[homeles_ot-l] Fwd: [SDOH] WI backgrounder: This goose ain't cooked - a modest proposal that won't end hunger...

[Terrie]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Michael Shapcott <Michael at wellesleyinstitute.com>
Date: 2009/3/26
Subject: [SDOH] WI backgrounder: This goose ain't cooked - a modest proposal
that won't end hunger...
To: SDOH at yorku.ca


 Canadian Senator Nancy
Ruth<http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/Committee_SenBio.asp?senator_id=2775&Language=E&M=M&Parl=40&Ses=2&comm_id=13>,
piqued at an infestation of Canada geese and the inevitable droppings,
advised a Senate Finance Committee hearing: “We should shoot some of these
geese or feed them to the poor, that would be my preference.” Does this add
up to an effective strategy to end deep and persistent hunger? Hinterland
Who’s Who <http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=35>, the venerable source of
wildlife information, estimates there are eight million Canada geese in
North America. A cull of Canada geese in
Pennsylvania<http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/westmoreland/s_527163.html>in
2007 produced .9kg of meat per bird to the Greater Pittsburgh
Community
Food Bank, so the entire North American flock would yield 7.2 million
kilograms of meat, or about 48 million meals (based on the Canada Food
Guide<http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php>recommendation
of 150g of lean meat per day). About 4.6 million Canadian and
U.S. households rely on food charity programs, so culling the entire North
American population of Canada geese would yield about 48 million meals, or
enough for about 10.5 days. And there are other considerations: Cooks
recommend scalding the
birds<http://community.tasteofhome.com/forums/p/136039/1906631.aspx>with
a little detergent to loosen the feathers, so hungry people would need
lots of soap to clean the dead birds. The bottom line: The frustrated
Senator Ruth’s plan to feed the hungry with goose just doesn’t cook it.
Another Canadian Senator, Art Eggleton<http://senatorarteggleton.ca/Home.aspx>,
has produced an issues and options
paper<http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/2/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/soci-e/rep-e/repfinaljun08-e.pdf>that
sets out more realistic options to ensure that poor and hunger people
have the income they need to afford a healthy and nutritious diet.



-       Michael



***



*Michael Shapcott** **| Director, Affordable Housing and Social Innovation |
** **Wellesley Institute** *

45 Charles St E, Suite 101                    Tel: 416.972.1010 ext 231
Toronto, ON, Canada,  M4Y 1S2           Mobile: 416.605.8316
E-mail:   michael at wellesleyinstitute.com<http://aerin@wellesleyinstitute.com>



www.wellesleyinstitute.com

rigorous research. pragmatic policy solutions. social innovation. community
action.


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-- 
Terrie ( mocharebyl at gmail.com )
“If you see an injustice being committed, you aren't an observer, you are a
participant.” June Callwood
Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and
renders the present inaccessible.  Maya Angelou
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