The Perfect Balance
This last page will be devoted to a quick recap of the information presented previously by tying it all together with the Big Mac.
The Big Mac
The efficiency and economies of scale produced through conventional agricultural practices are nothing short of astounding. Starting in the fields and feedlots of America, conventional agriculture can produce a Big Mac – all 700 calories of it – for an incredibly low $3.391. However, as mentioned, this price can be very deceiving. It does not take into account the environmental and social damage that is associated with conventional methods. It’s difficult to estimate how much a Big Mac would cost with all of these factors accounted for, but one study figured it to be $2002.
An organic Big Mac was a bit harder to price – mostly because they don’t make them. However, a trip to the grocery store with a recipe found online3 and some rough math allowed for a rougher estimate – about $5-6. It is difficult to also to say whether this is an accurate price with all of the environmental and social problems accounted for, considering the wide range in organic methods. But, let’s assume a truly organic burger is double or even triple this price. That is still much less than the conventional with all of its problems accounted for.
But, $10 is expensive in comparison with $3.39. Are we willing to pay it? Can we pay it? Is there any point in paying it? These are questions each individual must ask on their own.
Concluding remarks
The UVa Bay Game is a major undertaking in helping to demonstrate all of the interconnected aspects that influence the Bay – economic, social, and environmental – and what the Bay itself influences. It is difficult to walk away from playing it and not gaining some insight into this. However, before beginning actual game play, the player will be asked to describe what they feel is most important to them. They will be asked to weigh the importance of these aspects, creating a personal life balance score. Supposedly, the player’s actions in the game will then reflect this original choice. After each round, the player will be given a score that tells them how close they are in meeting their own personal life score.
Certainly, each player will come into the game with a general idea of what they think is important to them. However, after playing a few rounds, the player might come to a realization that how they are playing does not match up with what they stated is important to them. For example, a player might rate the environment as very important in their decision making. But, after playing, they may come to the realization that all of their decisions have been based on how much money they will be making in the next round. This can be a ‘eureka’ moment for many people. They will then have the choice of admitting that their stated values are not their truly held values or they can try to change their behavior to match their stated values.
But this goes beyond the game and its simulated life choices. The game could be viewed as a tool for helping people realize their values and then applying what they discover to their actual lives. These pages are a supplement to this by providing information and a closer look on the consequences of some of our choices. Perhaps they will reinforce long-held beliefs or show something new that will help people locate their real values and beliefs on certain issues.
These pages contain a lot of information on the repercussions of the two different ‘styles’ of farming. Much of it is not that in-depth, but it is broad and covers numerous facets so that the reader may get a decent idea of the scope of those repercussions. All of it is sourced and, if the reader so chooses, the sources will provide a good start to more in-depth research.