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Vanessa Mason
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[Poll] Would you be a vegetarian to help save the environment?
July 22, 2008 - 01:12 PM
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Popular consensus says that vegetarianism helps the environment; raising cattle, pigs and other meat sources is really energy intensive. Al Gore answered a question regarding why vegetarianism is not promoted when talking about reducing global warming. His answer is that it would not be politically acceptable to many. Would you become a vegetarian to help slow climate change?
Read more about the discussion here.
Would you be a vegetarian to help save the environment?
Yes
(8 votes for 44.44%)
No, I would eat less meat rather than no meat
(9 votes for 50%)
No, I am a definite carnivore
(1 votes for 5.56%)
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MOHAMMED ALIYU PAIKO
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Re: [Poll] Would you be a vegetarian to help save the environment?
July 23, 2008 - 03:00 AM
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This thread is certainly interesting. First of all, the concept of global warming (at least in my opinion) has been discussed with alot of bias. There are very strong evidences to suggest that when the concept first gained global scrutiny, NASA scientists (who first published results of studies on the ozone layer) told lots of lies. This does not however diminish the threat of global warming, as evidences are everywhere.
Humans are now quite aware that the consequences of their actions (or inactions, as the case may be) as it pertains to preserving the environment, could lead to a better, healthier community for all or lead to total catastrophe. I think more people now favor the former rather than the later.
Having said that, unfortunately I do not share in the sentiment that vegetarianism or any other means of curtailing the consumption pattern of humans by limiting flesh in our diets for vegetables would change the consequences of global warming, at least from the point of view of nutrition alone, but I may be wrong.
............(continued).....
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MOHAMMED ALIYU PAIKO
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Re: [Poll] Would you be a vegetarian to help save the environment?
July 23, 2008 - 03:00 AM
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Asuming we all stopped eating cows, goats, sheep, rabbits, pigs and all other sources of meat and all reverted to eating ''grasses", what danger would that portend to the ecosystem? I need a botanist close by to give me a definite answer! In discussions about nutrition, I am aware that the costliest nutrient in our diets are the proteins and if it does not come from meat, then perhaps fish would supply all we need right? I do not think that naturally, "grasses" are poised to supply all protein requirements of humans (you also need to study the dynamics of vegetable proteins and nutritionists will tell you that some essential amino acids are only available from animal sources).
Moreover, imagine all humans eating "grasses", along with all animals spared from our diets as a result of every one being a vegetarian. Very soon, all the forests would be consumed (assuming no health risks are associated with this). Before you know it, the absence of vegetation would all be blamed on our consumption pattern and we would at that point need to revert back to eating flesh again, to reduce the population of dependants on "grass".
Global warming is a reality. I am of the opinion that to check the impact we are all having on the environment, we need to prioritize our activities. This we can do by reducing all those dangerous habits (green gas emisions, toxic chemicals usage, nuclear programs etc) which have steadily been on the increase because we are gradually becoming lazy. We can also perfectly manage our activities in such a way that we control the rate at which we overpopulate this planet.
I believe strikinga balance between eating flesh and eating meat is a natural consequence. If you feel eating "grass" is ok, well, go ahead and keep eating. As fior those of us who eat meat, we also do so in response to balance the ecosystem. Afterall, energy from the sun passes to plants, are converted to edible energy unto animals which we consume and upon our death, its released back into the atmosphere fr the circle to continue. Dont let us break this natural circle.
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prieten47
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Re: [Poll] Would you be a vegetarian to help save the environment?
July 30, 2008 - 01:20 AM
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vanessamason wrote:
Popular consensus says that vegetarianism helps the environment; raising cattle, pigs and other meat sources is really energy intensive. Al Gore answered a question regarding why vegetarianism is not promoted when talking about reducing global warming. His answer is that it would not be politically acceptable to many. Would you become a vegetarian to help slow climate change?
Ms. Mason, you are very right. Eating less meat would reduce global warming on many levels. Cows and pigs are very big producers of methane, a greenhouse gas even more powerful than simple CO2. But meat production is also a big producer of greenhouse gases because the meat must be refrigerated and shipped to where it is consumed. While shipping may also be necessary for vegetable foods, these can in many cases be produced closer to home. I am of course referring to the wealthier countries who are the biggest consumers of meat, far in excess of their needs for protein. I am a bit surprised that someone from Argentina, one of the biggest beef producers in the world, would be so aware of this issue. Speaking for myself, I would like to be a vegetarian, but my wife thinks it is too extreme. We hardly eat beef at all, some pork and chicken every now and then, but our main source of animal protein is fish.
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Vanessa Mason
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Re: [Poll] Would you be a vegetarian to help save the environment?
August 2, 2008 - 03:09 PM
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moleepaiko wrote:
Global warming is a reality. I am of the opinion that to check the impact we are all having on the environment, we need to prioritize our activities. This we can do by reducing all those dangerous habits (green gas emisions, toxic chemicals usage, nuclear programs etc) which have steadily been on the increase because we are gradually becoming lazy. We can also perfectly manage our activities in such a way that we control the rate at which we overpopulate this planet.
I believe striking a balance between eating flesh and eating meat is a natural consequence.
I agree with you that addressing a problem as complex as climate change will require a change in priorites. I think that your emphasis on managing these priorities at least on an individual level will take time and greater education and awareness. Changing behaviors assumes the knowledge, ability and will to do so. I don't think that enough of these conditions are met that change could happen solely at the individual level. It might require institutional changes such as raising the price of meat so that it reflects the environmental impact of raising and transporting meat.
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Vanessa Mason
Subject to Change (http://vanessamason.wordpress.com)
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Lisa The Vegan
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Re: [Poll] Would you be a vegetarian to help save the environment?
November 22, 2008 - 04:14 AM
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Yep, I'm vegan.  It's the best decision I've ever made in my life... I'm for the animals, my health, the environment and the people, especially the poor.
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Dan Lockwood
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Re: [Poll] Would you be a vegetarian to help save the environment?
November 30, 2008 - 10:01 PM
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Global warming is getting all the attention these days as the main human-caused environmental issue affecting us today.
I think this is a shame because there are so many more issues that seem to get bull-dozed out of the way. Who is talking about desertification, soil fertility losses, deforestation, acid rain, etc. these days?
Many of these issues represent smaller, less-complex and therefore more manageable problems than the massive issue of global warming. Some of these smaller issues could be targeted by community action and government policy, and we could see small but important successes which would encourage environmentalism. And wouldn't that be nice, rather than the constant reminders of how big an issue global warming is and how we seem to be getting nowhere on that issue?
When I stopped eating meat (largely) for environmental reasons about 14 years ago, the buzz hadn't yet begun and so was not my main motivation.
Instead, I was most concerned about deforestation for new pasture land in inappropriate places like the Amazon basin which causes massive soil erosion, air pollution (from burning), loss of biodiversity, all representing major ecosystem alteration.
Lately, more Amazon forest is being cleared to grow soybeans than to raise cattle, and this is a major concern for me. But there are other solutions than changing your eating habits. In areas with good pasture than can be well-managed, it is FAR more energy efficient to graze livestock than to plant crops that humans can eat. For me, eating local food and making the responsibility for what you eat a local issue is a better way. I.E. if you live in an area with a locally sustainable meat industry, then buy only local meat.
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Walter Stanish
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Re: [Poll] Would you be a vegetarian to help save the environment?
December 1, 2008 - 07:39 PM
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The quiz is missing an option - 'I already am!'
See vegetarian-china.info
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John
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Re: [Poll] Would you be a vegetarian to help save the environment?
December 2, 2008 - 01:53 PM
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nope meats good. its good for the body and give minerals and stuff that plants can't. plus salads boring. only salad i'll eat is the santa fe salad at cheesecake factory.
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Lisa The Vegan
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Re: [Poll] Would you be a vegetarian to help save the environment?
December 4, 2008 - 03:36 AM
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jervin66 wrote:
nope meats good. its good for the body and give minerals and stuff that plants can't. plus salads boring. only salad i'll eat is the santa fe salad at cheesecake factory.
you say meat gives the body minerals etc that plants can't... are you able to collaborate on that?
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John
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Re: [Poll] Would you be a vegetarian to help save the environment?
December 5, 2008 - 10:21 PM
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do you mean elaborate?
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prieten47
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Re: [Poll] Would you be a vegetarian to help save the environment?
December 16, 2008 - 10:42 PM
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lisathevegan wrote:
jervin66 wrote:
nope meats good. its good for the body and give minerals and stuff that plants can't. plus salads boring. only salad i'll eat is the santa fe salad at cheesecake factory.
you say meat gives the body minerals etc that plants can't... are you able to corroborate that?
There are some important vitamins like B12 that are only found in meat eggs,and dairy products. But people could still vastly reduce their comsumption of meat and still get enough of it.
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Ultraomnipotenc
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Re: [Poll] Would you be a vegetarian to help save the environment?
December 22, 2008 - 02:14 PM
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lisathevegan wrote:
Yep, I'm vegan. * It's the best decision I've ever made in my life... I'm for the animals, my health, the environment and the people, especially the poor.
how does it help the economically unwell?
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Lisa The Vegan
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Re: [Poll] Would you be a vegetarian to help save the environment?
December 23, 2008 - 07:49 AM
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prieten47 wrote:
lisathevegan wrote:
jervin66 wrote:
nope meats good. its good for the body and give minerals and stuff that plants can't. plus salads boring. only salad i'll eat is the santa fe salad at cheesecake factory.
you say meat gives the body minerals etc that plants can't... are you able to corroborate that?
There are some important vitamins like B12 that are only found in meat eggs,and dairy products. But people could still vastly reduce their comsumption of meat and still get enough of it.
Yes, you're right. Animals get their vitamin B12 from eating foods contaminated with vitamin B12 (which comes from soil) & then the animal becomes a source of vitamin B12. Plant foods dont contain vitamin B12 except when they are contaminated by microorganisms or have vitamin B12 added to them.
The good thing for strict vegetarians and vegans who don't eat animal products, is that they can obtain B12 from sources other than meat, dairy etc. Nowadays, plant milks (soy, rice etc), soy (tofu and tempe) have B12 infused in them. If their B12 levels are low, they can also take a B12 supplement.
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Lisa The Vegan
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Re: [Poll] Would you be a vegetarian to help save the environment?
December 23, 2008 - 07:53 AM
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ultraomnipotenc wrote:
lisathevegan wrote:
Yep, I'm vegan. * It's the best decision I've ever made in my life... I'm for the animals, my health, the environment and the people, especially the poor.
how does it help the economically unwell?
Here's link you can visit you can look at explains how it helps... http://www.viva.org.uk/guides/feedtheworld.htm
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