ADVICE & DISSENT.LETTERS FROM OUR READERS WILD THOUGHTS Congratulations on a brilliantly effective cover ("Fall of the Wild" May/June 1999). The innocence and trust implicit in Adj. 1. implicit in - in the nature of something though not readily apparent; "shortcomings inherent in our approach"; "an underlying meaning" underlying, inherent the orangutan's eyes, combined with the "Fall of the Wild" title, left me paralyzed par·a·lyze tr.v. par·a·lyzed, par·a·lyz·ing, par·a·lyz·es 1. To affect with paralysis; cause to be paralytic. 2. To make unable to move or act: paralyzed by fear. . Animals are totally dependent on humans--just for the right to exist. Your title is tremendous, as it marries one of man's greatest literary achievements (Jack London's novel) with one of man's greatest sins (species extinction). In human relations human relations npl → relaciones fpl humanas , trust is an honor and a privilege that must be earned. Regrettably, the trust necessary to sustain the animal kingdom is quickly evaporating. Habitat destruction is the most critical issue wildlife faces. Where are the animals to go? It's imperative for us to provide an alternative to the ugly, shameful, unacceptable, but currently inevitable, answer: extinction. Jay Lustgarten North Bellmore, NY DOWN THE AISLE Three cheers to E for the Consumer News article "Nice Day for a Green Wedding" (May/June 1999). I was pleased by its emphasis on vegetarianism vegetarianism, theory and practice of eating only fruits and vegetables, thus excluding animal flesh, fish, or fowl and often butter, eggs, and milk. In a strict vegetarian, or vegan, diet (i.e. , which seems to be too often overlooked in environmental literature. After having attended several family weddings, I began to wonder how I could someday make my own event green. One topic not covered not covered Health care adjective Referring to a procedure, test or other health service to which a policy holder or insurance beneficiary is not entitled under the terms of the policy or payment system–eg, Medicare. Cf Covered. by the article was the gift-giving requirement and the tendency for the couple to register for a multitude of things that they probably don't really need. This concept of extravagant gift-giving simply feeds our over-consumptive tendencies. To avoid these unnecessary purchases, the bride and groom can select a few green charities and ask guests to make donations to them in the couple's name. In this way, a gift to the newlyweds is also a gift to the Earth. Nicole Ott Duke University Durham, NC I enjoyed Elizabeth Hilts' article on green weddings. My wife and I made some attempts at greening our own nuptials. We invited guests on a nature walk at a nearby wildlife sanctuary the day before the wedding, and my wife had the idea of creating an alternative "green wedding registry" at a local Earth-friendly store. Among our wedding gifts: a compost bin and recycled-glass stemware stem·ware n. Glassware mounted on a stem with a broad base. . The idea caught on and became a fixture in the store's catalogue. Also, some online wedding registries now donate a small portion of their sales to nonprofit conservation groups. Fred Baumgarten Sharon, CT TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT Jennifer Bogo's "The Diet-Cancer Connection" article (Your Health, May/June 1999) drew much-needed attention to a much-neglected subject. Though she did not mention it by name, the nutritional prescription for human and planetary health is a vegan diet vegan diet (vē´g  n),n the strictest form of vegetarian diet, which prohibits the consumption of all animal products, including , free of all animal products. Americans eat one million animals per hour, and not only cancer, but heart disease, stroke, hypertension, kidney disease Kidney Disease Definition Kidney disease is a general term for any damage that reduces the functioning of the kidney. Kidney disease is also called renal disease. , gallstones Gallstones Definition A gallstone is a solid crystal deposit that forms in the gallbladder, which is a pear-shaped organ that stores bile salts until they are needed to help digest fatty foods. , cataracts, asthma, obesity and other serious illnesses correlate strongly with animal-product consumption. The Union of Concerned Scientists The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is a nonprofit advocacy group based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. The UCS membership includes many private citizens in addition to professional scientists. , in a book-length report just out, named meat-eating as the consumer choice with the second-worst environmental impact (after cars) on global warming, air and water pollution and habitat alteration. Indeed, with every bite at every meal, true environmentalists can enhance their odds of being around longer and staying in better shape, while having a gentler impact on the Earth. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., founded in 1985 by psychiatrist Neal D. Barnard. It is an "association of doctors and laypersons" whose stated purposes are to promote preventive medicine and encourage (PCRM PCRM Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine PCRM Program Control and Resources Management PCRM Predictive Customer Relationship Management PCRM Project Cost Resources Management ) has addressed the very issues well-summarized in the article. For medical students hungry for what they are not learning in their courses, we recently prepared a free Nutrition Curriculum. For anyone wanting a primer on how and why to switch from bacon cheeseburgers to veganburgers, our free Vegetarian Starter Kit should prove helpful. Just write PCRM, 5100 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 404, Washington, DC 20016. Neal D. Barnard, M.D. President, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Washington, DC I enjoy E Magazine, but once again bump into the strong anti-bovine-of-any-persuasion attitude so prevalent among environmentalists ("The Diet-Cancer Connection"). Replicating a natural predator-prey relationship with a small (or large) group of domesticated do·mes·ti·cate tr.v. do·mes·ti·cat·ed, do·mes·ti·cat·ing, do·mes·ti·cates 1. To cause to feel comfortable at home; make domestic. 2. To adopt or make fit for domestic use or life. 3. a. ruminants results in prairie restoration and unparalleled food quality (including many anti-carcinogenic properties). Sounds too good to be true? It ain't. And many grass farmers and savvy consumers have discovered it. The irony to me is that the cow is nature's environmental tool of preference. Unfortunately, the environmental movement got crossways with the bovine early on. David Schafer Schafer Edinburg Farms, Inc. Trenton, MO RURAL REASON I was very surprised to see the Heifer HEIFER. A young cow, which has not had a calf. A beast of this kind two years and a half old, was held to be improperly described in the indictment as a cow. 2 East, P. C. 616; 1 Leach, 105. Project ("Cows 'R Us" In Brief, May/ June 1999) featured in E Magazine. I couldn't help wondering if there might have been a better form of aid than sending goats to the people in Monte Christe. Numerous respected sources have documented the inefficiency and waste associated with animal agriculture, including loss of topsoil, destruction of forests and pollution of water. Why bring these problems to impoverished areas that are already struggling? And why cycle valuable plant energy and nutrients through animals, wasting much of it, when people can receive maximum energy and nutrients by eating appropriate plants directly? Giving the poor of the world "capital assets capital assets n. equipment, property, and funds owned by a business. (See: capital, capital account) " in this form also serves to bolster the idea that a herd of animals endows status on its owner. I discovered a program, PLENTY, that promotes self sufficiency through environmentally low-impact organic farming techniques. It includes garden projects and the establishment of soybean soybean, soya bean, or soy pea, leguminous plant (Glycine max, G. soja, or Soja max) of the family Leguminosae (pulse family), native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Asia, where it has been cooperatives to help indigenous communities feed themselves and market their surpluses. Let's hope that more food aid organizations will provide assistance that is 100 percent plant-based. It is important to find this out before making a donation. Kay Bushnell Summertown, TN Evelyn Tully Costa's piece on Heifer Project International does a fine job of showing how gifts of appropriate farm animals and training help rural families become self-reliant, preventing urban drift and enhancing the environment. Heifer Project often works in places where crops are hard to grow--in the thin soil of the Andes, for example, or in the harsh climate of the Tibetan Plateau of China. Llamas, yaks, camels and water buffalo water buffalo: see buffalo. water buffalo or Indian buffalo Any of three subspecies of oxlike bovid (species Bubalus bubalis). Two have been domesticated in Asia since the earliest recorded history. are at home in challenging settings like these, and they provide milk and manure for fuel and draft power. Without them, traditional cultures could not survive. The groups that request dairy cows from Heifer Project seldom own much land. We assist families to plant fast-growing native trees that return nitrogen to overworked soil and provide fencing and firewood to prevent further depletion of natural forests. Project partners zero graze their animals, carrying fodder to them and collecting the manure for a biogas bi·o·gas n. A mixture of methane and carbon dioxide produced by bacterial degradation of organic matter and used as a fuel. biogas Noun gaseous fuel produced by the fermentation of organic waste unit to supply energy for a simple cook stove and slurry to fertilize a tiny vegetable garden. By providing an eagerly desired renewable resource and training, then requiring participants to pass on these gifts to others, Heifer Project is helping sustain a rewarding, ecologically sound way of life. Anna H. Bedford Communications Director Heifer Project International Little Rock, AR |
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