I got an email from the International Vegetarian Union which had a link for the movie “Earthlings.”
See http://veg-tv.info/Earthlings
Many people have asked me why I am vegetarian. For anyone who wants to know why, feel free to watch this powerful movie to see for themselves why choosing not to eat animals is a more compassionate choice.
I had the priviledge of meeting Dr. Bekoff at the Bioneers Conference in California. The last session was my favorite. Unfortuately, many of the environmentalists’ sessions at that conference did little to make a connection between consumption of animals and the resulting perilous environmental consequences of such an action. So, it was refreshing to hear a presentation where the speakers really did “get it.”
The following is a recent article by Dr. Bekoff Marc Bekoff (http://literati.net/Bekoff), professor emeritus of Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology at CU, Boulder. His recent books include “The Emotional
Lives of Animals”, the “Encyclopedia of Human-Animal Relationships”,
“Listening to Cougar” (edited with Cara Blessley Lowe) and “Animals Matter”.
ANIMALS LIVES MATTER, SO LET’S STOP EATING THEM NOW
Lessons from Babe and Bubbles
Marc Bekoff
Nonhuman animals (”animals”) have many of the same feelings we do. They
experience contagious joy and the deepest of grief, they get hurt and suffer,
and they take care of one another. They have a point of view on what happens to
them, their families, and their friends. Nonetheless, in innumerable situations
their lives are wantonly and brutally taken in deference to human interests.
The activity that claims the lives of far more individuals than all other venues combined is eating them, and it’s here where each of us can make an effortless and graceful immediate difference.
Some hard to digest facts: If it takes you five minutes to read this essay more
than 250,000 animals will have been slaughtered for food in the United States
alone; that’s about 27 billion a year. Countless others (one million pigs in 2006), called “downers,” will have died on their horrific journey to slaughterhouses, which are easy to find weapons of mass destruction. After their shameful trip to the slaughterhouse it takes less than 30 minutes to turn a cow into a steak, during which time these sentient beings continue to suffer interminably, and they also see, hear, and smell other cows on their way to becoming a burger. One slaughterhouse worker notes of food animals, “They die piece by piece.” In her wonderful essay “Am I Blue?” Alice Walker wrote “As we talked of freedom and justice one day for all, we sat down to steaks. I am eating misery, I thought, as I took the first bite. And spit it out.” My friend who works in the dairy industry told me that when we drink milk “We’re drinking cruelty.”
We not only eat millions of mammals but also billions of birds, fish, and
invertebrates. We know fish feel pain and recent research at Queen’s University
in Belfast, Ireland, shows that lobsters also feel pain. The response of fish and lobsters to painful stimuli resembles that of humans. In a nutshell, fish don’t like being hooked and lobsters really don’t like being dropped into hot water.
There are innumerable things we can do to make the world a better and more
peaceful and compassionate home for all beings. We can protest the abuse of
animals in education, research, circuses, zoos, and rodeos, and we can stop wearing and eating them. We can stop killing animals whose land we stole and
learn to coexist with them. After all, this land is their land too. We can alert kids that their turkey was once a bird, their bacon and sausage was once a pig, and that their hamburger was once a cow. It’s amazing how few children know this and when they discover that they’re eating Babe even without knowing how the animal suffered, they’re often incredulous. Kids know animals aren’t “things”
(http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/hc commentarywilliams1111.artnov11,0,7902632.story).
Naming animals also is a good way to decrease the distance we construct and the alienation that follows when we think of animals as things or numbers, rather
than as individual beings. Recently I heard about a crayfish who went home with
a student after a class in which kids observed the behavior of these fascinating crustaceans (who, like lobsters, feel pain). The woman who told me the story wasn’t sure what to do her new tenant but after the crayfish was named Bubbles it was impossible to think of doing it any harm, including eating it. I’ve heard many stories such as this. We name our companion animals so why not name other animals with whom we have contact.
We’re immersed in an “animal moment” and globally there’s an increasing amount of interest and activism by people who want to make a difference, by people who have had enough of the unthinkable cruelty to which we subject billions of animals a year. Animal nations are made up of individuals who are treated as second-class citizens whose lives are routinely taken as long as they serve human ends. We slaughter, silence, and squelch sentience with little more than a fleeting thought and with reprehensible indignity. While we may not be able to define dignity, we all know when we lose it, and so do the animals.
It’s really easy to make a positive and noble difference in the lives of animals and we can all begin right now. You don’t have to go out and protest or found a movement. You can just stop eating other animals and make an immediate
difference with your next snack or meal. It’s really *that* easy. And, this really isn’t radical activism, is it? Even if you don’t give a hoot about the ethics of eating animals (a frightening thought), since factory farms are notorious for causing irreversible local and wider environmental damage, we can make a huge positive difference by cutting back on carnivory. If you’re an environmentalist it’s impossible to justify eating factory-farmed meat. The facts don’t lie
(http://www.ciwf.org/publications
reportsThe_Global_Benefits_of_Eating_Less_Meat.pdf;
http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/archives/2006/12/would_you_stop.html).
So, it’s pretty straightforward. We must respect and love other animals as our
fellow beings on this planet that we all want to share in peace. We must stop
abusing animals now, not when it’s convenient. No more lame excuses. When we
harm animals we harm and demean ourselves. And, it’s a win-win situation for
all because compassion begets compassion; compassion for animal beings spills
over to compassion for human beings. And, wouldn’t the world be a better place
with more compassion and far less easily avoidable cruelty?
Remember that slogan from the ’80’s? Well, this doesn’t sound like a very “vegetarian-friendly” way to start a blog, but I have to admit that I have some “beef” with beef! Where’s the beef? Well, there are many ways to answer that question. For many people around the world, it is on their plates and on its way to their stomachs…destined to sit for a while rotting in their colon. If we’re talking about beef cattle, well, a lot are in Brazil. I recently read that since 2005, there are more bovines (cows and bulls) in Brazil than women and men (200 million head of cattle that consume four times more water and produce eight times more waste than the entire human population in Brazil). That equates to a lot of beef, which brings me back to the original question: Where’s the beef?? Well, I will tell you where it is NOT: It’s not in the discussions I have heard so far from many environmentalists that have been talking recently about global warming… and that is what I have the “beef” with them about!
I know…if you read the last blog, you will know that I am being redundant–many environmentalists (and if you watched the Live Earth concert, you may have noticed)–did not make much of a fuss about beef, but they should have.
Why? Here’s the simple equation:
Beef=Cows=Deforestation=More CO2=Unhealthy Planet
Let me put it another way:
Meat=Animals=Loss of Resources(land, water, wildlife habitat)=Increase in Pollutants (CO2, Nitrous Oxide, Methane, etc.)=polluted air, water, land destruction, global warming
I just don’t know how to simplify it any more than that. Eating meat is a major factor in the destruction of our planet. If people are eating animal-based products, then people “can’t see the forest for the trees”, and at the rate we are going with eating animals, I won’t even be able to use that expression because we’re destroying the forests because of:
1. cropland for the food for these animals ( the billions of animals being created each year that ultimately wind up on plates and in people’s stomach) and
2. pastureland for the beef!
Check out the Vegetarian Solutions banner, displayed during the Live Earth Concert in Rio, that shows this connection:
http://bp0.blogger.com/_JXvXNsy6Fxo/RpKS7wNJYAI/AAAAAAAAACg/hTep2je-cLw/s1600-h/CIMG0669.JPG
Hopefully, the answer to the question “Where’s the Beef?” will one day be “Not here” and we’ll all be better off for it.
We in the Vegetarian and Animal Rights community have a great opportunity coming our way: a proverbial “bandwagon” is coming soon. All my life I have heard the expressions “jump on the bandwagon” or “climb on the bandwagon.” I imagine a wagon train traveling through the countryside with a band playing and having people jump aboard to show their support for a candidate or for an idea. On 7-7-07, a new kind of “bandwagon” is pulling out of the station for a concert series “Concerts for a Climate in Crisis.” Instead of being a small band of musicians aboard an actual wagon or train, this one will be a virtual tour that spans several continents. Modern technology will make this journey visible and audible on television, radio, and Internet for an estimated 2 billion people worldwide. Instead of just one band on the bandwagon, there will be over 100 musicians and bands playing nine concerts. This concert series is motivated by Al Gore’s award-winning documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” and aims to get international attention on the global warming issue to inspire the onlookers to dance, sing, and ultimately to be onboard to support the message: “S.O.S.–Save Our Selves.” By saving ourselves, we will save our planet. People all over the world will hear the message about what we can do to reduce CO2 emissions that contribute to higher temperatures and environmental damage.
The future of the planet depends on all of us making necessary changes and living as if there is only one planet. Currently, we are living as if there is an infinite number of resources and this way of life is putting all species at risk of not surviving devastating environmental consequences. It’s about time that all humans begin to share the resources among all of earth’s inhabitants. Calling for action to reduce emissions by a certain year is a great step to helping save the planet, but according to the “to do” lists for reducing CO2 emissions, it seems as if many environmentalists are still in the dark, in a “tunnel,” so to say. There are many lists that show what each individual can do to make changes for the sake of our selves and our planet, but many lists have left off a crucial call to action: stop eating animals.
It is important that we, the vegetarian organizations and animal rights advocates, be onboard this party train, but it is even more important that we help steer it in the right direction. We just need to help them make this connection to help them see the light at the end of the tunnel. As the CO2 reduction message is conveyed across continents, all cameras and all eyes will be watching. We who are vegetarian and vegan have already made the connection between eating animals and dire health and environmental consequences. We know that raising animals uses enormous tracts of land for pastureland and crops to grow feed. With billions of animals raised worldwide for human consumption, these animals are encroaching on the earth’s land and are literally “eating up” the earth’s resources. We all know that cutting down forests for crop and pastureland removes the trees that breathe in CO2 and we know that burning the deforested land is contributing to the higher levels of these greenhouse gases. We even know that cows produce methane gas, but many environmental organizations blame these problems on “human activity” without really saying the higher level of these gases are caused by the worldwide habit of eating meat. We vegetarians know that it is possible to thrive without eating meat and medical research confirms that this is a healthier way to live. We know that it is better for our own bodies and that being vegetarian saves billions of animals. We know that being vegetarian and vegan is better for our health, the environment and the animals.
A recent Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations report “Livestock’s long shadow” estimates that “ livestock are responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, a bigger share than that of transport.” Everyone on the planet eats, but not everyone drives. Instead of puttering down the track, only slightly reducing emissions over a long period of time, we can share what we know and help them to go full steam ahead to reach the goal more quickly, efficiently, and effectively.
We can do that by showing that not eating animals is possible and easy. We can help people who want to enjoy a familiar taste of meat by introducing all of the meatless meat substitutes that are more readily available, tasty and affordable than ever before. With so many products on the market, they can have their taste of “meat” and eat it, too, without causing worldwide destruction. By not eating animals, the goal to reduce CO2 can be reached more quickly. The current trend of a meat-based diet is off-track. If changes are not made to adopt a plant-based diet, feeding people on this planet will continue to eat up the world’s resources and by doing so, we are all headed straight for a train wreck. We need to steer the environmental movement so that we can all jump on the bandwagon and be on the right track towards a healthy and sustainable future. By helping bring about this message, we not only help to save the planet, we will save more animals from a lifetime of suffering and ultimately, we will save our selves!!
Watch the video “Global Warming” that has been added under the Blogroll category. This is motivation for a change.
Add to the list of “things to do”: Remove meat and animal products from your diet!
I don’t mean to always be negative and frustrated when I read what activists are out there doing in the world, but I can’t help myself. I just visited several websites listed on the www.stepitup.org site that have lists of what we can do to reduce our CO2 emissions by 80%. Here is one such list:
YOU Can Reduce Global Warming Pollution
1. Use Energy Star recommended compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
2. Insulate and weatherstrip your home.
3. Buy Energy Star recommended appliances or home electronics with the “Energy Star” symbol.
4. Walk, ride a bike, take public transit.
5. Drive your car efficiently.
6. Buy the most fuel-efficient car you can.
7. Join the Global Warming Solutions Campaign.
Policies WE Should Adopt to Reduce Global Warming Pollution
1. Manufacture Cleaner Cars
2. Invest in Renewable Energy
3. Implement Energy Efficiency
4. Reduce Coal Plant Pollution
5. Build High-Speed Rail
6. Fund and Expand Mass Transit
7. Cap Global Warming Pollution
These are wonderful suggestions, but my question is: Why are people NOT including the suggestion to reduce our consumption of meat?! This MUST be part of the list of consumer actions. The report by the FAO (on our news page) outlines how a meat-based diet is contributing more CO2 than transport. I just don’t understand why more environmental groups don’t see this connection. As for the rainforest, didn’t we all learn in elementary school (or at least in middle school) that trees/plants emit oxygen and take in carbon dioxide? So, doesn’t it stand to reason that the massive loss of rainforest is not helping to reduce CO2 levels worldwide?
We all eat and we all can make a difference if we reduce our meat intake.
Let’s look at the big picture:
Eating a vegetarian diet=eating less meat (reducing down to zero meat consumed)
Less meat=less animals raised to be later slaughtered for food
Less animals raised= less land needed, thus saving areas being destroyed for pastureland
Less animals raised=less land used for growing grains to feed the animals
Less food for animals=less pesticides, less petroleum, less water used to grow grain for these animals
Less land for pastures=more trees.
More trees=less C02 in the atmosphere
Less C02 emitted into the atmosphere=less global warming
Less global warming= a sustainable future for our planet.
So, eating a plant-based diet (going vegetarian)=a sustainable future for our planet!
Does this not seem like a quicker, easier way to reach the 80% reduction goal, or am I oversimplifying here?
I am shocked that more groups are not including “Reduce your meat consumption” as one of their top suggestions. If every person were to just reduce a little, we can do a lot to cut our CO2 emissions and make a huge difference.
Just think what reducing meat consumption to ZERO would do for this planet!!
Okay, get ready….there will be a global campaign launched to increase global awareness about the climate crisis. It will be broadcast on all seven continents. This will be broadcast to 2 billion people to start a campaign to solve this climate crisis in mass numbers. My personal goal, as a vegan and environmental activist, is to use my language abilities to communicate this message in Spanish, English and Portuguese.
I feel as if we’re all on the verge of a huge awakening. It’s time.
I have to say that I have been frustrated lately when I have seen that the global crisis message has not adequately linked our consumption of animals with this global crisis. It must be included as part of this global discussion. I am hopeful because we are moving towards a shift in consciousness. Being part of this movement as an individual activist is very exciting. I’ll keep you posted! See http://www.liveearth.org/
I am always encouraged when I find out that something I have done or said has helped people make the change to eat less meat. It’s so much easier now than before, but I still get the question: “Now what do I eat?” There are many people who still find it difficult to give up something and I cannot stress enough the importance of seeking out substitute foods. I was talking with some people the other day who said that the reason that they couldn’t go vegetarian is because of how expensive it is. It was lunchtime and I said, “I’ll show you how to have a completely vegan meal for less than $1.75!” The bet was on….We went to a place nearby called Moe’s and I orded a side of half black beans/half rice. I topped it with the free toppings: tomatoes, cilantro, cucumbers, black olives and then I put the green tomatillo sauce and salsa on the top. It comes with free chips, but I didn’t want them. I got water to drink and the total was $1.63. At Willy’s, I order the same thing and it’s even cheaper (but there, I get pico de gallo and cilantro as my free toppings). The quanity of food is perfectly filling. My friend was so impressed that she ordered the same thing and reported later to me that she took her husband there to show him about this newfound deal. I admit to being healthy and cheap– why pay too much for a good thing? (I’m allergic to wheat, so I don’t order the burrito because I can’t eat the flour tortilla). My intention was to find a convenient place for something vegan, and it was serendipity to find a place that is also affordable. Now there’s no excuse not to seek out healthier options.
I am thrilled to see how many vegetarian restaurants there are in the Atlanta area, but it’s also refreshing to know that it’s getting easier to find vegetarian options at non-vegetarian restaurants. I love having brunch and I recently went to a new restaurant called Power Plant and noticed on their menu that they serve Sunday brunch (just be sure not to park in the lot across from the restaurant without paying for the $3 parking first to avoid getting your tire booted or your car towed). Knowing what to order makes eating meals out easier. Ordering side dishes or being creative with the menu ensures that a vegetarian meal is possible. Although I prefer to support the vegetarian restaurants, it’s not always possible. I have friends who are not vegetarian and, as always, the question of where to eat always comes up when they are with me. It’s nice to know that there are several restaurants around that have vegetarian options. For example, I was recently out with my friend at a mall and we were hungry for lunch. I went to Johnny Rockets. There, any burger can substitute the Boca burger patty, making it possible to have a vegetarian meal at a hamburger place. They even cook the vegetarian burger separately, away from the meat area grill, according to the managers I consulted. I am convinced that being vegetarian is easier now than ever. Being able to order vegetarian food out makes me see how easy life as a vegetarian can be!
Name: Melissa
E-mail: Not specified
The discussion thread posted in response to the January cover story “Forests to Farms” about the destruction of the Amazon rainforest has received attention from Brazil. Quotes from the Vegetarian Solutions discussion thread (http://forums.ngm.com/forums/thread/76241.aspx) appear in an article in the January 31, 2007 edition of the Brazilian newspaper “O Estado de Sao Paulo” in the Environment section. This newspaper is one of the most important in Brazil, similar to the U.S. paper NY Times.
To read the article, (which is in Portuguese), see:
http://txt.estado.com.br/editorias/2007/01/31 ger-1.93.7.20070131.13.1.xml
To summarize, the reporter talks about the National Geographic article and then highlights some of the topics from the discussion threads, making note of how international this discussion is by mentioning the different countries and languages represented.
This emphasizes the importance of speaking out, regardless of language, for the plants, animals and people of these fragile areas to make sure that they have a voice.