this photo are endowed with unecessary fat, sugar and carbohydrates and little fibre. This means that although they provide the same amount of energy as healthier, fibre-rich foods, they do not fill you up for as long. Ultimately, this will lead a person to consume more of this food when they don't need to - simply because they feel hungry. The point I am making is one of efficiency - these food are completely energy inefficient because they lead to increased consumption when the actual energy provided is sufficient. Which brings me to another point - obesity. This is a great cause of obesity. What does obesity do for the tax payer? Those who are obese are a huge burden to society - they spend tax money for health issues (heart disease, diabetes, cancer etc), infrastructure, and are inclined to eat more - perpetuating the cycle of inefficiency. The last point I emphasisze is WHAT they are eating - they are clearly not a vegan family. What does this mean for the environment? In New Zealand, 50% of our carbon emissions come from agriculture. On top of this, urea, faecal matter, sediment and fertilizers are leached into our lakes and rivers causing eutrophication and killing off our fresh water fish populations. Further down the line (taking Australia as an example) reefs are killed off as pollutants and sediment enter the ocean. Corals are poisoned by nitrogen and phosphorous while nutrient levels and poor light supply (needed for growth) are threatened. There are a score of other issues associated with animal husbandry including soil erosion/compaction and deforestation but I'm sure you get the picture. I've done my best to detail what is wrong with the way this family eats their food - for more information on how you can change your consumerism to better the world, send me a message and if there is anything I have left out just add it in a comment - I have done my best to elaborate in as few words as possible (which my closest friends will know is rather difficult for me.) The worst part is, is that by changing what they eat, this family (and others like them) can help alleviate global poverty and save millions of lives - but they don't. I couldn't understand it for the life of me.
![[image loading]](http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs259.snc1/10627_100365029985436_100000358177894_7658_4958583_n.jpg)
This family conveys the ideal diet of an ideal world. Notice that most of their food has come straight off the land (lets hope that its organic!) and the packaging that has been used is recyclable and rather less harmful than the Western alternative.
![[image loading]](http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs257.ash1/18475_104499906238615_100000358177894_106557_7518795_n.jpg)
 
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fuk i was just going to order a large pizza for myself too.
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i swear i have seen those photos somewhere on TL before
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So what do you want to do us about it. Should I feel bad about the fact that I live in Germany and Germany has a higher living standard than a family in South Africa? I mean come on-_-, I never throw away food, I buy only what I need and I live pretty healthy. Can't blame me for ordering pizza or any other stuff...
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On April 18 2010 12:23 G.s)NarutO wrote:
So what do you want to do us about it. Should I feel bad about the fact that I live in Germany and Germany has a higher living standard than a family in South Africa? I mean come on-_-, I never throw away food, I buy only what I need and I live pretty healthy. Can't blame me for ordering pizza or any other stuff...
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No need to get instantly defensive, it makes you appear insecure. It's not about blame but rather looking at things from another perspective. The point is through even minor changes we can make differences. I myself order pizzas - but perhaps instead of doing that I could donate a bit to charity etc. Lots of creative ways.
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i dont know why u want to hate on the US so much. r we supposed to feel guilty about eating potato chips because theres some starving family in ethiopia? i dont see whats so good about that 3rd family, they dont even have internet. id rather be fat and wasteful and have luxuries than be efficient and live in a shitty hut
edit: why is it even good to save the environment anyway? we will all be dead or living on mars way before the earth dies
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And good on you by the way for buying only what you need and living heathily - you probably do better than me. I saw these pics on my friend's FB and thought they were worth sharing and set a goal that's admirable.
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If you can eat all the grain that they have in the first picture in 1 week you should start changing the world with yourself.
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i have to say I envy some of the food in that second picture though. Sucks to be them, but am I going to lower my standard because of simple guilt? No.
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Its not that people don't care, its just people struggle to when the issue is so distant, and for a piece such as this, it fails to come to a definite conclusion on how to resolve the issue.
You also seem to come to conclusion that we should all live as a near subsistence level farmers in earthen dwellings.
My advice if you want to be environmental friendly? Eat less meat.
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Yeah well written and strong message, but the first picture? That amount of rice will last a LONG time even with a family of five.
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they have like 10 liters of water in that first picture, do you really drink that in a day?
also whats up with that second picture? it's obviously not a normal meal for them.
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On April 18 2010 12:29 baller wrote:
i dont know why u want to hate on the US so much. r we supposed to feel guilty about eating potato chips because theres some starving family in ethiopia? i dont see whats so good about that 3rd family, they dont even have internet. id rather be fat and wasteful and have luxuries than be efficient and live in a shitty hut
edit: why is it even good to save the environment anyway? we will all be dead or living on mars way before the earth dies
are you serious
can you not find a better argument than this
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On April 18 2010 12:40 Luddite wrote:
they have like 10 liters of water in that first picture, do you really drink that in a day?
also whats up with that second picture? it's obviously not a normal meal for them.
It's to last for a week - as for the second picture - I used to work in a supermarket and it was not unusual for families to come in each week with trolleys that full.
Again I emphasise that the purpose of the post is for self-reflection, seriously some of the negativity and 'fuck you, you're guilt tripping me' bullshit is very immature. When my friend showed me these pics I was like, shit, I'd seriously give buying packaged food (even fruit that can either come packaged or non-packaged) a second thought next time I'm at the supermarket. Nobody's saying go vegan overnight or live in a tent.
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People indulge occasionally because we have the ability to.
I mean don't get me wrong I feel for these people too. Despite this its still hard to make a significant difference and I think thats what people are having a harder time to get around, especially if it means giving up on some of these granted luxuries.
Anyways to the person that made this blog I wish you luck in promoting awareness for this problem. Point is, most people won't bother to care and only people with strong opinions or those who want to create change will contribute. Do what some of my friends did, which is either volunteering for other goodwill organizations en masse (I'm not kidding half my friends volunteer like 6+ hours a week) or you can create a society yourself and recruit members.
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Sorry blood, much as you'd like we aren't going back to the 1500's.
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Hardcore wall of text, but a nice message that's important and relevant no matter how much overweight consumerist Americans want to ignore it and refute it
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I don't think you get the point at all. He said don't buy pizzas because it can help people in Africa, he didn't say don't buy them because they can't get them, he didn't advocate bringing pizzas to Africa. He isn't an idiot to appeal to the heart-warm you get from watching a starving kid photograph, of which you people like to flaunt that you have none.
Seriously people, understand the OP before posting. He's saying that developed countries have really shitty diets that do not only affect the people with the diet. A high standard of life and ordering a pizza does not equate, G.s)Naruto.
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On April 18 2010 12:32 FragKrag wrote:
i have to say I envy some of the food in that second picture though. Sucks to be them, but am I going to lower my standard because of simple guilt? No.
Why?
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I don't understand. How does changing what we eat help Africa? Everyone knows there's plenty of food in the world. The problem is that disease and rampant corruption cause cycles of poverty in third-world countries.
Fresh organic fruits and vegetables are more expensive than other food; could you help me understand why it's better to eat these foods than to consume cheaper meals and donate the difference to Africa? And pesticides help us grow more food for cheaper prices. It sounds like going organic would result in less food for the poor.
And I don't understand why soil erosion in first-world countries is bad for the world's poor. It seems like it would be the least of their worries.
In my opinion, it seems the best way to help the poor in third-world countries is through investing in infrastructure and education with micro-loans. In addition, if we can create even more wealth in our country by strengthening our economy without taking advantage of the world's poor, we'll be able to donate even more than the billions we already contribute through foreign aid and public or private charities. Finally, a hard stance must be taken against the corrupt dictators who squirrel away aid money in their own Swiss bank accounts.
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On April 18 2010 13:53 overpool wrote:I don't understand. How does changing what we eat help Africa? Everyone knows there's plenty of food in the world. The problem is that disease and rampant corruption cause cycles of poverty in third-world countries. Fresh organic fruits and vegetables are more expensive than other food; could you help me understand why it's better to eat these foods than to consume cheaper meals and donate the difference to Africa? And pesticides help us grow more food for cheaper prices. It sounds like going organic would result in less food for the poor. And I don't understand why soil erosion in first-world countries is bad for the world's poor. It seems like it would be the least of their worries. In my opinion, it seems the best way to help the poor in third-world countries is through investing in infrastructure and education with micro-loans. In addition, if we can create even more wealth in our country by strengthening our economy without taking advantage of the world's poor, we'll be able to donate even more than the billions we already contribute through foreign aid and public or private charities. Finally, a hard stance must be taken against the corrupt dictators who squirrel away aid money in their own Swiss bank accounts.
Good post. Great to have another perspective.
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Korea (South)11586 Posts
I dont understand this picture. Who the fuck only gets fries and a drink from McDonalds and a only drink from Burger King? They should have gotten the combo
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thedeadhaji
39489 Posts
I cook about 90% of my meals (5x meals a day, 7 days a week, and probably eat out twice a week with freinds and coworkers on average), eat zero junk food, havent eaten a pizza in i have no idea how long, never eat fast food, never drink carbonated drinks, avoid international fresh produce as much as possible, try to buy in-season vegetables rather than greenhouse grown out-of season produce, and avoid farmed fish at all costs.
I go out to the weekly farmer's market at 8:30am every saturday to buy the fresh produce for the week from local family farmer producers and dont own a car and take public transportation everywhere. I bring 3-4 meals to work, refuse to eat at the company cafeteria, and even deny the gift snacks that coworkers hand out.
Why do I do this? I spend ~40 minutes every morning making meals for the day, I pay more money buying locally produced eggs and vegetables, and certainly lose a bit of convenience by not having a car.
Why then? Because it's good for me!
I walk and bike more, and save tons of $$ by not having a car. I am what I eat, and I refuse to eat foods that WILL inevitably make my health suffer. I am somewhat conscious of the environment, but I choose to do this because I am selfish and self-centered, and want the best for myself, more than anything.
Is there more I can do? For sure. The bell peppers I eat are from New Zealand (i think), the eggplants are out of season and I'm pretty sure this chicken is farmed to some extent. I could seek out the farmers at the markets who give out Zero packaging rather than the guys who actually wrap their stuff in plastic (and i intend to do so in the future). I need to stop chewing absolute boatloads of gum, in order to avoid artificial sweeteners. I should drink even less alcohol, and about 3x more water.
I have to reiterate. I pay more money for food and spend more time preparing it because I am the most selfish person I know. I dont give a two shits about starving children in africa. I dont care if laborers in South America are overworked and underpaid. No, I only care about eating the healthiest foods and saving money where I dont need to spend it.
Is it easy? Hell no, I had 2 sc2 beta keys and I gave them both away to friends, that's how little time I have. But I refuse to let anything get in the way of my mental and physical well being, and food, sleep, and exercise are absolutely unnegotiable.
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Since your biggest regret of the second picture seems to be the carbon footprint of all that food then you should actually be happy that they are eating that. Food like that will surely lead to their premature death, and ultimately a smaller carbon footprint. Obese people actually have smaller carbon footprints than non-obese people because although they consume more resources, they end up dying younger.
Also, there's no way in hell you're eating all the grain in picture 1 in one week. And use some common sense, there is no way that 6 people are sharing 3 liters of water for an entire week. Those jugs behind them probably also have water.
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EPT
