Which Religion Best Supports the Environment?

[Hema]

I came across a really good website:
http://www.enviroveggie.com/

These are two simple equations:

Land + Water = Crops

Land + Water + Crops = Livestock

This is taken from the website:
"One day while watching The Learning Channel, I learned that in the Biodome, all food was vegetarian. I was fascinated to find that because of limited resources, meat was left off of the menu. This was a group of scientists who had come to the conclusion that because of limited resources, vegetarianism was the most environmentally and economically friendly food-source. And it went beyond that, having the plants for food ALSO converted the carbon dioxide to oxygen to give the Biodome breathable air.

The Biodome project is a “testing ground” for sustaining life during long space flights, on a space station, or on an in-hospitable planet. A group of scientists are given limited space, limited water, and limited resources and are contained in this “dome” for a length of time without any outside resources coming in or without inside waste coming out. It is a completely self-contained environment.
Given limited resources, just like our planet, scientists devised the best way to sustain life in a healthy and humane way. It was determined that plant sources for nutrition would be the best all-around answer for many reasons. For one thing, they don’t use much room. If they were to raise livestock in the Biodome, they would not only need a place to grow the plants, but also a place to grow the livestock. This would impede on the total equipment they could take with them as there would only be so much room. On top of that, not only would the crops need water but the livestock would need water, increasing their need for fresh water. And even further on from that, there would be a substantial increase in waste coming from not only the humans, but now the animals as well. Plus, they would need an area to slaughter the animals which would create an issue of leftover bones and the potential to cause bacteria and illness throughout the dome. It was decided that a plant-based diet would make the most sense as it would take up a small amount of space, use a small amount of water, create little to no waste, would provide a pleasant and relaxing “green” environment within the dome and it would oxygenate the air. "

It finished with a quote from Albert Einstein:
"Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances of survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."

 

[Radio Frequency X]

More important than grazing area / land for planting vegetables, is the Hindu concept of Ahimsa or non-violence. Meat eating is forbidden in Hinduism because we do not believe in deriving joy from another creature's suffering. It incurs negative karma.

Eating meat and eating other animals is a natural part of the world. It isn't negative or wrong. It's neutral. Life feeds on life. Is the life of a cow worth more than the life of a plant? Life itself has infinite value.

 

[Hema]

Eating meat and eating other animals is a natural part of the world. It isn't negative or wrong. It's neutral. Life feeds on life. Is the life of a cow worth more than the life of a plant? Life itself has infinite value.

It's wrong because the animal must suffer and die. Yes, the cow is more important, especially for Hindus because when we cannot get our mother's milk we grow up on cow's milk. The cow is respected as a mother. No one wants to kill his mother and eat her. Humans are not natural predators like a tiger. We are not designed to pounce on an animal, rip open its flesh and eat it raw. The eating of meat contributes to cancer whereas fruits and veges have antioxidants which protect the body against cancer.

 

[lilithu]

More important than grazing area / land for planting vegetables, is the Hindu concept of Ahimsa or non-violence. Meat eating is forbidden in Hinduism because we do not believe in deriving joy from another creature's suffering. It incurs negative karma.

That's nice. However it has nothing to do with the topic of this thread.

Another thing is this...what are those same animals feeding on? The land used to grow crops to feed a few animals can be better utilized if we eat crops grown on the same land. The number of crops will always outweigh the number of meat.

As I already said, there are vast areas of land that would not support the farming of crops but would support certain grazing animals. Think of rocky hillsides. Goats can graze on the grass that grows there naturally, but you would not be able to farm crops on such land. Not to mention how environmentally expensive it would be to get water into these areas.


Must every thread turn into preaching about vegetarianism?

 

[Radio Frequency X]

It's wrong because the animal must suffer and die. Yes, the cow is more important, especially for Hindus because when we cannot get our mother's milk we grow up on cow's milk. The cow is respected as a mother. No one wants to kill his mother and eat her. Humans are not natural predators like a tiger. We are not designed to pounce on an animal, rip open its flesh and eat it raw. The eating of meat contributes to cancer whereas fruits and veges have antioxidants which protect the body against cancer.

Humans naturally eat meat, fruit, and vegetable in order to get all the nutrients we need.

 

[Hema]

That's nice. However it has nothing to do with the topic of this thread.

It has very much to do with this thread because the topic is about which religion best supports the environment. My point is that Hinduism sees God in every aspect of the environment.

As I already said, there are vast areas of land that would not support the farming of crops but would support certain grazing animals. Think of rocky hillsides. Goats can graze on the grass that grows there naturally, but you would not be able to farm crops on such land. Not to mention how environmentally expensive it would be to get water into these areas.

So how would the goats get water to drink if it's hard to get water up there.

Must every thread turn into preaching about vegetarianism?

Last time I checked, there are many threads which are not about vegetarianism. I am debating this because...once again...the topic is about which religion best supports the environment and Hinduism advocates vegetarianism, which is better for the envionment.

 

[Hema]

Humans naturally eat meat, fruit, and vegetable in order to get all the nutrients we need.

We do not need meat. We get sufficient protein from peas and beans. Plus, meat has no fiber.

Taken from:
http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/updates/vegetarian_diets_health_benefits.php

In the past, many viewed vegetarianism as strange and faddish but appropriately planned vegetarian diets are now recognized by many, including the American Dietetic Association, as being nutritionally adequate, and providing healthful benefits in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases (1).

Choosing a nonvegetarian lifestyle has a significant health and medical cost. The total direct medical costs in the United States attributable to meat consumption were estimated to be $30-60 billion a year, based upon the higher prevalence of hypertension, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, gallstones, obesity and food-borne illness among omnivores compared with vegetarians (2).

A large body of scientific literature suggests that the consumption of a diet of whole grains, legumes, vegetables, nuts, and fruits, with the avoidance of meat and high-fat animal products, along with a regular exercise program is consistently associated with lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, less obesity and consequently less heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and mortality (1,3, 4). In African-Americans, the frequent consumption of nuts, fruits and green salads was associated with 35-44 percent lower risk of overall mortality (5).

 

[lilithu]

So how would the goats get water to drink if it's hard to get water up there.

They drink the water that's naturally up there and get it from the grass they eat. Irrigation over long distances into lands that aren't meant to be farmed is extremely environmentally expensive. Just look at what's happened the Colorado river. We've destroyed that ecosystem in order to support the farms in California.

Last time I checked, there are many threads which are not about vegetarianism.

I meant every thread in which you participate.

I am debating this because...once again...the topic is about which religion best supports the environment and Hinduism advocates vegetarianism, which is better for the envionment.

First of all, that's an unproven assertion and one which I dispute.

Second, as I've said, there a many other factors to supporting the environment than just how we raise our food.

 

[Hema]

I meant every thread in which you participate.

That one made me laugh. There have been so many threads I have been on and I didn't see you around...and of course which had nothing to do with diet so you can't back up what you said.

First of all, that's an unproven assertion and one which I dispute.

See my previous post on the Biodome.

 

[lilithu]

See my previous post on the Biodome.

The Biodome is an artificial and very limited environment. You cannot possibly expect the Inuit or the Tibetans (to name just a few) to follow that model. As I have said, there are vast areas on this planet that are not conducive to farming vegetables.

The practice that best supports the environment isn't vegetarianism; it's whatever best fits each local ecosystem.

 

[Hema]

The Biodome is an artificial and very limited environment. You cannot possibly expect the Inuit or the Tibetans (to name just a few) to follow that model. As I have said, there are vast areas on this planet that are not conducive to farming vegetables.

The practice that best supports the environment isn't vegetarianism; it's whatever best fits each local ecosystem.

The Biodome is a miniature version of earth and has limited resources just like earth. I'm not arguing whether vegetarianism is the best method for preserving the environment, but it does have a significant impact. Yes the inuits must adapt to their envirionment but they have to make do with whatever resources they have. They also have a shorter life span. The envirionment in which they live is very limited.

 

[akshar]

Humans naturally eat meat, fruit, and vegetable in order to get all the nutrients we need

thats true, but that does not mean that this is the right way, on a sane planet meat would be taken off the equation as meat is not a humans staple diet. As hema said, we are not predators, our digestiv systems are not short enough to make sure the meat does not rot in our intestines hence creating fungi which equals heart or intestine cancer. The local ecosystem is the whole world's ecosystem. Don't go of the thread by talking where Hema does and doesen't participate in threads Everyone else does it.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

If God didn't want us to eat animals why did He make them out of meat?

 

[Hema]

If God didn't want us to eat animals why did He make them out of meat?

If God didn't want us to eat our fellow humans, why would he make them out of meat?

 

[akshar]

If god didn't want us to eat humans why did god make them out of meat? What silly arguement, i bet if animals were made out of mud and it tsted good you'd eat it, all you care is about what your tongue tells you, not your heart.

 

[Hema]

Hi akshar, I was saying that God made humans out of meat but we don't eat humans. I was being sarcastic. I agree with you though and I think I know what you meant.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

If God didn't want us to eat our fellow humans, why would he make them out of meat?

Hmmmm...I'm not aware of a Scriptural ban on cannibalism

 

[akshar]

Hmmmm...I'm not aware of a Scriptural ban on cannibalism

Seems like your never aware of much.

 

[lilithu]

Seems like your never aware of much.

ONCE AGAIN, the thread is about which religion best supports the environment.

If you just want to talk about how evil meat-eating is, there are several other threads for that.

And if you just want to post baseless attacks such as above, then you need to go take a time out.

 

[akshar]

Hey man chill, i didn't mean that it was a joke.