Jenny Splitter joins Alex and Emma to talk about her personal experience visiting a feedlot. She was surprised to find that the conditions at Tiffany Cattle in Herington, Kansas were very different from what she was expecting. In our conversation, we talk about animal welfare, environmental efficiencies, and trends in meat consumption. Jenny also tells us about a values-driven exchange she had with her rabbi on organic farming. It left us thinking about how to have productive discussions with people you care about but disagree with.
Jenny Splitter is a science journalist whose work has focused on the intersection of food, technology, and consumer health. She’s also one of the “Science Moms,” a group of moms with a blog, a podcast, and a lot of expertise on the health and nutrition impacts of consumer products. She’s been published in Slate, The Washington Post, Salon, The Outline, and, very recently, the Breakthrough Journal.
Find a full transcript of the interview here.
Mentioned in this episode:
Why do people reject good science? An explainer video on better science communication with Eugenie Scott, here.
The "natural upscale" lifestyle — farmers' markets, grass-fed steaks, and organic oranges — doesn't have a small environmental footprint. So how can we both enjoy and preserve nature? An essay by Emma Marris, here.
Declining beef consumption, rising chicken consumption. What's driving these changes? Jayson Lusk explains, here.
