The Plague and Ergot

[yogurtrifle]

Education train comin’ on through.

Today’s topic is: Europe and the Scientific MethodWhen the plagues swept through Europe, it worked like pesticide. In some villages, every single human being died within four days. In others nine out of every ten children died, and in some villages, only two or three people fell sick at all. Close to fifty

Comments

[otana]

I can just imagine what these people would say if they saw our latest "___ CAUSES CANCER" food fads.

[ddrpolaris]

Related to staples, there's the American corn subsidies. Shit's in everything as a result, particularly feed for livestock. It makes cows fatten up quicker, but they're bodies aren't really equipped for that diet as a replacement for grasses, so they also have to be pumped full of antibiotics. From what I've read, the cows being loaded with antibiotics just to cope with the side effects of their diet change contributes to the development of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. Not sure if this is true or not, just what I've read, but sounds plausible. Also related to cattle, there's massive deforestation involved, particularly in South America, etc.

There's actually a really interesting film and book called "Hungry for Profit" that looks into the ways in which the desire for more profitable agribusiness is adversely affecting food production and consumption practices, and is royally destroying many people's lives.

[otana]

... this is a really good and really creepy comparison.

Especially if you take into account Monsanto's desperate corporate efforts to own every single corn farmer in the US, including the unwilling ones. When there is only one producer of seeds in the entire country (and these seeds have blown across to Mexico, and possibly Canada at this point) and they are an experimental GM crop, we're basically completely screwed if it turns out that their calculations were horribly, horribly wrong.

Actually P, if you haven't seen Food Inc yet, I think you'd really like it.

[ddrpolaris]

I remember being told about that, I'll have to catch it. Also, Monsanto is scurry for so many reasons.

[otana]

I expected it to be very biased or a little too PETA-ish for my liking but it was surprisingly informative. A bit middle-class in its urging for people to only buy organic farmer's market produce, but I learned a lot from it.

And I am genuinely horrified that Monsanto's shady business dealings haven't become more public knowledge. It's amazing that they can get away with it to be honest.

[otana]

I love European history. My ancestors were badasses. Life sucked so hard in London during the Black Death that we welcomed the Fire, just to kill all the goddamn rats.

[wodhaund]

I don't have any insightful commentary, but I do have a couple books on the plague you might enjoy--I'll get you the titles when I get back to SC, don't let me forget!