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hlehman's picture

Food Detective

 Although I am a Vegetarian and do not plan on changing my eating habits, I am convinced by Pollan’s claims and trust many of the points he makes.  Nothing I have read in The Omnivore’s Dilemma has fully convinced me that being a Vegetarian is really that bad- only that there a few problems with it and ways in which it is harmful to the environment.  Many of the points Pollan makes support being a Vegetarian, such as the descriptions of the chickens and cow farms.  I understand Pollan’s views and agree with his idea that Vegans and Vegetarians often fail to understand the way the natural world works, but I still believe that being a Vegetarian is a good thing for the environment and myself, and nothing Pollan says makes me feel guilty about it.  I trust what Pollan says because every claim he makes is supported by extensive facts and research.  In some ways, I feel that Pollan is like a food detective and journalist.  He went through all the steps- researching locations of different farms and visiting them, comparing animal treatments, talking to different people and getting quotes from different farmers, workers, other experts, etc.  Trusting Pollan’s claims in The Omnivore’s Dilemma is like trusting what one reads in The New York Times.  You might not always agree with what you read or want to believe it, but you know you can trust it because all the facts are there to prove it. 

 

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