Martin Root

Will Ruminant Cattle Save Us?

Introduction After reviewing Can Fixing Dinner Fix the Planet by Dr. Fanzo in my last blog post, a friend replied with a post about “Sacred Cow”, a book and movie with a very different take on eating beef, basically saying that cattle can help save the planet. The argument was all very well researched andContinue reading “Will Ruminant Cattle Save Us?”

Can eating dinner make you healthier, save the planet, and help people in Mozambique?

A Review of Can Fixing Dinner Fix the Planet? by Jessica Fanzo, PhD (published 2021 by Johns Hopkins University Press) (I started out to write this as a book review in which I would briefly touch on the book’s content and the author’s point of view and then critique the good and disappointing parts ofContinue reading “Can eating dinner make you healthier, save the planet, and help people in Mozambique?”

Pro-Life Meets Pro-Choice

Let’s start with a story. In March of 1975 my wife baked a birthday cake when our first child was three months old. We took it to church that Sunday and shared it with friends as a celebration of our son’s “first birthday” as a statement that he had been alive and a real personContinue reading “Pro-Life Meets Pro-Choice”

Paradigms, Darwin, and Medieval French Poetry

Have you ever heard about or discussed a paradigm or a paradigm shift in your field? A paradigm is a framework or a theory that defines or holds a particular field, often scientific, together. Maybe you heard some talking head on TV explain how some current event has caused a paradigm shift of some importantContinue reading “Paradigms, Darwin, and Medieval French Poetry”

Not So Dirty Dozen

Part 2 In the previous post of this series, I explained how apples, as a perennial member of the EWG Dirty Dozen, are not so dirty and are, in fact, surprisingly clean for a fruit that is in a constant battle with an array of natural pesty enemies. We examined the Toxicology in that previousContinue reading “Not So Dirty Dozen”

Not So Dirty Dozen

(I don’t want to bore you with my credentials, so if you want to see why I think I am qualified to criticize this website scroll to the bottom of this article.) I recently came upon the 2022 version of the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen. This is a yearly posting from this group thatContinue reading “Not So Dirty Dozen”

Personal Reflection on the Language of God- Part 2

In a previous post I reviewed Francis Collin’s book, The Language of God, and explained that it was instrumental in helping me form or solidify my own views on science and faith. Last week I gave a quick run through of my own story and how I came to appreciate the complexity of the faithContinue reading “Personal Reflection on the Language of God- Part 2”

Personal Reflection on Language of God- Part 1

It’s complicated. That is my new mantra. When I first became a Christian, 52 years ago, it all seemed so clear and straightforward; Jesus was Lord, heaven was up, hell was down, and there was no in between. I tended to gloss over the parts of the Bible that did not make sense. I doubtedContinue reading “Personal Reflection on Language of God- Part 1”

Language of God Review

Dr. Francis Collins is retiring as leader of the National Institutes of Health and is being lauded in many places and is granting a number of interviews. He is the longest serving head of the largest health research agency in the world where he has served under three presidents and was key in overseeing theContinue reading “Language of God Review”

How did we get so fat? Part 2

Last week we discussed our rising obesity epidemic, why it is important to all of us to consider, what are some of its causes and what are some of its effects. This week we will pick up the discussion with a broader consideration of the social context of the issue. So where are we sociallyContinue reading “How did we get so fat? Part 2”