Quote:
Originally Posted by CandleInTheDark
While I can agree that North American's consume too much meat, and that many methods of animal husbandry are environmentally devastating, I certainly am not going to fall for the idea that it is easy, healthy, or more environmentally friendly to be a vegetarian.
The richness needed in a vegetarian diet is not natural. It cannot be maintained without fossil fuels, mass exchanges of agricultural products, the importation of foreign species, and the modification of traditional food cultures.
Humans are omnivores evolved to consume seasonally limited plant food (seeds, nuts, tubers, and fruit ... not grains), augmented by the consumption of animal flesh to provide nutrients essential to our development. Excessive meat consumption is not natural because hunting is energy and time intensive -- though the nutritional rewards are high -- so we have no evolved to consume the level of meat we do.
|
I don't disagree. Industrial farming is the problem.
I don't ascribe to the "you must eat locally" idea either. In some cases, the imported food is less environmentally damaging.
Like many in this thread, you seem to be focusing on turning vegetarian rather than simply having one meatless day a week.
Is it really that hard to do? No.
Quote:
|
Do what you want. Leave me alone.
|
This form of selfish thinking is both the strength and weakness of America (and, by and large, Western thinking). It's a fine philosophy when what you are doing does not impact on others... but let's face it, we are an interrelated economy. What you do *does* have an effect on others.