Thursday, November 16, 2006

Supermarket Ethics

My ridiculous conundrum of the day (so far):

When purchasing eggs at the supermarket, which of these is a more responsible purchase?

1) Cage-free organic eggs sold in a plastic carton.

2) Regular eggs sold in cardboard.

It isn't easy being green. Or trying guiltily to be greenish when I remember to be.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thats easy....buy a chicken!

A friend of mine did that once. Two dozen little chicks arrived in the mail just as they were begininng to hatch. With the purchase of chickens you get free fresh eggs and free fertilizer for the garden. What could be more eco friendly?

Marie Javins said...

But what about all the stray cats!? The horror!

Anonymous said...

My answer is the regular eggs in cardboard. Three people on my street raise chickens. In the early days they were cage free, until the neighborhood dogs, foxes, fisher cats and cars took their toll. My own resultant opinion is that chickens are meant to be cased, or fed to (not IN, TO) the wild.

Marie Javins said...

Hey Marcus-Do you live near the GoNOMAD coffee shop?

I don't think they have chickens but I was just wondering.

Marie Javins said...

Anyway, HB, I can't have chickens because I don't have anywhere for myself to live, much less my feathered friends.

My back-up plan semi-fell through today, when a pal extricated himself from a marriage-type situation. He'll be taking up residence in my sure-thing Plan A digs. So I need a Plan B.

Hell. What's Plan B? Am I back to living in an RV in the park? I'm going to end up at Candlewood Suites for $3000 a month, aren't I? Doesn't seem like the best idea I've ever had...

Anonymous said...

Hmmm. Degradation of the planet versus animals wedged in cages until their limbs grow crooked, fighting until someone lops off their beaks and laughs down the festering stumps?

The only solution is a better supermarket, Marie. Or HB's chicken plan.

Think how that'll boost your house guest cache. Howdy! I'm coming to stay for a month. Just think: A WHOLE MONTH OF GUILT-FREE SCRAMBLES!

Pville Peg said...

You can have my porta-potty for your JC garage. Make Henry sleep on the street.
Hey, I know a great apartment-above-a-garage in the beautiful mountains of Virginia.
Regarding eggs, I'm told that while the organic label might mean something (maybe/maybe not), cage-free doesn't mean much, because all they have to do to call the hens cage-free is open the cage doors after the hens are grown up and accustomed to living in the cage. The hens don't take advantage of the open door, because by then they are used to the cage, and fear going through the door.

Marie Javins said...

The problem with the great apartment above a garage is that pesky 9-5 gig that is happening in NYC for the month of January. Troublesome...

If I could get a bed-and-breakfast, someone else could worry about buying the eggs.

Marie Javins said...

"The hens don't take advantage of the open door, because by then they are used to the cage, and fear going through the door."

That's kind of like people. Aunt Peggy the Philospher!

Anonymous said...

It's funny how the consumer is able to force producers of animal products to include statements about the wellfare of these animals, while I still have to see the first laptop sporting a label that no humans were harmed for it's creation. Considering the wide range of ores and oils that go into these things, chances are slim.

Marie Javins said...

Speaking of laptops, does anyone know what I am supposed to do with my ancient Powerbook Duo 230? Still works, but I think I bought it in 1992, so it's extremely useless. You could write Word docs on it, but you have to take the info off by floppy or by something connected by SCSI.