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Fast Food Follies

© Bob Ewing

Yesterday, a five day hot and humid spell was broken by high winds and rain with a little thunder and lightening. During this time, I realized that I have changed since moving to the North from Toronto, ten years ago. I don't like the heat. Temperatures around 22-24 degrees Celsius are ideal, especially if the sky is blue, and a gentle breeze is blowing off the lake.

Ah well, back to reality. The bear saga grows. People living on the edge of the city are finding that sharing space with bears calls for keeping your eyes open. Paw prints have been found around backyard wading pools and porches.

I believe that because we have chosen to build our homes in bear territory, it is up to us to take serious precautions such as reducing waste in order to void a confrontation. For example, our love affair with fast food contributes considerably to the waste that ends up in garbage cans and eventually, landfill sites around the continent. The smell of burger on the wrappings casually tossed into your garbage can entice a hungry bruin to check it out.

Fast Food is rapdily becoming our most popular food delivery system and it is one of the most environmentally unfriendly. Lest consider all that is involved. First there is the production of all the various types of packaging that is used. Paper, plastic, styrofoam and cardboard, at the very least, play a heavy role. Plastic knives, forks, spoons and straws add their weight to the load. There are times when I sense that we may well eat ourselves into destruction while millions of others go hungry, a very strange scenario.

I understand the joys of going out for a meal. No dishes to wash, nothing to slice, dice ,bake or broil, but why pick a place that by its very existence helps bury us in our own waste. For we are responsible. We get in our cars (adding to the noise and air pollution levels) and drive to our favourite place. We place the order and hand over our money so that we can add the fats, sugars and starches to our diet.

Now people need to have the freedom to make their own choices, yet those choices need to be informed, in other words people need to understand the consequences of their choices and the existence of possible alternatives.

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