Omnivore's Dilemma Ch. 10

The title of chapter sets the wheels in motion, "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Pasture" seemed like an opinion the 13 ways Pollan sees a pasture. This doesn't mean there aren't other ways to look at a pasture. The first idea Pollan brings up is a metaphor comparing a society of people is similar to a patch of grass. Each is made up of tiny parts that seem almost identical to the other 'individuals' around them. This is interesting once he expands on exactly what he means. Pollan uses an example in which he personifies the ideas and thoughts of cow when the animal is grazing and thus noticing the various varieties of grasses. This thought pulls together the patch of grass/ society metaphor by saying, to a grass novice, the individuals are indistinguishable. However to an expert in grasses, a cow, the patch has much more individuality. Other humans recognize the diversity of the blades of grass around them.

Later in the chapter Pollan makes a very impressionable statement; "In fact, grassing over that portion of the world's cropland now being used to grow grain to feed the ruminants would offset fossil fuel emissions appreciably." To even wrap your mind around how astronomical that trade-off is. However, there would surely be a big deal in feeding our nation's people. We have an ever-growing population and technology really needs to keep up with our growing numbers. This relates to our life right now. And Pollan does such a great job explaining that importance and the urgency behind it.