Briana Miller

This was a nice counterpoint to Julie Sinistore's presentation on being vegan, as it points to more sustainable ways of growing livestock, as opposed to ruling out animal products from your diet. I'd never heard of this type of agricultural practice, but it seems to make sense. The images of dead cattle in an overheated Texas (and the fact that Texans had to pay the equivalent of $500 from their annual salaries to make up for the loss) made the point that having a means of cooling animals would be beneficial. I wonder if trees would help capture water and prevent runoff better as well. Fascinating to learn how animals scratching on tree trunks helps prevent bugs from getting up under loose bark and wintering there and how sending in waves of livestock strategically through the seasons helps with pest control and results in no waste (they get all the downed fruit and nuts). And also results in a well-fed animal that probably tastes very good. I wonder if the pork is a meat that has less environmental impact because the animal is smaller. And I wonder if we need to raise grass-fed cows to the same weight as corn-fed cows. (One of the reasons even grass-fed beef=bad was because the animal had to be in existence longer to get to the same size as a corn-fed animal and that had an impact on the environment in terms of methane production, etc.)

Diet for a Small Planet is a book I stole off my mom's bookshelf. After Julie Sinistore's presentation on how our food choices impact the environment, I'm inspired to pick it up again. Small, thoughtful decisions that can be incorporated into our diets (and therefore daily lives) can have such a big impact. Also intrigued by the Drawdown book, specifically what it says about food choices and consumption. Great discussion and presentation, and thrilled that Dr. Sinistore'sve a similar presentation for the Our Hen House podcast (#411), that I'll be able share with my household.

Portland, OR, is pretty liberal, and women seem fairly emancipated here. That said, a barrier for women may be that they don't see themselves reflected in political and economic positions of power. In other words, if you don't see people like you, you don't know that you can aspire to that position. And if women aren't in these seats of power, they can't offer support and open pathways for other women to help bring them up into positions where they can have an impact, make changes and affect policies. Men, both leaders and colleagues, also need to be educated to see how they're historically advantaged and see where and how they can support and promote women. Another area that needs work is childcare. If good, affordable childcare is an option, more women could participate at higher levels in the workforce and improve the lives of their families and communities.