Comments on: When Ecological Awareness Hurts

By: Johnny

Johnny — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:37:10 +0000

Suffering from Eco-Angst and Orthorexia can lead to analysis paralysis. Consider your choice of fish-farmed arctic char:

Aquaculture can be highly resource intensive – antibiotics, pesticides, chemical algae treatments, feces treatments, use of processed fish as feed, inland water management.

And I personally don’t trust any farm’s fish feed, whatever the origin, to be free of toxic or spoiled contaminants.

I would have ordered the cod.

By: Elisa

Elisa — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:13:13 +0000

While I completely agree with you and applaud your discussion in raising awareness of this issue, I think there are some other points we must consider. We live in a very materialistic society that encourages people to buy, buy, buy. Quantity is valued over quality and environmentally friendly goods generally cost more, meaning you get less quantity for your money. We as individuals must work to change this societal mentality so that people realize and embrace the concept that less is more. We must also raise awareness that it is better to invest in well-made goods that come from sustainable, fair-trade sources than to constantly be trading in for the latest fashion. Until these cultural changes take root and spread, many people will continue to buy cheap, dangerous goods because the concept “more is better” is what society pressures on us. Thank you for addressing such an important topic on your website.

By: Kim Boriin

Kim Boriin — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:34:25 +0000

Let’s declare September “Eat More Vegertarian Meals Month”. Eating less animal protein is so much healthier for us and the planet, and, is a much smaller carbon footprint and easier on global warming. Much less eco angst, too.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:43:38 +0000

A couple of points;

1. The global fish market being as it is, where you buy fish usually has little relationship to where it was caught. There’s no real reason to suppose that your cod was Atlantic or Pacific cod. Of course you might not want cod that has been shipped across the country to get to you.

2. Skin cancer caused by the sun represents between 95% and 99% of all skin cancers. The potential carcinogens in sunscreen are far less dangerous than being in the sun without sunscreen. Choosing not to use sunscreen due to the possible carcinogens is the worst risk management decision I’ve ever heard.