• Education ➜
• Nutrition ➜

Recipes from the January 2007 Newsletter

information on global warming for us to share with others AND for encouraging us to “get up off of our butts” and do something about the problem!

SB

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Good for you for being so active and caring so much about our small planet!!!!! I used to write a lot of letters but these days I don’t do as much. I do talk to friends and family about my diet though and slowly have influenced people towards adopting a vegetarian diet. One friend of mine went vegetarian in 2006 and my husband (total meat and potatoes guy) now eats vegetarian about 95% of the time, and vegan perhaps 75% of the time. So although they seem like slow changes when you look at your small circle of friends and family; the rising #’s of the vegetarian population speak for themselves! It is exciting and comforting to see how much more commonplace it is than even 10 years ago.

As far as anything else goes, only minimal changes. We recently bought some energy efficient light bulbs and have been switching those out as the old ones die in our new apartment. We recycle as much as possible. Even small things like saving our plastic grocery bags & giving them to the library to be reused. We buy organic as much as our budget allows, and my husband buys free-range eggs.

Off the topic of environmental issues but still good things to do; I volunteer weekly at a nursery. I also walk the dogs at the humane society on occasion, lol. While it isn’t doing much good for our planet per se, it makes me feel better to know I’ve brightened an animal’s day. Plus it is a fun fun way to get exercise in. Who doesn’t love dogs?

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“Any country that would give up a little freedom for a little security deserves neither and will lose both.” – Benjamin Franklin

Happyalyssa

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The Dec. newsletter, and the quote below from a list I subscribe to both arrived in my e-box today: Today’s Thought Is: Our awesome responsibility to ourselves, to our children, and to the future is to create ourselves in the image of goodness, because the future depends on the nobility of our imaginings. –Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

The world we live in depends on the responsible contributions each of us makes. And this world is just as good as are the many talents we commit ourselves to developing and offering. None of us is without obligation to offer our best to our family, friends, or strangers, if our hope is to live in a good world. The world can only be as good as each of us makes it.

Individually and collectively our power to mold the outer circumstances of our lives is profound. Our personal responses to one another and our reactions to events that touch us combine with the actions of others to create a changed environment that affects us. No action, no thought goes unnoticed, unfelt, in this interdependent system of humanity. We share this universe. We are the force behind all that the universe offers.

Whether I acknowledge the depth of my contribution is irrelevant. It is still profound and making an impact every moment and eternally.

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I really enjoyed the movie “An Inconvenient Truth”, but was quite disappointed by the fact the link between diet and planetary health was not emphasized in any way. Thank you for pointing it out in a format that may reach yet more people! I agree that sometimes knowing what is best for our own health is not always enough to keep temptation away from eating the SAD diet. As far as I am concerned, the more layers of reasons for why I need to eat low fat vegan helps maintain my motivation.

Hope 101 (BB)

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Dr. McDougal, I attempted to respond to your newsletter, but perhaps that is not the way to get to you. So here is an edited version of what I tried to send you yesterday. Please read some of the ‘challenging second opinions’ regarding the actual threat of mankind induced global warming. I am concerned that your current opinion on this matter may not be based on the best evidence.

I recommend the following: 1) a recent book by S. Fred Singer ‘Unstoppable Global Warming – every 1500 years’; 2) a novel by Michael Crichton ‘State of Fear’ that although a work of fiction is none-the-less researched and foot noted; 3) books by Patrick Michaels (e.g. Satanic Gases.) and 4.) The Skeptical Environmentalist by Bjorn Lomborg (sp?). Lomborg points out the very real costs of human life to be paid by jumping to wrong conclusions, now. Poverty kills and energy policy (taxes) can deplete world resources. Singer is a very accomplished scientist with decades of experience researching this problem. In fact, he mentioned the possibility of global warming more than 35 years ago. In 1971 he predicted that human activity (cattle, rice, population growth) would result in a jump in methane that COULD contribute to global warming. So, he was on the leading edge of studying this issue and is worth reading.

Some sources of information are politically tainted. The United Nations report on climate (IPCC) was spun this way in that the summary that misrepresented the science within.

If you have not evaluated the other side, I encourage you to do so and I would start with Singer’s latest book.

Oh, and please be aware that computer models that are used to scare us have never been validated with predicting current weather patterns.

Best Wishes,
 
John McDougall, MD

Dr. McDougal, The truth here is that I don’t know. But, it is not unusual to find negative things about ‘special interest money’ behind people whose opinions go against the mainstream. I am sure you are familiar with the tactic or similar ones. You have put your neck out a lot!

And I am not in love with one source and, like you, I consider myself a scientist without an axe to grind either way. As I understand it, S. Fred Singer does not endorse tobacco, he was an editor that reviewed the methods used for the study. His long history as a scientist predates recent associations that you might find suspect, I believe. He does not claim to be a health expert, in any case.

It is the science of climate change that concerns me and big businesses will not be the ones that suffer if energy taxes (for example) are used to change behavior. Government intrusion into the market does not hurt big businesses, it saves them from competition. But, that’s another topic!

Thanks for considering this.

Richard

Best Wishes,
 
John McDougall, MD

1-10-07

Dr. McDougal, I agree that the consequences are large either way on this issue. I am sure there is some medical analogy that might apply here – one where action in one area that may or may not be life threatening causes known life threatening side effects. Assessing the real risks is important. The logic that says adding tons of CO2 must have some effect is very reasonable and that is why people are so concerned about this.

Me, too.

Rick

Dear Dr. McDougal, I would be very happy to know that global warming is not real. But even what I personally witness in weather changes says the obvious must be true: if you pollute the environment with trillions of tons of CO2 and other pollutants things change. The consequences of not cleaning up the environment are too serious. An apology won’t make it right.

Best Wishes,
 
John McDougall, MD

Dear Dr. McDougal, I agree that the consequences are large either way on this issue. I am sure there is some medical analogy that might apply here – one where action in one area that may or may not be life threatening causes known life threatening side effects. Assessing the real risks is important. The logic that says adding tons of CO2 must have some effect is very reasonable and that is why people are so concerned about this.

Me, too.

Rick

Best Wishes,
 
John McDougall, MD

1-11-07

Dr. McDougal, I agree that the consequences are large either way on this issue. I am sure there is some medical analogy that might apply here – one where action in one area that may or may not be life threatening causes known life threatening side effects. Assessing the real risks is important. The logic that says adding tons of CO2 must have some effect is very reasonable and that is why people are so concerned about this.

Me, too.

Rick

Best Wishes,
 
John McDougall, MD

Dear Dr. McDougal, I would be very happy to know that global warming is not real. But even what I personally witness in weather changes says the obvious must be true: if you pollute the environment with trillions of tons of CO2 and other pollutants things change. The consequences of not cleaning up the environment are too serious. An apology won’t make it right.

Best Wishes,
 
John McDougall, MD

Dear Dr. McDougal, I agree that the consequences are large either way on this issue. I am sure there is some medical analogy that might apply here – one where action in one area that may or may not be life threatening causes known life threatening side effects. Assessing the real risks is important. The logic that says adding tons of CO2 must have some effect is very reasonable and that is why people are so concerned about this.

Me, too.

Rick

Best Wishes,
 
John McDougall, MD

Dear Dr. McDougal, I would be very happy to know that global warming is not real. But even what I personally witness in weather changes says the obvious must be true: if you pollute the environment with trillions of tons of CO2 and other pollutants things change. The consequences of not cleaning up the environment are too serious. An apology won’t make it right.

Best Wishes,
 
John McDougall, MD