Energy Efficiency of Eating Dolphins
The recent articles on the Taiji dolphin hunt have generated a tremendous amount of discussion in the Japan Probe comments section. Many comments were well constructed and presented, while many were, well… not. One facet of the argument that I didn’t see come up (forgive me if you raised this point and I just missed it) is the energy efficiency (or rather lack there of) in eating top level predators, such as dolphins (or tuna for that matter).
Energy transfer between trophic levels is inefficient, about 10%. Thus, an herbivore only receives about 10% of the total energy captured by the plants it consumes. While determining a trophic level for any particular animal is not straightforward because of a varied diet, worldwide estimates for the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus (the same species hunted in Taiji), place it at a level of between 4 and 5, probably closer to 4, which is equivalent to that of tuna, bonito, and other open-ocean large pelagic fish. This means if phytoplankton captured 100 units of net energy from the sun, by the time that energy is passed through two additional levels of animal and ultimately a dolphin on the way to your dinner plate, that you eat only 0.1 units.
However in theory, an herbivore, such a cow, provides 10 units of energy. In reality, the equation is not so simple, though. Just as physicists must invoke the hypothetical “frictionless surface” when explaining Newton’s First Law, I must invoke the hypothetical “free-range cow” because I am completely ignoring the energy and water costs of commercially raising cattle (not to mention the climate effects of bovine flatulence).
So, while in my honest, meat-eating opinion, many arguments against eating animal products made by some vegans are borderline silly, I have to agree with those that advocate, from the emotionally-detached perspective of efficiency and sustainable agriculture, eating primarily (though not entirely) corn, wheat, and rice. Having said that however, I sill plan to visit Fire House this weekend for what I consider the best bacon cheeseburger in Tokyo.
A side note on mercury in dolphins
A number of dolphin photo identification projects are ongoing in Florida, the oldest of which was started by Randy Wells in Sarasota Bay during the 1970s. By the late 1990s, it became clear that the mortality rate for first-born calves was unexpectedly high. The working hypothesis states that the transfer of bioaccumulated toxins and heavy metals from mother to calf is responsible for the high mortality rate. This seems to serve essentially as a “detox dump” for the mother, with deadly effects for the calf. Interestingly though, it is thought that this ultimately increases the longevity of female dolphins, allowing them to bear a larger number of offspring. Mortality rates for subsequently born calves is not unusually high.
Contributor Bio: Steve has been splitting time between the US and Japan for the past 10 years or so and is now a post doctorate fellow at a large, lumbering University in Tokyo, where he gets paid to play with dirt.
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Categories: General Japan
Japanese Curry King
Fast food chain Sukiya has jumped on the “mega” size food bandwagon with its new Curry King dish:
A 3X increase in rice and a 4X increase in curry. It will provide you with 2122 calories, the equivalent of 8.5 hamburgers or 13 onigiris. At 890 yen, it’s a pretty good deal.
According to an expert, fast food chains love adding “mega” items to their menu because it saves them the trouble of investing a lot of money in developing new dishes.
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Categories: Japanese Food
Weight loss tips from Japan
Two interesting diet advice books from Japan for all of you out there that want to slim down this summer:
First we have Sayonara, Mr. Fatty,
In this uplifting memoir, famous Japanese pop culture “King of the Geeks” Toshio Okada tells of the diet and lifestyle changes he made in his fight against obesity, and how his public perception dramatically improved as a result of his healthier appearance.
Okada lost 110lbs in one year, without the use of funky dieting techniques or exercises, using nothing but a notepad. He recognized that a diet is doomed to fail if it’s unsustainable, and a person cannot continue something they do not enjoy. Examining various diets and exercise regimes—even considering surgery—he concluded that a recording diet would be the most effective method. By succeeding in the recording diet, a person will learn a means of self-control that can be applied to other aspects of life, such as budgeting. Toshio Okada’s diet reflects the six stages of space flight, each stage a little bit closer to the final goal of health and self confidence!
And you might also want to check out So I Need to Lose 15 Pounds
Who hasn’t worried about their weight at one time or another? This book presents an amusing new way to look at dieting. A non-fiction self-help book written in a comic format, it takes the hard issue of dieting techniques and presents them in the humorous style of Japanese “manga.”
Popular diets such as Macrobiotics, based on traditional Japanese cuisine, to way out there diets such as using experimental NASA equipment and hypnosis are tested in a 27 diet challenge. Readers can find motivation to lose weight and helpful information on which diets give the best results while laughing all the way. Written in the manga format from the country that does it best, this is the how-to comic based on one young author’s struggles with weight.
You can get an idea of her amusing illustration style by checking out her blog.
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Categories: Books
Virtual Meats エア焼肉
(screen shot courtesy of CNET)
CNET reports on a new website that allows users to enjoy Japanese yaki-niku 焼肉 (grilled meat) right on their computer. See the original post here.
Now even vegetarians can enjoy the pleasures of yaki-niku. Bon appetit!
Contributor Bio: I am a doctoral student of environmental anthropology currently living and conducting research in a mountain village in Nagano. In my research I explore modernity as it is expressed in a rural mountain community. Specifically I look at national management structures, as well as social discourses, related to forests and probe the impacts these have on local human communities. I have lived and worked in Japan for 5 years. My interests also include Buddhism, literature, music, and mountaineering. Read more at my personal blog: In the Pines.
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Categories: Japanese Food, Technology
