The High Price of Cheap Crap

When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.” 
― Herophilus

I can choose what I eat, in this modern world full of convenience stores, supermarkets, restaurants, farmers markets, and natural food stores. One way to think of my daily food needs is by how much money each meal costs: If I fill up my stomach on a particular thing, it costs x amount of cash. But it’s not so simple.

If I pick up the fastest most convenient meal, say at the corner bodega, my tummy is full, but chances are, my choices are limited to factory made junk food, full of chemicals, and over packaged with plastic so it is a single serving, ready to eat. The dollar cost is small, but the real cost is high. Why? 

Because the real price is delayed, passed on to me later in life perhaps, as health issues, and to the whole earth and other people and animals as pollution in the form of health issues for them, including the cost of making the plastic wrapper, the chemicals to grow, prepare, and preserve the food, and disposing of the trash from the single use item. Our screwed up money system still fails to reflect the full cost of that meal in the price tag on it, allowing the seller to trash the planet at no immediate expense to themselves.

If I make it myself at home, from scratch, that is a way to know what goes into it. If I buy it at a farmer’s market, I know it is local, so the pollution cost of transportation to market and to my house are known factors. I will know who and even maybe how it is grown, and so whether it has contributed to the amount of poison in my environment. Maybe it will come with no packaging at all, transported in their basket directly to mine. Making the meal myself at home, I will know how much energy I use. I will use the same dishes over and over. My food is of course fresher than something in a package, so it won’t require chemicals to preserve it and it will taste better too! 

Some people might say, I don’t have time to do that. To those, I say you don’t have time not to. It is like sleep. If you get enough sleep and take care of your precious human body, you will live longer and make up the difference. If you skimp on sleep, saying you don’t have time, you will pay for it by losing your health and peace of mind. I say, take your time. If you do not, you will sure lose it.

I don't think I'll ever grow old and say, "What was I thinking eating all those fruits and vegetables?” 
― Nancy S. Mure

If you are planning to have children, consider that the emerging field of epigenetics suggests that your lifestyle, food choices and toxic exposures will directly affect not only your own health, but also your children’s, even that of your grandchildren and perhaps beyond. I benefited from descending from grandparents who ate all organic, by default. There simply was not widespread chemical farming then. Future generations can’t assume that. We will be dealing with the consequences of our present toxic methods for a generations, even if we stop now. I have no doubt that many of the epidemic chronic diseases of modernity are related to these short sighted practices.

When God created the Garden of Eden, 
She didn’t use synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and GMO apples.” 
― Khang Kijarro Nguyen

I can gladly pay extra for the farmer to use organic methods because I have saved my health and the environment. The same thing goes for my clothing. The rain of plastic on earth has commenced; scientists are finding the tiny colorful bits in raindrops in even the most remote corners of the world, from the arctic to the highest mountains. We breathe drink, and eat it. It is time for the reign of plastic to wind down, now, obviously.

How does it get everywhere? A lot of plastic gets into the water from the clothes we wash. Natural fiber clothes are more comfortable which is why I have always chosen them. But also, they will not degrade into tiny plastic fibers and float around in the air and water, raining down on the world for a very, very long time.

Modern high tech artificial fiber clothes can do nifty things, and are cheap to produce, but I hope we can see the traditional beauty of fibers like wool. Wool is naturally fire resistant. Wool can get quite wet and still keep you warm. And when I’m done with my natural fiber clothes, they compost beautifully and turn into next years’ tomatoes. I spin and knit with wool beginning with fresh raw fleeces straight from the farm. I’m  always trying to know as much as possible about the way the humans who sell it to me got it. I want to know the same things as with my food. Are they local? Do they have sheep who are happy, well cared for, and not killed for meat? Shearing the sheep does no harm. I observe my animal friends, dogs and angora goats alike, jump for joy to be free of those hot winter overcoats.

It is time to realize the value of organic fiber clothing as well as our food. Cotton is one of the most heavily poison sprayed crops. Organically grown cotton costs more in money only because the full cost to the planet and our health is not factored in. You can feel good physically and ethically buying organic, plus you are truly getting the best deal for your money.

I wonder how long it will take for us to realize we need to switch over to non toxic and renewable systems...

Switching to all organic food production is the single most critical (and most doable) action we can take right now to stop our climate crisis.” 
― Maria Rodale