Green Time TV: How Do Food Choices Affect the Environment?
To have the most positive effects on the environment, should people eat less meat? Or, should they not eat meat at all? Do they need to change their life styles to remove all animal products from food and everything else they consume? Or, is there such a thing as sustainable meat?
Green Time TV takes these issues head on during four shows in August 2012. The first features a discussion with Alexandria Graff and Laura Shields, of St. Louis Vegans, who see a contradiction between people’s saying that they do not want to needlessly hurt animals and the way they consume several times a day. They explain that not eating meat or using any other animal products (veganism) can help end world hunger. The show includes portions of “A Life Connected: Vegan.”
The second August show has David Feldmann and Greg Farough of the Autonomy Alliance looking at the UN Environmental Program reports on animal agriculture. They ask if it is more effective for a small number of people to go vegan or for a larger number of people to reduce how much meat they consume.
During the third show James Meinert of New Roots Urban Farm and Paul Krautmann of Bellews Creek Farm discuss whether agricultural chemicals can make food less nutritious. Organic gardening and farming is much more than growing food locally without pesticides. It means knowing the value of non-crop species and how to use organic material to build soil. A good organic farmer understands how cultivated plants are in continuous interaction with their living and non-living surroundings. This episode has portions of “Nicotine Bees” which include interviews with Dr. Vandana Shiva, Dr. Charles Benbrook and Walter Heafeker.
The final show presents the view that sustainable animal raising means chickens pecking at insects, hogs rooting for grubs and cattle meandering across fields. Darvin Bentlage of the MissouriRural Crisis Center addresses the humane treatment of farm animals and how huge farming operations threaten the livelihoods of rural Missourians. This episode includes footage from “Pig Business.”
Green Time now airs on KNLC stations in four Missouri areas. It appears at noon on Saturdays in St. Louis on Channel 24-1 and at 8 pm on Mondays in St. Louis on Channel 24-2, Springfield on Channel 39, Joplin on Channel 36 and Marshfield on Channel 17.
August Green Time programs air on these dates:
Saturday, August 4 & Monday, August 6: “Veganism for the Planet, People & Animals;”
Saturday, August 11 & Monday, August 13: “Animal Agriculture: Environment, Health and Ethics;”
Saturday, August 18 & Monday, August 20: “Organic Agriculture;”
Saturday, August 25 & Monday, August 27: “Sustainable Hog & Cattle Raising.”
If you would like to help produce Green Time TV call 314-727-8554 or email fitzdon@aol.com
