Do we really need ecclesiastical food-police?

Tags

Catholic Church, Chickens, Diet, Environment, Fasting, fish, Food Production, Global, Ruminants, Transportation

From; “Science” magazine, 16 September 2016, pages 1202 -1204

 

“PLATING UP SOLUTIONS”, by Tara Garnett, Food Climate Research Network, Oxford University

 

Garnett’s article defines the concerns of how to feed healthy food to people of various cultures while maintaining a sustainable low impact to the environment. The article has considered a variety of global locations, diet preferences, as well as food types and production/transportation methods.

 

Garnett indicates that various diets create various environmental impacts. Additionally, various methods of growing the food also create a variety of impacts. Meats have the additional impact of growing feed to be consumed by the animals; although ruminants can eat grasses grown in areas not suitable for legume crops. Chickens require food that could be eaten directly by humans and therefore are not the most efficient.

 

The question-framing plus data sources and methodologies required for such a study are variables that can only muddy the results.

 

Attempting to convince large populations to change, for example “western style” diets based only on environmental impact will fail. Economics will be the change-agent that impacts people’s choices in diet. However, I cannot avoid the fact that the Catholic Church was quite effective in getting people to include fish in their diet. This was based on metaphysical/moral grounds. If the environmental problems are strong enough to become a metaphysical/moral concern, that may drive the results.

 

 

JOHN BESSAC’S FOOTPATH TO FREEDOM

Tags

Agen, Beaumont, Cadiz, Catholic Church, France, Gendarme, Madrid, Montvalant, Shylock, St. Martin's Day, Toulouse

John Bessac walked speedily along the highways all that evening. He made considerable distance. However, as daylight appeared he knew that his father, his uncle and the Holy Roman Catholic Church would be searching for him. Agen was his immediate destination.

He kept up his pace so that he could put more distance between himself and Montvalant. To be safe he departed the highway and walked the fields and solitary footpaths. He wished to see the city of Agen soon; and then Beaumont and Toulouse.

John’s forty mile trip from Montvalent to Agen was without incident. On the second morning he decided to rest after being two days without sleep. He found a comfortable place near a stack of hay and drifted off for a well-deserved rest.

Something brought him out of his deep sleep. Even with his eyes closed he felt a presence of some sort. Slowly opening his eyes he found himself looking at the well-shined boots of a state gendarme. A conversation about John ensued.

After some convincing, the policeman was satisfied that John was on a trip to visit friends. He pointed out to John that a storm was in the air and that he should find a more secure place to rest. John, in his deep sleep, had not noticed the change in the temperature, wind and clouds. He remained a little foggy from his recent awakening and attempted to determine what day it was.

“November 13^th or 14^th; a few days after St. Martin’s Day” he said out loud.

“Pardon me?” responded the policeman.

“Nothing, nothing at all” lied John. “Just forgot the actual date.”

The policeman looked askance at John, excused himself, and departed.

John felt rested up enough to continue his journey towards Toulouse. He was somewhat conflicted as to whether to find shelter or move on. He decided to put more distance between himself and the dreaded plans that the church had for him.

The next sixty miles to Toulouse were windy and cold. John was thankful that it did not rain. He had not thought about a canvas wrap to keep the wetness from soaking him. There was a heavy fall mist coming from the Atlantic side of France but it was not enough to dampen him through.

It took three more days of walking for John to reach Toulouse. He found a reasonable priced boarding room and started making plans. His first task was to write his good friend Barte. Barte’s return letter contained advice and a gift. The advice was for John to head for Cadiz where John had established friends. Barte suggested that John may be able to find a job in the hospital where he had once worked. John did not wish to relive the memories of his brother dying in Cadiz.

The gift was a note that John could cash. It was a second party check drawn on a merchant from Bordeaux. The only person that John could find to cash it was a shylock who extracted an ungodly sum “due to the risk.”

Being desperate, John took the partial amount.

A month had passed while he stayed in Toulouse.

John then departed for Madrid.