Item 1: So, the new incarnation of the H1N1 virus, popularly (and somewhat inaccurately) still referred to as swine flu, is big in the media now. It is actually a hybrid of avian, porcine, and human viral strains. I haven't read anything but the subject lines yet, but I can see that PETA is sending out emails about how this is more proof of how factory farming in particular and meat-eating in general are great evils that should be stopped. I said the same thing to my parents before I heard it from PETA (Yay! The frequently irrational crackpots at PETA back me up!). The unhealthy conditions that abound in slaughterhouses and the "farms" that supply them are ideal incubators for virulent diseases. Even the factory farm owners know it, since they pump their animals full of preemptive antibiotics. I guess they should have used antivirals as well. Granted, the bird flu originated in small, family-owned fowl coops, but these were also homesteads of people with antiquated sanitation systems (or no sanitation systems at all). And of course, meat farming is devastating to the environment, which threatens wild species and ultimately biodiversity, which increases the likelihood that new contagions will adapt to humanity as they lose their former hosts. I realize as a formerly struggling vegetarian and a currently struggling (and frequently failing) vegan that giving up animal products is hard (and perhaps not even entirely possible: book bindings, as well as other seemingly innocuous, everyday items are manufactured with animal by-products), but we really all should be making an effort to decrease our dependency, even if it is only by incremental amounts.
Item 2: I encounter someone who pronounced vegan as "vay-gan." This is incorrect. Even if Merriam Webster does recognize several pronunciations, the originator of the word released a pronunciation guide soon after coining the term to clarify that the word is vee-gan. Long E, hard g. Knowledge is power.
Item 3: Last week two of my coworkers and I went to see Disney's new Earth movie, a collaboration with the BBC. It was mediocre. The footage was stunning, but according to my coworker, much of it was recycled from the Planet Earth series, Discovery Channel's collaboration with the BBC. I have not yet seen any of this series, much to my chagrin, but I don't have any reason to doubt her word on this. The documentary's story line/unifying theme was weak, and they showed the typical American view that violence is less offensive (and less corrupting of children) than sex and birth. While I recognize that violence and death are part of the natural world, the scene of the Great White Shark snatching a seal up in its jaws shown in slow motion from three different angles seemed excessive.
Item 4: I've been spending the last 7 months working for Americorps via the Maryland Conservation Corps (and will continue to do so into August). I have the very best intentions of writing a post in the near future about my experiences and impressions.
