tagged w/ Food Politics
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In this scene from "50 Documentaries to See Before You Die," director Robert Kenner discusses why he made the 2008 documentary "Food, Inc." While many films dealing with food news and politics often bounce around among an audience already deeply interested in the subject, "Food, Inc." has managed to reach a more mainstream audience. Author Alonso Duralde, musician Jared Leto, and film critic Christy Lemire talk about what's made "Food, Inc." a huge contender in educating the public about today's big industry food practices.
Renowned documentarian Morgan Spurlock hosts "50 Documentaries To See Before You Die," a celebration of the most remarkable and moving documentaries released in the past 25 years. It examines how the documentary feature has evolved into an increasingly popular genre, becoming a major box office draw and impacting contemporary American culture in ways never seen before.
"50 Documentaries To See Before You Die" airs Tuesdays at 9/8c throughout August on Current TV.
For more, go to http://current.com/docs.In this scene from "50 Documentaries to See Before You Die," director Robert... more
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By Lindsay Beyerstein, Media Consortium blogger
As the Great Blizzard of 2010 blanketed New York City, most residents were blissfully unaware that their city’s 911 system was on the brink of collapse. The system fielded 50,000 calls in a single day, and at one point the backlog swelled to 1,300 calls. The mayor was called to account for the slow service and promised that it wouldn’t happen again.
But David Rosen and Bruce Kushnick report in AlterNet that New York’s close call is an example of a much broader and deeper problem. Cash-strapped state and local governments are raiding funds set aside for 911 service, and the system is hurting badly:
Hundreds of millions of dollars are collected annually by states and localities to support 911 services and much of it is diverted to plug state budget holes and meet a host of other demands. Most disturbing, 911 services are technologically bankrupt, held together by duct-tape and workarounds.
States siphoned nearly $400 million earmarked for 911 between 2001 and 2004. The law demands that the money, raised by a tax on every phone line, has to be set aside for 911-related services. Some states fudge the definition of “911-related” to fund things that had nothing to do with emergency services, like raises for courthouse staffers. Others just brazenly redirected the money into their general funds. New York collected $82.1 million in 911 taxes on phone lines in 2007, but only 19 cents out of the $1.20 monthly fee was spent on 911.
At least New York can account for its misdirected funds. South Dakota simply has no idea where its 911 money went, Rosen and Kushnick report.
Walker: Hurry up and die
Seemingly determined to cast himself as a Dickensian villain, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker presented a budget last week that would slash millions in funding for health care for the poor and the elderly. However, as I reported in Working in These Times, Walker recommended an increase in funding for a program that buries Wisconsinites who die destitute.
Medicaid roulette
Some governors are clamoring for more control over Medicaid, the joint state/federal health insurance program for the poor, Suzy Khimm reports for Mother Jones. Currently, Medicaid funding is allocated primarily by a matching system, with the federal government kicking in a certain number of dollars for every dollar the state spends. The states must abide by federal rules in order to qualify. Now, some Republican governors want to see Medicaid funding doled out in block grants. The states would get a fixed amount of money, which they could spend as they saw fit.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), the fourth highest-ranking Republican in the House, is a leading proponent of this new scheme. She claims it would increase “flexibility” for states. In this case, flexibility is a euphemism for “massive cuts.” Washington’s Democratic governor, Christine Gregoire, has already convinced the Obama administration to exempt her state from certain Medicaid rules. McMorris Rodgers applauds the move.
Crisis Propaganda Centers
New York City City passed a landmark “truth in advertising” bill last Wednesday that would force so-called crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) to disclose that they are not health care facilities. CPCs are anti-choice ministries posing as reproductive health clinics. Among other things, the law will require city CPCs to inform potential clients that they do not refer for abortions or emergency contraception, Noelle Williams reports for the Ms. Magazine blog.
The logic of our sex laws
The cover story of this month’s Washington Monthly is a provocative analysis of Dan Savage, America’s most influential sex advice columnist, as an ethicist of contemporary sexual mores. The author, Benjamin J. Dueholm, is a Lutheran pastor and a longtime fan of Savage’s syndicated column “Savage Love.” Dueholm does a good job of summarizing some of the core principles of Savage’s ethos: disclosure, autonomy, mutual pleasure, and personal commitment to achieving sexual competence. His central critique is that Savage’s attitude is too consumerist and businesslike.
I would argue that there’s nothing inherently capitalist about Savage’s ethics. Yes, Savage’s ideal sexual world is based on consensual, mutually beneficial exchanges, like an idealized free market–but that doesn’t mean that realizing one’s sexual identity, or finding true love, is on par with picking a brand of laundry detergent. In consumerism, the customer is always right. Savage is constantly urging his readers to be active participants in a mutually satisfying sex life, not passive consumers who expect their partners to cater to them without giving anything in return.
USDA hearts Michael Pollan
Every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issues guidelines for healthy eating. Parke Wilde of Grist explains why this year’s edition is, in many ways, a radical and surprising document:
The new edition has a fascinating chapter on eating patterns, focusing on real foods and not just nutrients. This chapter on eating patterns provides a nice counterpoint to the reductionism — what Michael Pollan calls “nutritionism” — of scientific discussion of diet and health. The guidelines’ healthy eating patterns may or may not include meat. For example, the USDA Food Patterns and the DASH diet each include moderate amounts of meat and plenty of low-fat dairy. At the same time, the guidelines explain clearly that meat is not essential, and near-vegetarian and vegetarian diets are adequate and even “have been associated with improved health outcomes.”
This is a big departure for an agency that has historically been criticized for acting as a propaganda outlet for the livestock and dairy industries. But Wilde notes that, despite its enlightened discussion of the perils of “nutritionism,” the USDA hasn’t broken the habit of referring to nutrients rather than foods. The guidelines still recommend that Americans eat less saturated fat, without dwelling at length on which foods actually contribute most of the saturated fat to the American diet.
As nutritionist Marion Nestle explains in her seminal book, Food Politics, this mealy-mouthed advice is measured to avoid offending any lobby group that might take offense at the suggestion that Americans eat less of their product. There is no saturated fat lobby, but there are plenty of lobby groups representing the interests of industries tied to the major sources of saturated fat in the American diet, which include cheese, pizza, bakery products, ice cream, chicken, and burgers.
This post features links to the best independent, progressive reporting about health care by members of The Media Consortium. It is free to reprint. Visit the Pulse for a complete list of articles on health care reform, or follow us on Twitter. And for the best progressive reporting on critical economy, environment, health care and immigration issues, check out The Audit, The Mulch, and The Diaspora. This is a project of The Media Consortium, a network of leading independent media outlets.By Lindsay Beyerstein, Media Consortium blogger
As the Great Blizzard of 2010... more
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Michelle Madden: I was looking for three chicken breasts. Not eight. Or four. Just three. I was visiting my parents in Arizona and shopping for dinner. They're Canadian snow birds, flying south for the winter in search of sun and lower priced food. Due to a variety of reasons -- a lower population, higher food taxes,lower government subsidies to the farmers -- Canadian food is notoriously expensive -- especially meat and cheese.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-sweet-beet/is-food-too-cheap_b_825753.htmlMichelle Madden: I was looking for three chicken breasts. Not eight. Or four. Just... more
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Are charitable food businesses the wave of the future? We see how San Francisco’s Mission Street Food went from taco truck to charitable benefactor in this video documentary from The Quotidian.Are charitable food businesses the wave of the future? We see how San... more
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3 years ago
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The Enviro-Pranksters The Yes Men were at it again with a recent trip to Boston, where, posing as Coca Cola representatives, they unveiled a new name and label for Dasani water, called "Deception." The Yes Men, working with the Think Outside The Bottle Campaign of Corporate Accountability International are drawing attention to how bottled water is marketed as healthier, but its actually less regulated than city water and comes with serious environmental costs. Kristin Urquiza from the Think Outside The Bottle campaign discusses in the video that 40% of bottled water actually comes from the same sources as tap water.
Watch as The Yes Men unveil the new product, ask cosumers if they would buy it, and be sure to watch to the end when they get confronted by a Coca Cola employee.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/19/the-yes-men-take-on-coca_n_363436.htmlThe Enviro-Pranksters The Yes Men were at it again with a recent trip to Boston,... more
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Michelle Obama took her public policy message about food, growing gardens and eating vegetables to the (littlest) masses when she appeared Tuesday on the 40th anniversary episode of the beloved children's show, Sesame Street. After the segment taped, The First Lady described being on Sesame Street as "It's probably the best thing I've done so far in the White House."
In this segment, Michelle talks about how great veggies taste, her love of cucumbers, and what a great salad the lettuce is going to make. Then Big Bird asks Michelle if they are from the same family, because she's so tall.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/10/michelle-obama-on-sesame_n_352747.htmlMichelle Obama took her public policy message about food, growing gardens and eating... more
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Washington lobbyists have been enjoying a multi-million-dollar sugar rush from the food industry.
Soft drink makers, supermarket companies, agriculture and the fast-food business have poured millions into campaigning against what they fear could be a burgeoning national movement to raise money for health care reform by taxing sweetened beverages.
During the first nine months of 2009, the industry groups stepped up their lobbying in Congress. They have spent more than $24 million on the issue of a national excise tax on sweetened beverages and on other legislative and regulatory issues, according to an examination of lobbying reports filed with the Senate Office of Public Records. The review shows that 21 companies and organizations reported that they lobbied specifically on the proposed tax on sugar-sweetened beverages - which among other things would include sodas, juice drinks and chocolate milk.
About $5 million of the money was spent on a national advertising campaign aimed at Capitol Hill lawmakers and promoting a newly formed coalition called Americans Against Food Taxes . The group bills itself on its website as a coalition of "responsible individuals, financially-strapped families, [and] small and large businesses" but its 400-plus membership list is dominated by industry heavyweights such as Burger King Corporation, Coca Cola, Pepsico and Domino's Pizza.
Many health officials and advocacy groups have argued for years that sugary drinks, particularly those with high-fructose corn syrup, have been key contributors to a rise in obesity rates in the United States, especially among children. Some argue that the time is right for a soda tax, which they say could not only cut consumption but also generate revenue to close state budget gaps and pay for new health care programs.
A proposal for a national excise tax on soft drinks surfaced in a May funding policy options paper during the Senate Finance Committee's deliberations on health care reform. Food lobbyists attacked then and continued their efforts in July when President Obama raised the possibility of a soda tax in an interview with Men's Health magazine. The proposal has not emerged in any of the health care reform bills still in play on Capitol Hill.
But the issue may be gaining traction in some key states. This week, California lawmakers are holding a high-profile hearing in Los Angeles to examine the link between childhood obesity and sugary drinks. In New York, Gov. David Paterson has revived the idea of a sugared beverage tax after a previous proposal was shot down by the legislature earlier this year in the face of industry opposition.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/04/soda-tax-mobilizes-food-l_n_345840.htmlWashington lobbyists have been enjoying a multi-million-dollar sugar rush from the... more
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Finding sustainable seafood has always been about balancing the health of a given fishery with the health effects of consuming that fish. Some that can be sourced sustainably are also high enough on the food chain that they accumulate toxins in their flesh, transferring those to us humans when we eat them.
The Super Green List from the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program balances the two considerations, providing a list of the healthiest seafood that comes from sustainable sources.
http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2009/11/super-green-seafood-list-connects-ocean-human-health.php?page=1Finding sustainable seafood has always been about balancing the health of a given... more
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Stephen Colbert sat down with National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence and author Sylvia Earle to discuss her book, The World Is Blue, which is about how vital ocean health is to the fate of the planet. She promptly tells Stephen that he moves like a dolphin, and then they move on to a pressing topic that vexes many who want to eat sustainably: what kind of seafood should people eat?
Stephen suggests renaming earthworms Appalachian Yard Trout.Stephen Colbert sat down with National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence and author... more
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WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE is a witty and provocative documentary and outreach campaign produced and directed by award-winning Catherine Gund about kids and food politics. Filmed over the course of one year, the film follows two eleven-year-old African-American city kids as they explore their place in the food chain. Sadie and Safiyah take a close look at food systems in New York City and its surrounding areas. With the camera as their companion, the girl guides talk to each other, food activists, farmers, new friends, storekeepers, their families, and the viewer, in their quest to understand what's on all of our plates. Aubin Pictures seeks alliances with parents, teachers, food activists, policy makers, journalists, corporations, scientists, and, most importantly, kids to spread the message about the importance of local, healthy food in a young person's life.
Watch the trailer below or visit http://whatsonyourplateproject.org/ for more information.WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE is a witty and provocative documentary and outreach campaign... more
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People have become more and more interested in where their food comes from, from the way animals are treated on farms to organic farming and fair-trade products, and here are a couple of Web sites that are looking to build awareness of food sustainability.People have become more and more interested in where their food comes from, from the... more
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A couple of exhibitions in New York and San Francisco highlight works made from some common materials that you might not have thought of using in art.A couple of exhibitions in New York and San Francisco highlight works made from some... more
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