"Big Foot" By: Michael Specter

Without reading the entire article, which I did read, I knew exactly what I was about to engage in. At the end of the first paragraph Specter wrote; “This is a monumental challenge. It requires a revolution in technology and a revolution in thinking. We are going to have to rethink the way we live and work.” Immediately all I could think about was Wendell Berry's article "Faustian Economic." Specter went on to discuss how food corporations promote “going green” on their products in an effort to try and push consumers to do their part. He discusses “food miles” but doesn’t explain what that really means until four pages into the article which bothered me a little. After talking about "food miles" he then switched gears and began to discuss the concept of “cap and trade.” He also included the argument of whether or not you can trade something, such as the environment, without direct ownership. If trade is allowed the worry is that the environment has thus come under ownership which can be a bad thing. While the article’s main focus was on the negative effects of greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, I do not believe the article tied all topics together very well. However, the article most definitely reflected Berry’s article (that we need to change or way of living) except that Specter took the expected scientific approach which didn’t really capture my attention very much. For me, Specter’s article was a scientific reading that did not have any appeal to me because it is a continuous, monotonous discussion. It is NOT that I do not care for the environment. On the contrary, I believe in helping preserve the environment that continues to sustain life even when its very own inhabitants do not have the same respect. However, Berry approached the issue in a way that really made myself and others take a look at ourselves, others and the environment and REALLY THINK!