Uh, wow. I think I might become vegan.

by marmot 29 Replies latest social current

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  Vidiot

  marmot - "...everyone's being misinformed about the major issue driving climate change, species extinction and habitat destruction."

  Probably because in the present day, species extinction and habitat destruction are a lot harder to dismiss as purely "natural phenomena", 'cause we - as a species - do that shit extremely well...

  ...i.e., if those are the biggest contributors to rapid, unsustainable climate change, then it really is humanity's fault.

  And a lot of people have real trouble acknowledging that... they, in fact, bend over backwards trying to avoid acknowledging that particular "inconvenient truth".
• 

  SecretSlaveClass

  My wife and I are both hunters/fisherpeople and between our seasonal tags we get to fill our freezers every year with meat to last us almost 9 months. I only eat free range meat when not eating venison and even then red meat twice a week maximum. Most of my protein is from free range eggs.

  Before I concern myself with what industrialized farming is doing, I would concern myself more with not breeding more than two kids per household (this is purely my opinion). Less population = fewer resource consumption, period. So my biggest contribution so far is a vasectomy. I think how much I saved this planet in resources by choosing NOT to have kids and although it's not enough, it certainly is more than than a dietary adjustment.
• 

  marmot

  The population growth argument is shaky, it's more of a livestock population growth problem.

  7 billion people

  70 billion cattle

  Who needs more food and water and uses more land?
• 

  Village Idiot

  SecretSlaveClass, having two children per household is not going to reduce our population. Having one child will. Resources will continue to be depleted at the same present rate with two children per couple.

  What is needed, as I previously mentioned, is a complete restructuring of our civilization and that won't happen unless the current one collapses.
• 

  talesin

  Marmot - let's fuggetabout "Greenpeace'. It's become a behemoth, and anyone who is really 'into' activism knows that about 90% of their dollars goes into advertising. They sold out a long time ago.

  Most activists WILL tell you to try and observe the "100-mile diet" and eat meat that is raised on a small, local farm vs a factory farm. That, as well as having solar cells for energy.

  Also, I think it's about 70% of the water that's used by the manufacturing process - so the recommendation is to avoid conspicuous consumerism - such as - use things until they wear out. Do you really NEED a new (fill in the blank), or are you buying the new one because if 'feels good'?
  
  Yes, the mainstream focuses on fossil fuels, but there is much more to it.

  xx

  Oh, the food shortage? AHAHAHAHAHA! If we actually ATE the food that is thrown out by grocery food chains, the world would be fed. FACT.
• 

  redvip2000

  I admire people who are vegetarian or vegan. To me it shows a certain level of intellectual evolution. By the way, i'm not a vegan or vegetarian (take that as you wish). ;)

  I work in the animal health industry and i'm generally conflicted by this issue. If you have ever been to a feedlot or a slaughter processing plant, you know exactly how inhumane the entire process is. Yet, I do feel that as humans we have the right to feed on other animals - maybe not this way, but it is organic for us, just as it is for other animals who are omnivorous.

  I think at the very minimum, if you don't want to give up meat (and i admit i don't...yet), then you should make the effort to buy grass fed meat. Yes it's a little more expensive but it's better quality and it does not put a strain on the environment like the the meat factories that the OP is referring to. In fact, cattle that grazes naturally is actually beneficial for the environment.
  
• 

  SecretSlaveClass

  Marmot:

  I wasnt strictly referring to meat consumption in relation to population. I was referring to consumption in general. Still, if it worn't for our population explosion there would be no need for such a scale of mass production of meat, cars, housing, farming- you name it - anyway, but because suppliers don't want to be "short" on consumer demands they more often than not produce more than what is needed. And humans generally want more than what they actually need.

  VI:

  I completely agree, one child would be preferable but I can't forsee that anywhere globally in the near future. People still tend to think in terms of "If I can't see it or feel it then it may not actually be true", or their culture, bilogical drive or ideologies override the logical benefits of having fewer kids.

  As far as restructuring goes I also completely agree. At least some of us see that as obvious. Right now we do our best to buy co-op or co-grow/share our veggies, fruit and herbs with our neighbors which as far as I'm concerned right now, is the best the wife and I can do until that restructuring revolution happens.
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  marmot

  I thought the same thing about grass-fed beef, but the truth is that it's even worse for the environment than factory-farmed meat. Perhaps better for the animal's well-being (until we kill them, that is) but a grass-fed cow takes 8 more months of feeding, watering, and methane and nitrous oxide emissions before slaughter compared to a factory-farmed cow.

  Not to mention that the land required to meet the demand just doesn't exist.
• 

  redvip2000

  What is needed, as I previously mentioned, is a complete restructuring of our civilization and that won't happen unless the current one collapses.

  Sadly, this is true. Sometimes i scoff when i hear the conspiracy theories about the government planning to collapse our society and effect mass executions and planned de-population.

  
  We might be laughing at that now, but I wonder if in the near future, power groups will begin to consider that as a real solution to this problem. It's pretty obvious that trying to educate people on everybody's responsibility towards the future of our specie is simply not going to work. A huge portion of our population is made up of complete shitheads who are so in-tune with their own needs, that they don't see anything else.
• 

  Vidiot

  "...no more people, no more problem..."