Chopsticks

Imagine this. You’re at Panda Express, and you just got your food. You go to the end of the line and you’re faced with a decision. Should you eat your food with chopsticks, or Western utensils?

To put it simply, chopsticks are better. They are far more convenient in every shape way and form. A single pair of chopsticks can perform the functions of many different western utensils. They can be used as a spoon, fork, and even as a knife, provided that you know how to. When used instead of a fork, it works much more efficiently; you can pick up more, when picking up meat you don’t release the delicious juices, and if you’re a picky eater, you can pick out all of the foods that you like. Using it instead of a spoon, you can simply drink the soup out of the bowl by using the chopsticks like a funnel. You can also use chopsticks to cut soft meat, just like a knife. So you see, chopsticks serve the same functions as Western utensils, except all in one neat little package.

That neat little package also comes with a wonderful self-image. Using chopsticks gives the impression to others that you are appreciative of other cultures, open-minded, and also very dexterous. It takes some practice and skill to eat with chopsticks, making it an impressive feat if you are able to. Chopsticks also have a bright aura about them. They were invented almost 2500 years ago. And being made of wood, they have a natural, earthly feel to them. Forks, on the other hand, are metallic and shaped like pitchforks, both giving a corrupt, hellish, manmade cloud about them.

If all of the positives of using chopsticks are not enough to deter you from using Western cutlery, then hopefully the negatives of using metallic utensils will suffice, such as the destruction of the environment due to the use and production of forks, spoons, and knives.

Plastic is one of the most environmentally destructive man-made materials on the planet. It takes thousands of years to decompose, and both the manufacturing and recycling processes of plastic billow deadly toxins into the air. In one year, approximately one hundred and eighty five million, eight hundred and seventy four thousand six hundred and eighty one pounds of plastic are used to make disposable forks, spoons, and knives in America alone. That’s fifteen million pounds a month, two hundred and ninety seven pounds in a week, eight hundred and sixteen pounds in a day; and its about to get worse. Because the plastic takes over seven hundred years to decompose, those pounds really begin to add up. If the production of plastic forks, spoons, and knives continue at this same rate, we will be buried under a mountain of nearly 2 billion pounds of plastic in a matter of 10 years. Granted, the production of chopsticks requires cutting down trees and bamboo plants, but that is only a minor problem compared to the plastic utensils. The wood from chopsticks is easily decomposed, and bamboo chopsticks are durable enough to last hundreds of uses.

Taking plastic utensils out of consideration, Western eating-tools are still harmful to the environment. If you’ve ever been to an expensive American restaurant, I’m sure you’ve received a plethora of utensils: two to four forks, a knife, and two spoons. On the other hand, Asian restaurants will commonly only offer one pair of chopsticks for the entire meal. The amount of water, energy, and manpower needed to wash an American restaurant’s dishes are at least twice the amount as an Asian restaurant!

These steel forks, spoons, and knives have even more harmful affects on the environment. The steel smelting plants and utensil manufacturing plants needed to make them both cough up innumerable amounts of toxins into the air, polluting the atmosphere heavily, causing untold amounts of permanent damage to all life forms on earth. Clearly, Western Utensils are harmful to the planet in almost every way, shape and form.

So when you get to the end of that line at Panda Express, choose the environmentally friendly, convenient, better option: chopsticks.

-Byron Walker

2 Responses to “Chopsticks”

1. Daniel Kwon says:

   March 1, 2010 at 7:15 am

   Amen Brutha
2. shaunlichti says:

   March 5, 2010 at 8:23 pm

   You should def teach an elective on how to use chopsticks properly for all us Westerners byron