Erich,
All good points. This is part of what I had in mind when I began changing my dietary habits years ago. GIGO applies here, but also thermodynamics. The more unusable junk we eat, the more taxed our bodies are at having to deal with it. Of course, this applies to the quality of our water and air, not just the soil in which our food is grown. Don’t know whether anyone has done studies, but it would be interesting to see the net energy plus or minus for someone eating a whole foods diet versus someone whose diet is mostly junk — and I mean studying not just impacts on air/water/soil but also the subject’s quality of health and life. The closer we can get to basics, I believe, the better off we are all around. Not to mention, most of the stuff that sends people into the healthcare system can be prevented.