Donna, Because of research on messaging, we stopped using the term "global warming" a few years ago and now refer to "climate change". We now use "clean energy" because it tests better than"renewable energy". Is their research to back up this claim? I also grew up on a "family farm" and think that "factory farm" is a great phrase until I see research that says otherwise. Thanks, Mike On Thu, Aug 18, 2011 at 1:44 PM, Donna Buell <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Tom, > > My basketball coach used to say, "There's no point in beating your head on > the same post over and over again." > > Surely it's obvious that the "good guys" have done a surprisingly poor job > of convincing the general public that CAFOs are a public health and > environmental concern. Maybe we should stop and wonder why? > > Have you ever seen Newt Gingrich's list of words to use in > Republican-speak? Words meant to invoke gut reactions. "Farm" is a > positive word, it invokes a pastoral picture of green grass and dairy cows > and Grant Wood pictures. That's why Farm Bureau uses it. > > I take it at face value that you believe "farm" and "factory farm" have > different meanings. Logically yes, but nobody is talking logic. And we're > not convincing the critical mass that there's an issue at hand. > > So, if we're talking about influencing opinions, if we're talking about > people who don't live and breathe this stuff, then we need to reach their > emotions. The right emotions. As someone who grew up on a farm, you are > asking me to hear the word "farm" and think bad things. My head says "yes". > My heart says "You Go to Hell." > > So let's call these horrors "animal factories" as that is a far more > accurate visual connotation anyway. We can use emotions to our advantage > too, just as the "bad guys" do. > > Donna > > > > > > On Aug 18, 2011, at 12:39 PM, Thomas Mathews wrote: > > Peter Singer used the term "factory farm" in his book Animal Liberation > back in the mid-1970's. I think the term was in use even before that. It's > been part of the language for a very long time now, and it's used not by > CAFO supporters and operators, but by OPPONENTS of concentrated animal > feeding operations. > > "Farm" and "factory farm" indeed have two different meanings. Yes the Farm > Bureau calls CAFOs "farms," in a dishonest attempt to make us believe they > are red-barn family farms, just like in the 1950s. But the Farm Bureau > never uses the term "factory farm", because that has all the bad > connotations of animal cruelty and environmental devastation, along with the > destruction of true family farms. > > I don't think therefore that the term "factory farm" is about to be > abandoned by opponents of CAFOs. Because the good guys use the term against > the bad guys. > > Tom > > In a message dated 8/18/2011 11:17:01 A.M. Central Daylight Time, > [log in to unmask] writes: > > PS: Whoever is using the term "factory farm" needs to stop it NOW. I grew > up on a farm and the word has very special -- and very emotional -- meaning. > That's why Big Ag uses it against us. These are animal factories for sure. > Cruel and unusual absolutely. But emotional buzz words are the mantra of > Big Ag -- and we walk right into their trap when we use "farms" in our > communications. > > Donna > > > > On Aug 18, 2011, at 11:11 AM, Donna Buell wrote: > > The national nonprofit Environmental Integrity Group has joined the Iowa > Chapter of Sierra Club and Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement to begin > legal action they hope will strip the Iowa Department of Natural Resources > of its power to enforce federal water quality rules. > > > http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2011/08/18/environmental-groups-sue-epa-move-to-take-water-quality-authority-from-iowa-dnr/ > > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To > unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: > [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv > Lists support site for more information: > http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club > Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. 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Subscribe and view recent editions at > http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/ > -- Mike Carberry 319-594-6453 [log in to unmask] Please consider the environment before printing this email. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/