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Don’t be a wiener
By Melissa Croninon Jul 3, 2016Share
Independence Day has historically been a time to remember our forbears, to consider the spectacular achievements this country has made, and to shove approximately 155 million hot dogs down our collective throats. But, this year, I’m begging you: Say no to the weenie, the worst meat of them all.
To be clear, we’re talking about the intestine-colored, colon-shaped sticks of blended gristle that shine in the sun and slide out of the package like a wet worm, not the visually appealing pet of the same name. This is a perfect day to remember that mass-produced processed meats — besides being grotesque amalgams of unwanted animal chunks — are products of an unsustainable and harmful industry.
First things first: What’s in a hot dog? The backyard BBQ staple can contain pretty much any type of meat, but are mainly comprised of pork, chicken, and beef. Specifically, they’re made up of “trimmings”, a word vaguely defined by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization to encompass “lower-grade muscle trimmings, fatty tissues, head meat, animal feet, animal skin, blood, liver, and other edible slaughter by-products.”
But meat is only the half of what’s in a hot dog. Here’s what the ingredient list for Oscar Meyer’s “Classic Weiner” looks like:
INGREDIENTS: MECHANICALLY SEPARATED CHICKEN, MECHANICALLY SEPARATED TURKEY, WATER, PORK, CORN SYRUP, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, SALT, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, SODIUM DIACETATE, SODIUM BENZOATE, SODIUM ASCORBATE, FLAVOR, SODIUM NITRITE.
Some of other ingredients frequently added to hot dogs include: meat “extenders”, or non-meat substances containing protein, phosphates, bread crumbs, rusk, and boiled rice.
After the bits of meat cast-offs are ground into a flesh-colored paste, these additives are blended in and the mixture is piped into grillable portions. And voila! What was once a humble salad of pig head and cow foot is now an inscrutable, tubular frankenstein.
Looks aside, hot dogs simply aren’t that good for you. According to the American Cancer Society, “high consumption of processed meats like hot dogs [is] associated with increased risk of colon cancer.” One 2013 study found that participants who ate more than 20 grams of processed meats a day (about half a hot dog), were more likely to die of heart attack or stroke. And earlier this year, the World Health Organization announced that eating processed meats is directly linked with cancer, with a similar risk to cigarettes and asbestos.
Most of the 9 billion hot dogs Americans purchase each year are produced in massive factory farms. In the U.S., about 97 percent of pork — some 65 million pigs — are reared and slaughtered in factory farms. While strides have been made to improve sanitation and animal welfare at these farms in recent years, the industry is known for cramped conditions, overuse of antibiotics, and inhumane conditions. Not to mention factory farming’s contribution to climate change: According to the FAO, animal agriculture is responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions — more than all the emissions from transportation.
So this Fourth of July, take a moment to consider the hot dog — that coral-colored pipette of entrails — and maybe think twice. And if none of this convinces you, well, I leave you with this gif of hot dogs being made:
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Celebrate America by avoiding our national embarrassment: Hot dogs
As a young person facing the challenges of our world today, it‘s sometimes difficult to imagine how connected I am to making a difference on any large scale.
But just the other day, as I had been thinking about how tough it is to connect with those “in power”?(i.e., elected officials, celebrities, etc.) to tell them of the trials or triumphs in my community, something amazing happened.
The Mayor of Oakland showed up on my doorstep with a precinct “random visit request” to take a poll in the neighborhood that I reside in! After having tea for almost an hour, the mayor became aware of the work I do as a youth leader and social entrepreneur inspiring kids and families around the world to find their creative voice and make a difference in the world.
As Marriane Williamson said…
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We all must truly find the voice within us that says, we are all gifted with something to give the world!
For this reason, and so much more, I am honored to share my message of global oneness and connectedness with each and every one of you.
As one youth ambassador in the campaign, Avalon Theisen, said?
The more we are aware of our?connectedness, the better we‘ll treat ourselves, each other and the planet!
This is why?my company?alongside 50 organizations and influencers?have come together to launch the “We Are All Connected” campaign: to inspire young people across the planet to proclaim their connectedness by dancing and singing in public!
Each act of connection will be documented through video and uploaded in a beautiful montage series called #weareallconnected.
So, for all of you out there, let’s join Avalon and kids from every continent in this global dance party to transform our future. The campaign starts this Independence Day (July 4th) to assert our INTERdependence and INTERconnectedness!
Automatically help spread the word via twitter and facebook by joining the Thunderclap here.
On July 4th, we’ll launch a video invitation which features youth from South Africa, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Togo and the United States. Please visit www.weareallconnected.us for more info about getting involved.
Upload your video to youtube and let’s dance the world together! Use the hashtag #WeAreALLConnected.
Make your mark on July by going out of your way to connect with someone or something that you might not otherwise.
Listen to my Green Divas Radio Show Green Dude segment and watch the videos on the next page to learn the moves!
By?Aaron Ableman,?Balance Edutainment.
Read more: 4th of July, Blogs, Children, Community, Community Service, Do Good, Environment, Family, Fun, Green, Holidays, Life, Make a Difference, Nature, Outdoor Activities, The Green Divas Podcast, Videos, Videos, Videos, Videos, Videos, #weareallconnected, Aaron Ableman, action, balance edutainment, celebration, community, Community Service, connection, dance, dance party, flash mob, fourth of july, global campaign, green divas podcast, green divas radio show, independence day, July 4th, life, make a difference, pachas pajamas, take action, video, youth
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