Vegetarianism is one of the best things you can do for the enviroment

[james dixon]

The ones who seeded our planet will not visit us until we become Global vegetarians. So clearly it will not be in my lifetime or yours

 

[Tiapan]

If god wanted us to be vegetarian he would have given us a bigger appendix

cheers

 

[Kirran]

If god wanted us to be vegetarian he would have given us a bigger appendix

cheers

I don't even HAVE an appendix and I'm vegetarian :/

 

[Yerda]

Not necessarily. If consuming more grains and veggies and fruits means more food miles, more GMO's in our food production, and more chemicals introduced into our water and soil, then I doubt that would be better for the environment.

That is a fair point. However, all this is occuring under the present system. Food miles are driven by cheap meat production for sale on the global market and all sorts of chemicals are used for all sorts of reasons (industrial pollution related to rearing animals is huge - and just think of the waste). All other things being equal it seems doubtful that eating a meat diet is less harmful for the environment than a simple switch to a vegetarian diet. I would suggets it is much more harmful.

Anyway, it is still a good point. The meat industry isn't the only thing causing environmental damage and it could be changed for the better.

One last thing....I was a former vegetarian for 7 years and a former vegan for 2 years. So I'm fully aware of the ethics and the perspectives of vegetarianism. I've come to a perspective that disagrees. IMO, culling the herd of animals is much healthier for the environment and for our survival than refraining from eating animals who are now free to breed and to compete for the same water, the same land, and the same fruit and nut trees that humans need.

The environment seemed a whole lot more suited to life before we industrialised our farming practices. Also, I don't see us having too hard a time keeping feral cows off farm land.

 

[Yerda]

If god wanted us to be vegetarian he would have given us a bigger appendix

cheers

Also, he'd have included some decent recipes in the Bible.

 

[Guy Threepwood]

Or if you wouldn´t do that much, eat less meat.

[youtube]5YkNkscBEp0[/youtube]
Mark Bittman: What's wrong with what we eat - YouTube

Interested in your thoughts.

Like all beliefs, as long as it's a personal stance, practice, I am entirely tolerant of vegetarians, the problem is that the tolerance is not always mutual.

 

[Kirran]

Like all beliefs, as long as it's a personal stance, practice, I am entirely tolerant of vegetarians, the problem is that the tolerance is not always mutual.

From the perspective of many a vegetarian, meat-eating without necessity is immoral, on account of the fact that it causes extensive suffering to animals and to humans. So tolerance for meat-eating would indeed be rather lacking, as it would be for people carrying out other immoral acts such as rape, robbery, what have you.

 

[Guy Threepwood]

From the perspective of many a vegetarian, meat-eating without necessity is immoral, on account of the fact that it causes extensive suffering to animals and to humans. So tolerance for meat-eating would indeed be rather lacking, as it would be for people carrying out other immoral acts such as rape, robbery, what have you.

I believe we were given dominion over the animals by the creator of us and them. You may disagree but that's a different belief..

suffering to humans? The greatest suffering I've had was from a salad from a grocery store that gave me food poisoning!

 

[Iti oj]

I believe we were given dominion over the animals by the creator of us and them. You may disagree but that's a different belief..

suffering to humans? The greatest suffering I've had was from a salad from a grocery store that gave me food poisoning!

Animal agriculture increases the cost of food and decreases the amount available . it uses way more water and land . Animal agriculture, particularly beef, is a large green house gas emitter . All of those are bad for people .

 

[Revoltingest]

From the perspective of many a vegetarian, meat-eating without necessity is immoral, on account of the fact that it causes extensive suffering to animals and to humans. So tolerance for meat-eating would indeed be rather lacking, as it would be for people carrying out other immoral acts such as rape, robbery, what have you.

People who equate meat eating with robbery & rape need watching.
There's no telling when they might become violent over a cheeseburger.

 

[Guy Threepwood]

Animal agriculture increases the cost of food and decreases the amount available . it uses way more water and land .

like ethanol but without the actual demand value or cost to taxpayers?

Animal agriculture, particularly beef, is a large green house gas emitter ..

including the greenhouse gas that actually makes Earth green?, increases plant growth and drought resistance? helps lengthen growing seasons? Maybe we should be trying to ween ourselves from our destructive vegetable addiction!

I say phasing out Brussel sprouts by 2020 would be a good start.

 

[Kirran]

I believe we were given dominion over the animals by the creator of us and them. You may disagree but that's a different belief..

suffering to humans? The greatest suffering I've had was from a salad from a grocery store that gave me food poisoning!

Human food shortages, and environmental degradation (which also impacts humans - loss of biodiversity causing ecosystem breakdown etc) are massively exacerbated by meat-eating. The inefficiency of land use in producing meat is contributing to food shortages globally in a big way, as well as to deforestation and habitat destruction. Water shortages, also, as well as the loss of antibiotic effectiveness through their extensive use in animal agriculture.

People who equate meat eating with robbery & rape need watching.
There's no telling when they might become violent over a cheeseburger.

Well I still say killing a human is worse than killing an animal when you don't need to, even with the added damage to humans and the environment that comes with it. But I can't morally justify thinking it's much worse.

 

[Revoltingest]

Well I still say killing a human is worse than killing an animal when you don't need to, even with the added damage to humans and the environment that comes with it. But I can't morally justify thinking it's much worse.

 

[Valjean]

If god wanted us to be vegetarian he would have given us a bigger appendix
cheers

True, we didn't evolve as vegetarians. In most regions a vegetarian diet would be problematic for small bands of hunter-gatherers. We're natural omnivores. But... a lot of the behaviors that were practical on the African veldt are decidedly impractical in populous societies and civilizations. Living as we do today requires altering some of our natural behaviors.

From the perspective of many a vegetarian, meat-eating without necessity is immoral, on account of the fact that it causes extensive suffering to animals and to humans. So tolerance for meat-eating would indeed be rather lacking, as it would be for people carrying out other immoral acts such as rape, robbery, what have you.

There's also a case to be made for regulating it for environmental reasons. Most people accept laws regulating harmful behaviors as legitimate.