"As a longtime vegetarian, I've always been confident that my diet is better for the planet than that of your typical carnivore. But a vegan pal of mine says I could be doing a lot more, by rejecting all animal products—no eggs, no milk, not even the occasional bowl of mac 'n cheese. Is veganism really that much better for the environment?" Slate
8 Comments
Oddly enough: Obesity 'epidemic' turns global
Even though I've had many friends in the past who have urged me to go vegetarian, I could never see the benefit to it. It's treated like a cure-all. As one of my ecology instructors put it, its not what you eat, what matters more is where it came from and how it was grown or raised. In his mind it was just as ecologically harmful to grow wheat on land far more suitable to livestock as it is to have factory farmed livestock.
I meet a vegan two weekends ago at an Oktoberfest festival. He was wearing suede shoes. I called him out on it and he says: 'Oh, but I've had these since before I was a vegan. And I love them.'
Made me laugh.
My roommate is a vegan. She eats Coco Puffs and drinks Coke. I'm not judging, I'm just saying.....
i have an acquaintance that doesn't eat anything that has a face (or once had a face). she eats primarily sweets and drinks lots of soda. also not judging, just find it, and her, amusing. :-)
Disclaimer: this is not a serious analogy!!
i sometimes see vegetarianism as being a bit like religion…
some people can be evangelical about it, and try to convert you, and yeah that's annoying!
Of course the moral approach people take towards vegetarianism can be flawed (re the suede shoes above), in the same way that religious people can fail to consider the moral aspect of all their actions (sex before marriage for example). This doesn’t mean that the choice of the individual is less valid and should be mocked…
basically my point is, as a vegetarian (but not a religious person), i am always always having to justify myself to people who treat it like a sport to catch me out with the fact that i just ate a mint which contains gelatine. i don't try and convert anyone, i don't put myself on a high moral pedestal, and very occasionally i eat a bit of free range chicken…!
It’s my personal choice to be my version of a vegetarian, and asked to rationally justify it completely I would be hard pressed, which again is similar to the religion question…
Why isn’t my lifestyle choice respected? So what if I sometimes drink a coke?
i know a few vegetarians. i really get uncomfortable when they show disgust at my non vegetarian food. i think it is very rude and self righteous.
orhan i agree that's it's v rude, but surely not every veggie you know does that?!
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