Hidden+Cost

ABBY & VERONICA JEN & PARKE Save Now, Pay Later "The ninety-nine-cent price of a fast-food hamburger simply doesn’t take account of that meal's true cost –– to soil, oil, public health, the public purse, etc., costs which are never charged directly to the consumer but, indirectly and invisibly, to the taxpayer (in the form of subsidies), the health care system (in the form of food-borne illnesses and obesity), and the environment (in the form of pollution), not to mention the welfare of the workers in the feedlot and the slaughterhouse and the welfare of the animals themselves" (Pollan 326).

"...I take him outside and point at his car. 'Sir, you clearly understand quality and are willing to pay for it. Well, food is no different: You get what you pay for.' " (244)

"Salatin's audacious bet is that feeding ourselves from nature need not be a zero-sum proposition, one in which if there is more for us at the end of the season then there must be less for nature-less topsoil, less fertility, less life. He's betting, in other words, on a very different proposition, one that looks an awful lot like the proverbially unattainable free lunch" (127).


 * ABBY AND VERONICA "SAVE NOW, PAY LATER"**

Save Now, Pay Later A 99 cent fast-food hamburger seems like a great deal at the time of purchase, right? However, the real cost of that one hamburger well exceeds its convenient price. "The true cost –– to soil, oil, public health, the public purse, etc. costs which are never charged directly to the consumer but, indirectly and invisibly, to the taxpayer (in the form of **subsidies**), the health care system (in the form of **food-borne illnesses and obesity**), and the environment (in the form of **pollution**) not to mention the welfare of the workers in the feedlot and the slaughterhouse and the welfare of the animals themselves""(Pollan 360).

In fact, during recent years when the percent of income dropped 10.7 percent due to the advances of these conventional foods, the annual cost of healthcare increased more then 900% (Yale Sustainable Food Project). As you consider purchasing your next item from the dollar menu, ask yourself whether the cheap disguise is worth compromising the environment, and your future health. Buy safe treats from local producers, or push Punahou to carry organic foods in the school cafeteria.