Reasons Why the Recent Chick-fil-A Controversy is Bad for Our Environment

by Samantha Gray

With problems like global warming, rising oceans and more plaguing our planet, it baffles my mind that people are wasting their time and energy worrying about the beliefs and values of a fast food restaurant owner. How is that relevant to our immediate or long-term existence? From what I can see it’s not. What’s more is the whole thing has done more harm than good to the earth as a whole. Read on to learn just some of the ways this whole situation has negatively impacted our environment.

Distracting from Bigger Problems

My biggest issue with this whole thing has been the fact that so much media coverage has centered around it. You couldn’t turn on a radio, watch the news or visit a webpage without learning a new “development” in this chicken sandwich saga. Never mind that there were other news stories breaking, or advancements being made in other realms, no our nation wanted to hear about its precious chicken.

Think of how different our world might be if people invested that same fervor and outrage into controversies surrounding deforestation or oil fracking—you know, issues that have a direct impact on EVERYBODY’S collective future. Now, I’m not saying the issues of equality aren’t important, and I definitely don’t share the views of Chick-fil-A’s leaders. What I’m attacking is the media frenzy that swept the nation. Does it really take a tray of fried foods to get us going?

The fight for equality shouldn’t have needed a fast food chain to get the ball rolling, but thus is our society’s reality. Which brings me to my next point.

Setting a Bad Example

Whether you’re conservative or liberal, gay or straight, this whole thing has done nothing but set a bad example for our younger generations. For those with parents or guardians on the right, they have most likely shoved inordinate amounts of waffle fries in their mouths over the past few days, as their mothers and fathers rushed through drive-thrus in support of “traditional values.” Really?! Spending $20 on a handful of chicken sandwiches for dinner represents traditional values? I thought tradition was a home-cooked meal, derived from wholesome, natural ingredients—not processed mush. Talk about hypocritical. All they are really doing is supporting the huge wave of wasteful consumerism that has overtaken our country.

And sure, those of you on the other side of the fence might have refrained from the battered fare for the time being, but you were obviously hooked on it enough to make a big stink about this in the first place. So again, what kind of example is any of this setting? That our nutrient-deficient food chains also double as policy-makers? That doesn’t seem healthy to me. A fast food chain—or any chain for that matter—should never have that much power or control over a society.

The best thing we could do for them at this time would be to remove them from the whole thing and redirect their values, because right now we are raising a bunch of drive-thru delinquents who will be in God knows what shape in 20 years.

Drive-Thru Emissions and Mass Production

While the previous two reasons were more abstract consequences of the whole scandal, this one is definitely more concrete and direct. By increasing the coverage and glorification of this company, we have only indirectly fueled their business, which in turn means more cars idling in drive-thru lanes, more trips to and from the restaurant and an increased demand for mass-produced “food.” All of these things are direct sources of harmful pollutants, meaning that our emissions have more than likely skyrocketed in the last month. Would you like a big-ole-helping of smog with that order? You got it.

Fueling discussion amongst everyone from college students to senior citizens, this whole situation is the perfect example of how our nation’s priorities as a whole are so out of whack. This is not where our focus should lie. So, until we recognize and rectify that, we have bigger problems on our hands.

Samantha Gray freelances for various websites and publications, and her writing often focuses on providing information via BachelorsDegreeOnline.com. She also enjoys writing poetry and short fiction. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to samanthagray024@gmail.com.