Pandas. Rights. Fast Food.
I thought in light of my little family's refreshed attempt at vegetarianism (or at least semi-vegetarianism), this article was appropriate, though I'm not trying to be a vegetarian primarily over issues of animal rights:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14726425/?GT1=8506
Tips the scales against the "animals don't have souls" argument, or maybe against the "humans do have souls" argument (I'm being a little facetious there). I've been trying to prove that animals have souls ever since my 8th grade Bible teacher told our class that he didn't see any reason why there wouldn't be roller skates in heaven, but no, our pets wouldn't be there (because they didn't have souls -- which of course leads us directly to the question, Do roller blades have souls?).
I do, of course, believe that animals are being ill treated by the meat packing and other industries -- but the reason I'm becoming a vegetarian is more because of human abuses now, and human peril in the future. I will not attempt to detail all this right now, but I recommend The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (a historic account of the abuses of the meat packing industry), Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser (a recently-published book which indicates that human and animal conditions are not so different now), and the following articles, which say a little bit about the potential problems of population vs. world food supply (meat is a drain on that supply, because cattle consume much more grain, etc., than the net energy their meet supplies):
http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/sustainable_food/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malthusian_catastrophe
http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/genetic_engineering/world-food-supply.html
The problem of world food supply is a bit speculative, but it is also tied up with the problems of energy shortages, which are less speculative (it takes non-renewable energy resources to produce grain, etc.).
This post has become a bit convoluted, so I'll quit. But if you're interested in all this, take a look at the books, cause they're a lot more clear than I am. My blog is becoming a "liberal rag."
posted by The Crabby Hiker @ 6:58 AM
4 Comments:
I think the best way to curb explosive population growth is to stop both the exportation and creation of baby-making music. We know who the real enemies are-- Isaac Hayes, Al Green, Barry White, Marvin Gaye--and even though three of those four are dead, there's a pernicious crop of new smooth-voiced crooners ready to take their place. Our extensive dossiers on R. Kelly, Babyface, and (gasp!) Justin Timberlake identify them as established threats who seek to bring about the destruction of humanity through excessive procreation. Despite their good looks and undeniable talent, these provocateurs pose a significant threat to the future of homo sapiens everywhere. Simply put, they are to the first world what the Vatican is to the third world.
!Ya basta!
I cannot worry about all of these things: Pandas, grain production, fuel economy, Palestinian rights, women's rights, acute myelogenous leukemia, Katrina victims, Pakistani earthquake victims, Guantanamo Bay prisoner maltreatment, et al. What shall i let go of?
The answer, of course, is Pandas. I'll also let you off the hook on grain production, ;-), though I think you guys really should consider doing voluntary recycling (Meaning, get a second garbage can for mixed recycleables and dump them once every two weeks in some grocery store parking lot). I know it's a pain, but I'm willing to sort and carry whenever I come home. :-)
There is too much, and any one of them could be the end of everything, if the media is to be believed. At some point, I think you just have to choose your one thing to actually do anything about/with.
I have seen your version of vegetarianism several times...scarfing down a juicy steak that mom bought and dad grilled up. :) EAsier said than done, though noble.
I am doing my part personally by treating 4 dogs as if they are human.
Love ya sis
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