Sustainability Winter 2009 Class 19 Jeff Fletcher

Logistics Questions about take-home test? Next time come with ideas about next year –Possibility: Group exercise will culminate in short video instead of PowerPoint presentation –A Film Festival instead of Group Presentations –Fieldtrips?

Announcements Brown Bag: Presenting Results of the Shaping Sustainability Survey –Thursday, March 12th, pm-1pm in Urban Center 270 on the Portland State campus Check out these great opportunities and become part of PSU's sustainability team! –1) Sustainability & Marketing Internship with PSU Dining Services –2) Student Marketing and Education Outreach Specialist with PSU Recycles (apply before 4:00 pm Friday, March 13th, 2009 –3) Student Recycler with PSU Recycles apply before 4:00 pm Friday, March 13th, 2009

Review: Diseases Agents in Food Most common foodborne infections (from CDC) –Bacteria: Campylobacter, Salmonella, and E. coli O157:H7CampylobacterSalmonellaE. coli O157:H7 –Viruses: Norwalk and Norwalk-like viruses.Norwalk –Occasionally foodborne, infections by Shigella, hepatitis A, and the parasites Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidia, tapeworms. Shigellahepatitis AGiardia lambliaCryptosporidia Foodborne toxins –pesticides, herbicides –Natural toxins: Bacteria grow on food: Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium botulinum. Harmful even after cooking and bacteria have been killedClostridium botulinum Other: poisonous mushrooms; poisonous reef fish Fungi that grow on foods, e.g. peanuts Prions Ourselves and/or Culture –Too much of a bad thing: overconsumption and bad diets

Consequences of Cheap Corn Policies? In groups construct a causal diagram –Include as many details as you have time for Both positive and negative effects Capture as many of the intermediary steps as possible Example: Cows eating corn –What are upstream causes? Farmers get paid more the more they grow, more corn on market drives down price, cattle raisers go for cheapest calories. More subtle: USDA grades corn fed beef higher –What are down stream consequences? Cows get sick (bloat, acidosis), need antibiotics, increased resistance, increased human disease, need for more expensive antibiotics More subtle: acid environment causes E. coli and other bacteria to evolve to be acid resistant, so if humans eat these bacteria not killed Unintended Consequences in Complex Systems: –The Rule (not the exception)

Follow-up on Big Organic How many have paid a higher price to get the organic version of some grocery item? –Rarely, occasionally, often? What is your motivation? –Better personal health? –Better for farm workers? –Better for the planet? What does buying organic bananas accomplish? What increased cost is worth it to you, and for which reasons? It's Organic, but Does That Mean It's Safer? –New York Times article –Short video

Social Engineering Policy: Legislation, regulation, standards & guidance. Economic or Financial Stimulus: Subsidies, creating markets, pricing, grants and loans, investments. Technology: Encouraging inventions, adoption of new technology, implementation on a wide scale.

Discussion Questions Do we have effective social engineering targeted to increase production and consumption of Organic food? Do we have social engineering targeted to increase production and consumption of Local foods? Should we? What about water & energy needs? What about land use? Who will do the work of local farming?

Omnivore’s Dilemma Ch 10: Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Pasture Ch 11: The Animals: Practicing Complexity Ch 12: Slaughter: In a Glass Abattoir Ch 13: The Market: “Greeting from the Non-Barcode People” Ch 14: The Meal: Grass Fed