Open Letter – Intensive Beef Farming

Dear…..

I am writing to you on matter relating to intensive beef farming. This was recently in the news. (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2012/jun/07/super-farms-environment-livestock-climate) It is already becoming an established practice in America to farm beef using this method. While on one hand there is an argument to meet growing demands for food. This has resulted in intensive beef farming being seen as a solution to this problem.  In my analyses of the problem it raise two important questions. One is sustainability, and two is it morally acceptable practice. At what point does one say that such methods have crossed the line of a caring and responsible sustainable society.

In the following Article http://www.globalissues.org/article/240/beef it raises the issue of sustainability looking at the cost of producing such meat. Rolling Stone Magazine also reported on this issue of cruelty. There has been a big raise in the number of products that are produced in more natural ways (the co-op is the best example). While the economic role is significant in what families can afford, they may feel obliged to purchase meat that they are consciously not aware of, in what condition it is farmed.  Are our human rights being neglected by eaten such products, would one find it acceptable to treat a human beings in this condition. Then why animals? I am not going into the finite points of the argument here, as I am sure that you are only too aware of these.

However I would like to propose an interesting idea. As your country must compete in a global market. Then the tenant of such a practice is that one offers something different. I would like to see the Farming laws expanded to stop the production of any intensive farming methods in your country. While this may not be an issue currently. By legislating against it currently you can protect future generations of such a risk and take a defining role in what the makes your country different and provide leadership in a sustainable future.

Yours sincerely,

L Cussons

 

Decentralisation of Banks – A Return to the High Street

Some interesting points being raised here about a possible solution to the banking system a lot of this could be integrated into SCD (Under small is beautiful).

http://neweconomics.net.nz/index.php/manifesto/banking-and-investment/decentralisation-of-banks-a-return-to-high-street/

Housing Problems a Different Perspective?

okay, we now need to look at a controversial idea. If one is truly appalled by inequality in society there are number of things that we can do. We can donate money to charity, help out with different organisations and campaign for better opportunity etc. In SCD we need to take maybe a holistic approach to some of the components that fall within society. If we are to create a society that benefits everyone (all stakeholders including environment) then how we manage groups of people is of importance. One of the many problems of a purely capitalistic society is that we have created housing estates that are riddled with social problems. From lack of education to teenage pregnancies to dependency on social welfare. What would be the result if we were to create mixed housing.  So governments were to encourage housing to be made up of different sorts of people from right across the whole of society. So we would have cheap housing and we would have expensive housing and would have in between housing all mixed together. The idea of this would be to encourage and for all parties to be aware of the different possibilities and responsibilities in life and for all people to cross over the social devide and to form new tiers of society not defined by money but by geographic preferences of where they live. By breaking the link of the old which are purely economic and class driven. This would lead to a richer experience, and more beneficial development for the whole society.