In Defense of Alain Badiou

In lieu of an abstract, here are the article\u27s first two paragraphs: In Issue 107, Philosophy Now published James Alexander’s ‘A Refutation of Snails by Roast Beef\u27, an article decrying con temporary French philosopher Alain Badiou (b.l937). Alexander’s jumping-off point was Roger Scruton’s unfavorable review of Badiou’s The Adventure of French Philosophy (2012). He acknowledges that Scruton “obviously dislikes everything Badiou stands for” but takes Scruton to task for being too polite; he writes that “Badiou deserves derision.” A few sentences later, he claims that “a lot of Badiou is rubbish. There is nothing to Badiou be done with it except laugh.” Not even Badiou’s students escape Alexander’s comments: he scoffs that instead of taking notes in Badiou’s lectures, surely the students “just stand and cheer.” Although I might get much enjoyment from indulging in a similarly dismissive attitude toward Alexander’s largely ad hominem attacks against Badiou, I have chosen a different path in defending him. I honor the dialectical process of Socrates’ philosophical approach; therefore I offer a counterargument to expose the inaccuracy of Alexander’s underestimation of Badiou. I will not advance uninformed opinions based on insufficient familiarity (Alexander confesses a lack of knowledge of Badiou’s oeuvre). Instead, I offer a perspective based on an engagement with and a deep reverence for Badiou’s philosophy

An Investigation of the Kinetics and Equilibrium Chemistry of Cold-Brew Coffee: Caffeine and Chlorogenic Acid Concentrations as a Function of Roasting Temperature and Grind Size

Abstract: Recently, both small and large commercial coffee brewers have begun offering cold-brew coffee drinks to customers with the claims that these cold-water extracts contain fewer bitter acids due to brewing conditions (Toddy website, 2016) while still retaining the flavor profile. Dunkin Donuts’ website suggests that the cold-water and long brewing times allow the coffee to reach “... its purest form.” With very little research existent on the chemistry of cold brew coffee consumers are left to the marketing strategies of Starbucks and other companies regarding the contents of cold-brew coffee. This research analyzes the caffeine and chlorogenic acid (3-CGA) content of cold-brew coffee as a function of brewing time, grind size, and roasting temperature of coffee beans sourced from the Kona region of Hawaii using high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Coarse and medium grinds of both dark and medium roasts were analyzed by mixing 350mL of filtered water with 35g of coffee grinds under constant stirring at 20°C. Sampling was performed every 15 minutes for the first hour, then every 30 minutes for the next ten to twelve hours, with a final sample being drawn at 24hours. Equilibrium concentrations for both 3-CGA and caffeine were reached following 600 minutes. The caffeine concentrations ranged from 935mg/L to 1475mg/L. Variation was seen as a function of roasting temperature, and less so grind size. The 3-CGA concentrations were found to range from 345mg/L to 547mg/L. In both cases, the medium roast coarse grind coffee produced the highest concentrations of caffeine and 3-CGA while dark roast coarse grind produced the lowest concentrations of caffeine and 3-CGA. Hot brew experiments agreed well with caffeine and 3-CGA extraction concentrations in both dark roast coffees, showing very similar final concentrations. The medium roast coffees showed deviation from the hot brew coffees with respect to caffeine, indicating the need for additional experimentation to determine the role of water temperature in the availability of caffeine during extraction

Energy embodied in household cookery: the missing part of a sustainable food system? Part 1: A method to survey and calculate representative recipes

This paper firstly reviews the current state of knowledge on sustainable cookery and the environmental impacts of the food consumption phase. It then uses the example of a dish of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding to explore energy use in food production and consumption. Part 1 of this paper conducts a meta-analysis of 33 roast beef and Yorkshire pudding recipes in order to create a representative recipe for analysis. Part 2 of this paper then uses life cycle assessment and energy use data is coupled with the representative recipe of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, to calculate the embodied energy of the meal. Seven interventions are modelled to illustrate how sustainable cookery can play a role as part of a sustainable food system. Interventions show that sustainable cookery has the potential to reduce cookery related energy use by 18%, and integrating sustainable cookery within a sustainable food system has the potential to reduce the total energy use by 55%. Finally, the paper discusses the issue of how the adoption of the sustainable cookery agenda may help or hinder attempts to shift consumers towards sustainable diets

Cooking for Ohio Families

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The State of Sustainable Coffee: A Study of Twelve Major Markets

The State of Sustainable Coffee provides the first comprehensive overview of the market conditions facing, organic, fair trade and shade grown or eco-friendly coffees (termed 'sustainable' coffees). It offers an understanding of the history and market development of the most popular certifications for sustainability: organic and fairtrade. It further outlines the volumes, trends, distribution channels, major players, and price premiums in 12 nations across Europe and Japan, as a companion to an earlier North American report. While some common parallels exist, such as the priority for consistency and quality standards, the substantial inter-market differences emphasize the need to approach each country and sometimes each distribution channel with an appreciation for its unique distinctions. Overall, the striking emergence and growth of sustainable coffees has catapulted them quickly from a small niche industry to become a significant part of the mainstream market. Their growth has consistently eclipsed the growth rate of conventional coffee for more than a decade. As a result of their strict environmental and social standards, improved governance structures, better farm management, and price premiums, these sustainability initiatives are facilitating not only rural development but also agricultural trade competitiveness for developing nations. In agriculture, it is the coffee sector that has arguably developed the most advanced experience with certified organic, fair trade, and eco-friendly products that are now shipped from more than half of the coffee exporting nations. A number of other goods ranging from commodities such as tea and sugar to meats, fruits and vegetables are following the coffee sector's innovative sustainability models. Although these sustainably produced products are not a panacea, they offer one of the few bright spots in developing country agricultural trade and provide considerable direct benefits to the more than one million coffee producing families that participate

Willingness-to-pay in terms of price: an application to organic beef during and after the “mad cow” crisis

This paper aims at assessing consumers’ attitudes and willingness to pay for organic beef, an obvious alternative to regular beef in terms of safety, both immediately and at a longer term after the BSE crisis. It is based on two random telephone surveys in an Italian region, the first one conducted in 2001 (few months after the BSE crisis) and the second one in 2003. The analysis is based on an innovative methodology of contingent valuation, keeping into account the possibility for consumers to decide the quantity of their purchase when a price is proposed. The results show that though the effect of the BSE crisis weakened along with time distance, it left some permanent signs in consumers’ behaviour. The main conclusion is that the demand for organic beef reduced, but that in the meantime it became more inelastic.BSE, organic beef, willingness to pay, contingent valuation