A large portion of the book covers the flaws and mistakes in nutritionalism. That is eating a food for its nutritional value and not the food itself. That food is more than the sum of it’s vitamins and minerals. It’s not the carotene that makes a carrot healthy for you, it’s the carrot.

Perhaps the most scary thing about the book, is the waking up to the fact of how wrong the industry is. How processed the food, or rather food like substances as Pollan calls them, in today’s supermarkets are. The labels on food-like-substances that say FDA qualified, which if you read the fine print allows the makers of said food to make most any claims they want to. Disgusting.

Perhaps the best observation in the book is on state of the gas station. He says:

<blockquote>
    <em>"Don't get Your Fuel From the Same Place Your Car Does

American gas stations now make more money selling food (and cigarettes) than gasoline, but consider what kind of food this is: except perhaps for the milk and water, it's all highly processed nonperishable snack foods and extravagantly sweetened soft drinks in hefty twenty-ounce bottles. Gas stations have become processed-corn stations: ethanol outside for your car and high-fructose corn syrup inside for you"  (Pollan, 192)</em>
</blockquote>

Towards the end of the book he gives a number of food algorithms. Not hard fast rules, but algorithms that can help you eat real food. I have reproduced a few of the ones I liked the most below. Please keep in mind that there are generally a page or five to explain them, but even at face value they are pretty good.

• Avoid food products containing ingredients that are a) unfamiliar, B) unpronounceable, c) more than five in number, or that include d) high-fructose corn-syrup
• Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of them middle
• Get ouf of the supermarket whenever possible
• Eat mostly plants, especially leaves
• You are what what you eat eats too
• Pay more. Eat Less
• Eat meals

These are simple things that we normally don’t think about. Things so simple as eat meals have been lost on us. It should be a given, but many people fall into the trap of snacking. All day. Pay more. Eat Less. That is eat higher quality foods, but as they cost more – you will naturally eat less. You will probably be more apt to eat slower (and taste!) your food as an added side bonus.

There are so many good things to say about this book I can’t do it any justice. You really should read it. It will change your complete outlook on food. Unless you like to getting your food from the same place your car does.

To maybe wet your appetite here is a talk given by him.

Most people travel around Japan and it is one of Japan’s big travel seasons. Roads are full of cars (even with the high cost of gas and movement at a snail’s pace) and hotels are more expensive. However, as a 貧乏な大学生 (destitute college student)、I’m not traveling so much. So I did the next best thing and went to Shinjuku so I could be surrounded by all of the people traveling and silently wish it was me.

Ok so I did make up that last part, I am actually quite content to explore Tokyo more. This city is incredible and my visit to the Shinjuku Imperial Garden adds one more item to the list of rocking things in Tokyo. Normally it costs ¥200 to enter, however on this day it was free. There was also a huge festival (I guess that’s what it would be called) about the environment and environmental education. It was very encouraging to see so many people, old and young alike, taking an interest in the environment. Maybe there is hope after all.

Part of the festivities

Yumi holding my chin down as whenever I take the self-portiats like that my head always ends up looking up a bit and it looks funny. As you can see we work well together.

People were picnicking with their families and climbing on some of the trees.

I should also note that global warming was in full swing that day. I mean – it started off pleasant but by mid-day it was around 25°C outside.

The heat was enough that I went and saw a movie, 砂時計　（Hourglass). It was my first time watching a Japanese movie in theaters and I must say that for a love story, it was completely different than what I was expecting. It wasn’t bright or bubbly or happy at all.

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Side note – I’ve updated the about page and there is now a contact form on there. So people that need to contact me and don’t know my email can…contact me.

Today though in Yoyogi Park there was a huge Earth Day celebration. This year the theme was “Shift Green”. Unfortunately I arrived too late to see any of the speeches and what not so I just made a single lap through the events. There is more info at this website.

What’s amazing to me is that Japanese hippies look (and smell) just like american hippies. I was expecting maybe a bit more of a Japanese twist, but they seemed to be pretty much the same. I wonder if it is just standard affair for hippies to dress the same or if they (the Japanese hippies) get inspiration for their american counter-parts or what the deal is.

I did rather like the song this guy was sing so I made a video for y’all to watch below.

Remember: protect the environment – without it we can’t survive.

Also Birthday wishes to my dad. Happy Birthday!

His example was Dr. Susses with the book titled “The Lorax”. The book portrays what happens when you come to a chunk of land and destroy the natural environment. The air and water become dirty and the animals that used to live there leave. Upon cutting down the last tree he realizes what he had done. At which point he tells his son to plant it and start a new forest so that the animals come back. The moral of the story is to take care of the environment or else you will destroy it. Everything that was once beautiful about it will leave for greener pastures so to speak.

I hadn’t thought much about this until just the other day. I was watching one of my favourite shows, クレヨンしんちゃん (Crayon Shin-chan). This show is usually watched by Elementary school students and such, though when it plays in foreign countries it is generally marketed more towards adults. This episode had a segment on living Ecologically.

The segment starts with the family eating dinner watching TV. The program they are watching has a segment on Global Warming which Shin-chan naturally asks about. He is given an answer about warming temperatures and the like. Shin-chan’s immediate vision is the water stops in front of his house so he has his own personal beach which two bikini-clad girls frolicking in the water before him.

Upon further explanation he has a new vision of it. This time it is everybody sitting on top of their roofs like after a flood. Shin-chan is bored so he asks about his Toys. His mom replies “they’re in the water”. Bicycle? In the water. Television? In the water.

It is with the realization that global warming would lead not to his own personal beach that he starts to care. He takes actions such as turning off the AC, television, extra lights. They eat what they have in the refrigerator instead of going to the store to get more meat.

What struck me about this episode and is ultimately the reason for this post is human nature. It is the same as it is in Japan as it is in Africa and Europe. If you discuss world problems, such as environmental problems, and give solutions to children in terms they can relate to, they will understand. When they become adults the problem and solutions will be obvious to them.

Ultimately the solution to most of the world’s problems is education. Be it global warming, genocide, poverty, sexually transmitted diseases, population, you name it – education will fix it. Educate the populous on the problems and solutions and there will be improvement. Be willing to educate and be educated.

What interests me about this is from that time period, is how I have this image in my head of the stereotypical hippie in hippie culture. This idea of people creating things, sharing, growing this. It seems incredible to me. I’m not much of the type of person that I believe could do this directly but I do like the idea.

It got me thinking though, we have this delivery mechanism that is available (often for free at the local library) of the internet. But if people want to share anything they have to be at a number of different sites that are generally specific to a single domain. So if you want to share your latest essay with the world you have many options. Do you post it with the likes of yahoo somewhere, your own blog, your myface, or do you not share it at all.

How do you get the word out. How do you maintain the interest of the public legitimately, without turning to stunts like greenpeace that I would argue diminish credibility in the public’s eye about environmental or social issues? How do you connect with your community in times meaningful ways? How do you become active if your community and not get killed by bureaucracy?

We’ve seen Web 2.0. We’ve seen it do good things. We’ve seen it do bad things (waste time). We have the technology. We have the means.

I think I’ve figured out the model part of it. But can I implement it successfully. Will I be able to maintain my OWN interest in creating this as life advances? Only time will tell.

Peace.