bottom line, there are 6 billion people on earth, we gotta eat something and plants only is a step backwards
not true
but just b/c you can't have perfection shouldn't mean you need to ignore a better solution. some vegetarians advocate
not necessarily true
I like meat AND veggies ... you eat only veggies ...
on the right track
edit: Warning, i did not proofread, spellcheck, or make any effort whatsoever to be gramatically correct. And, after glancing at this post im simply to lazy to go back through to proofread ;D*
ive avoided this hijack because most members know my opinions on the subject, but its gotten so interesting i just cant help myself ;D
personally, i dont see it as carnivore vs vegetarian but more about sustainability. personally, im a fairly active moderate left eco-geek but i typically find myself at odds with sterotypical, leftwing, hippie vegetarian types(moliken by no means am i referring to you). As some people have pointed out, agriculture is FAR from being easier on the planet than livestock rearing. Furthermore, agriculture is a much more significant threat to natural ecosytems(i.e, rainforests) due to deforestization and fertilizer in a lot of countries than livestock. Thats not my opinion, its fact. However, there are far more sustainabile, low impact solutions available for agriculture than livestock. Long story short, becoming a vegetarian in most scenarios has very little impacton our bodies or out planet.
From a sustainibility and environmental POV, eating processed non-meat products is very little different than eating meat. Its more fad and image related than anything. Next time your at the grocery store take a look at some of the vegetarian selections(black bean burgers are my favorite). To compensate for lack of taste and to appeal to a broader demographic a LOT of garbage is added including a TON of sodium. That doesnt mean there isnt healthy processed vegetarian options, it just means that a lot arent healthy. Next, most of the things that make vegetables good are no longer present after cooking and processing and a lot of the “good stuff” is fortified and not naturally occuring. Furthermore, the FDA does not require companies to distinguish so when you buy something with cooked carrots and look at the nutritional facts and see beta caroten chances are its added during the processing and not from the carrots directly. In short, to gain the most benefit from consuming fruits and vegetables you need to eat moderate amounts of raw, organic vegetables which lead to another problem. Until consumers are willing to put their money where their mouth is and pay premium prices for organic foods then the planet will continue to pay. Eating vegetables doesnt make anything better. Planting a sustainable organic vegetable garden or purchasing from a local organic vegetable gardener will make a difference. There are right ways to do things and easy ways which are almost always cheaper. Generally, Americans will always choose the cheaper, easier way. Very few people will pay twice the amount of money for an organic apple thats half the size and twice as ugly as its fertilized brother.
A well rounded, moderate diet is healthier than a vegetarian diet. Again, not my opinion, but fact. There are almost 0 people that eat an entirely organic vegetable diet without needing to take some form of vitamin and mineral supplement. Its because its almost impossible to consume everything the body needs in the amount it needs from just vegetables. When you take into effect the seasons and which fruits and vegetables you would require that you could not attain without having them transported halfway across the world and the effect on the planet to transport vegetabls its a pretty dim option. Being a vegetarian, or worse a vegan, is 99% image and human ego and very little more. Also, being a vegetarian and not eating organic is almost an oxymoron IMO. We are omnivores by nature and always have been. Before the industrial age the human diet was influenced by two things: geography and opportunity. There never have been and never will be an absolute. In short, if someone were to only eat organic, non-meat food items that have minimum impact on the environment it would be VERY difficult and VERY expensive. If someone can/does then you have my respect and my admiration and you truly are making a difference.
For the rest of us, moderation is key. Do small things that truly make a difference for your body and your planet. Taking care of our bodies is easy. Cutback on foods that we know our bad. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Eat the correct proportions. Exercise. Its common sense, we all know it. The planet is a little more difficult. Its very hard to move a mountain. Do the little things. Here are some of the little things i do. I drive a hybrid. I maximize my driving by not making individual trips. I recyle. I dont buy or use papertowels ever. I dont use any plastic bags. I use storage containers for food, sons lunch, etc, reuseable at stores and put raw garbage in my can which isnt as bad as you think if you utilize your garbage disposle for organics. When i make home improvements or replace appliances i spend the extra money for efficient models. Replaced all my incandacents bulbs with power compacts. Bought an electric mower and sold all my gas powered tools. I avoid buying individual serving food and drink items and instead buy larger containers and use reuseable containers for portion control. I eat turkey instead of redmeat most of the time. I buy organic when it makes sense for me.
The reality is this. These things do make a difference. There are so many people with uninformed opinions and SO much propaganda from both sides its silly. The truth is somewhere in between. Ill give two common examples of bogus information from both sides. Switching from small two cycle gas engines to electric DOES make a difference even though they still require electricy which may come from buring fossile fuels. Anyone that says the effect of getting the electricy from fossil fuels to charge a battery negates the effect of using electric vs gas is just plain wrong and misinformed. On the other hand, recycling is not always better. There are instances where the CO2 giving off from simply burning garbage for energy is less than the amount of CO2 given off from the recycling process. Recyling should be more about reusing and protecting our natural rescourse(i.e trees) and not for relieving our guilt. Im not perfect. If i was i wouldnt be on this forum becuase i wouldnt be wasting an insane amount of electricty on fish lights and wasting a ridiculous amount of water on RODI. Sometimes i do what i know is wrong out of convience(can anyone say styrofoam take out containers!). It bothers me a lot sometimes, but i cope with it by doing other things and have intentions to make things even better when my finances allow. Everyone, especially parents, needs to do their part. Set an example for the next generation. Make the world a little better. Dont be a cynic and give a million excuses why you think making an effort doesnt matter. Dont be a hippocrit and preach what you dont practice. If everyone found a couple of little things that they could change to lessen the impact on our planet the cumulative effect would be VERY significant. Do something. On a sidenote, ive brought it up before and i know others have been interested, but i personally feel that this club is perfectly situated to organize events and programs that could give back to the planet and community. I know their is a percentae of hobbyists that are D-bags and care very little about the planet, environment, or their own animals but i think most of us do care or we wouldnt be in this hobby. Im not preaching, its not my style, but if i can elighten one person or move one person to change then ive made a difference.
Ok, my PSA is over and I will now accept my award for longest post ever ;D
