The Food Problem

We all need food. That's obvious. The problem is getting good food at a reasonable price. In our house we have modified our purchasing over the last several years. Now we're hooked on these products that are supposed to be better for you and the environment. They are just so expensive and walking around the store with all this organic, environmentally friendly stuff has people looking at me like I'm a sucker. Now I'm starting to wonder.

I'm not trying to be a shopping-cart environmentalist or a limousine liberal and I don't want to get ripped off either. There is an increasing amount of scrutiny on everything that makes environmental claims and organic food or environmentally friendly products may save one element of the environment but harm another. Everyone has to do their part and it will all add up but with all the focus by the media to the point that there is a green TV channel I'm nervous. Is it all hype and will the bottom fall out once it becomes cheap to be inefficient and polluting again? Longer term solutions are what we need but it looks like we will need structural changes to our economy to make them last and change the way we measure progress and quality of life.