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The Omnivore's Dilemma

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What is the Omnivore 's Dilemma? That is a question many may wonder on a daily basis. Every time you consume a food product, you have to consider what you are putting in your body. The novel written by Michael Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, explains what the omnivore 's dilemma is, and why it is a recurring issue today. What does the phrase, “the omnivore 's dilemma,” mean? Well, we can start off by describing an omnivore . From our class notes, an omnivore is defined as, “an animal, person, or organism that is able to eat both plants, animals, and fungi” . A dilemma is a challenging or difficult situation or problem in which you have to make a choice. The omnivore’s dilemma is a problem considered when omnivores need to choose what to …show more content…

Corn started as something farmers grew and planted on their own. That all changed in the 1930’s when hybrid corn was invented. Hybrid means a plant or animal that carries the two traits from its parents, or fertilizers. Hybrid corn can be resistant to disease and also produces a lot of corn. Farmers continue to buy hybrid corn seed from large agribusiness companies to grow on farms for it can be mass produced. An even newer invention is the GMO, genetically modified organism. It is where you can alter the genes of a plant, by adding certain types of DNA. This corn is not only put in our food, but it is to pigs, chicken, and cattle who are injected with hormones and antibiotics. We are then eating these animals, and with them the hormones and antibiotics they contain. In conclusion, the omnivore’s dilemma is a problem considered when omnivores ingest food. Our food used to come from open farms, filled with animals, and different types of plants and vegetables. Now, our farms only grow one or two crops -corn and soybean. When hybrid corn was invented, it was used by farmers around the country. An even newer invention is the GMO, genetically modified organism, prevalent in foods today,is when humans add desirable traits to a plant, by adding certain types of DNA. What is the right food to eat, which combination of edible by product, and in what

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As "The Carnivore's Dilemma" is first published in one of the world's well-known newspapers, also known as The New York Times Niman's credibility receives another boost. Niman's constant use of words like "generally" and "could" when supporting evidence, and not naming specific experts from which her evidence came from renders her attempt at an appeal to logos useless. When Niman's use of the ethos appeal meets with this failed attempt of the logos appeal, her language is negatively affected. It is important to remember that organization and language are two of the main components that add to the effectiveness of an article, and so far "The Carnivore's Dilemma " has fallen short in both of these areas which causes the article's effectiveness score to

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Introduction In this article “Against Meat” (2009) Jonathan Safran Foer explains his experience from a young age until the present struggling whether being a vegetarian or an omnivore because he doesn’t want to hurt animals at the same time he can’t resist food because it tasted good. Jonathan Safran Foer is an American novelist (born February 21, 1977) He graduated from Princeton University with a degree in philosophy, in his freshman year he took a writing class from the novelist Joyce Carol.

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Feeding animals, corn is not healthy for anybody, this process only affects the animal's ability to grow at their own pace. In Northern America, one particular Hispanic family tree, 70% of their family members are affected with both type one and type two diabetes, which can be associated with corn. A Hispanic family member changed the way he ate by becoming vegan. One of his main reasons was to stay healthy which meant cutting corn out of his diet.

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Most people do not realize how many things are made from corn products and Pollan does a great job of breaking down what types of products contain corn. It is obvious that Pollan has a sort of admiration for corn, it’s hardiness, it’s versatility, but at the same time he understands that total dependence on one crop can be dangerous. However, the thesis of the essay is not really corn, but rather the fertilizer we use to grow it, specifically nitrogen right products such as ammonium nitrate. Pollen’s essay is a really interesting look at the history of how nitrogen-based fertilizers came to be so predominant in America and around the world. He discusses both their benefits and incredible dangers, such as the runoff pollution which boosts growth of algae causing the death of ocean life (903).

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A Rhetorical Analysis of “Against Meat” by Jonathan Safran Foer The standard way of thinking about vegetarianism has it that you either are one or you are not. While it is rarely discussed between omnivores and herbivores over dinner, vegetarians often fall into a category more accurately described as conscientious meat eaters. In Jonathan Safran Foer’s essay, “Against Meat,” he describes his personal plight to become, and remain, a vegetarian through-out his life.

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In the book, The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, Pollan claims we should be more knowledgeable about what we consume as omnivores. As omnivores we have a variety of food, we can choose from, however, we don’t regularly make the best decisions for ourselves. Pollan argues this by showing us where our food really comes from and how we can find many unwanted extras. Pollan shows us that we’ve evolved as humans from how we used to eat to how we eat now. Pollan argues this by introducing us to all the food chains we value today, some much more than others.

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With countless diets hitting the market each day, it can become impossible to know the best route in order to properly fulfill our nutritional needs without wreaking havoc on the world around us. The philosophical book The Ethics of What We Eat, by Singer and Mason, explores the lasting impact our dietary preferences place on humans, animals, and the environment, as they offer suggestions on how to improve our ecological footprint through our choices. A lasting theme from the book puts a light on the multitude of positive aspects a meat-free diet offers. Singer and Mason put an emphasis on the advantages of adopting a vegan diet and how it is the most ethical option for humans to pursue. They acknowledge the fact that not every person may be

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Genetically modified corn is corn that has had its genetic makeup altered. Scientists will take the seeds and change them to better fit the needs of the society consuming the corn. Non genetically modified corn is susceptible to get diseases, therefore the scientists have to change the genetic makeup to protect the corn. Another reason they alter the corn is to increase the size of how much corn is produced.

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Paper 2: Exploratory Essay I chose to research the debate about whether eating meat is ethical. There are many different stances on the issue both for and against meat eating. I was personally drawn to this topic upon reflecting upon why people eat what they do and the relatively little thought people put into what food they consume. The majority of people seem to mindlessly eat whatever social norms dictate.

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Animal rights and livestock farming Many of us, nowadays, eat and enjoy eating meat but many would agree that this is actually not an ethical action. Michael Pollan, in his persuasive style article “An Animal's Place" published in The New Work Times Magazine, on November 10, 2002 intends to persuade his audience that humans should respect animals and as long as they are treated well in farms and give them a more peaceful life and death it will be fine to eat them. According to Pollan, in today's huge industrial farms, cruel and unbearable things happen that are against animals rights. There is a high possibility that in the future these actions will stop as already some protest for animal rights have begun, because animals have feelings and farms take advantage of them thinking that they are mere machines, making them suffer. The solution to this conflict according to the author who supports friendly farms that respect and give a fun and secure life for animals.

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For years, the health and safety of genetically modified foods have been debated and researched by scientists, but the question still stands: should genetically modified foods be allowed for consumption? The process of genetic modification involves inserting a gene from bacteria or a virus into an organism where it would normally not be found. The purpose is to alter the genetic code in plants and animals to make them more productive or resistant to pests or farming techniques. Genetically modified organisms, more commonly known as GMOs, have been a controversial topic of debate for a number of reasons. The ethics behind genetically modified foods come into question due to an abundance of short and long-term effects from the process, many of which are still unknown today.

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