So...

[orpheus42]

I'm pretty seriously thinking about becoming substantially vegetarian, largely for reasons of environmental and global justice. This would not necessarily apply in all cases, I might still eat meat in cases where I knew the animals were raised in an environmentally sustainable fashion - which would be pretty hard to determine unless I knew the

Comments

[violachic]

We cook and eat vegetarian in our house for the most part, especially when we make community meals. We have one total vegetarian, two chicken (and sometimes lamb) eaters, and then there's me and Katya, who will eat pretty much anything you put in front of us, unless it involves raisins, in which case I'm not coming within ten feet of it. For about the last year we've been getting a CSA box of fruit and vegetables every week, which we feel really good about. We've also learned that we can get organic, free-range meat from the farms as well, if we order ahead of time (which reminds me, we need to order our Thanksgiving turkeys). We've also briefly talked about a cow share program, but I don't know if that will happen. All of this makes me feel a lot better about agriculture in general, and also meat-eating.

I was vegetarian in HS and college, but I had to give it a break because I got seriously anemic. I'd love to go back to being strictly vegetarian, but I think that dealing with medical issues precludes that possibility right

[orpheus42]

Yeah, I can understand that. I know there are serious and legitimate medical issues that could preclude someone from doing the veg thing even if they wanted to. Our biology is really complex and there are a lot of potential variations even without considering things that go wrong with our bodies later in life. In fact, that I would say is a perfectly legitimate reason to eat meat - some people have to, for various reasons.

I've heard of cow sharing before, I think it sounds really cool. I don't necessarily have anything against meat per se in any and all circumstances, I just can't justify my current practices of consumption and want to bring them more in line with my ethical beliefs.

If I ever have a farm I would probably raise animals in a more ethical and sustainable fashion, and would probably eat some of them.

[brenisue]

I'm a pretty big meater myself, but if I were to ever consider going vegetarian, that 4th article about meat and world hunger would definitely be a convincing enough argument for me. I honestly had no idea.

[neraulia]

Yay! I've been ovo-lacto veg for 14 years this month. I highly recommend it (or some form of vegetarianism/veganism). The book that convinced me (when I was 16) was Diet for a New America by John Robbins. My criteria for what makes a good book have probably changed since then, but I really liked it at the time.

I'm currently reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, which talks a lot about range-fed beef, factory farms, and other nitty gritty food issues - fascinating. For some reason, the author was able to talk himself out of going veg, which I don't understand, but to each his own.

and p.s.

[neraulia]

I've never had any health problems from being veg.

Re: and p.s.

[masticatus]

That's good for you.

I recommend replacing soy and corn oils (which are basically rancid from the get-go) with olive and coconut oils which are better balanced for our human bodies as far as fat content, and they contain a higher concentration of Omega-3 acids.

Re: and p.s.

[neraulia]

Is that recommendation directed to me?

[masticatus]

My diet right now consists of organic fruits, vegetables and grains and where possible locally grown. But I still eat plenty of meat because, well, that's the body's requirements and here in California it's much easier to get pastured, grass-fed meat than a lot of places. It's harder to get beef than lamb, so we eat a bunch of lamb. In the dairy category it is all organic, and when possible raw and pastured. In California the dairy laws are really good and even the commercial dairies I'm comfortable with, but I still make sure to get the best available

[neraulia]

much of this land is incapable of producing agriculture so it's not like you can use this land to grow corn or some other plant based food

Incapable why? Because the soil has been stripped of nutrients through poor agricultural practices? That soil can be replenished through proper planting and crop rotation.

They talk about world hunger but ignore the fact that we have enough food to feed the world already but we're hording it in the rich countries.

Yes, poor distribution is a problem. However, eating lower on the food chain is good for the environment, and frees land for other uses.

I agree with you on eating locally, but disparaging vegetarians as being "ridiculous" is offensive.

[masticatus]

I'm not disparaging vegetarians, I'm quite supporting of vegans and vegetarians. What's ridiculous is the arguments that are not based in fact simply to manipulate people into a way of life on false pretenses

[neraulia]

simply to manipulate people into a way of life on false pretenses

What motive do these nefarious people have for manipulating someone into being vegetarian? Are carrot barons getting rich? Is big celery to blame?

Land that is rocky and or hard cannot be used for agriculture without adding massive irrigation canals

Some crops are more suited to rocky areas, and over time a layer of nutrient-dense soil can be built up to the point that other crops can be planted. And just because soil is poor doesn't mean that it has to stay that way. Organic agriculture with proper crop planting and rotation can build up nutrients over time.

How is what I eat good for the environment?

It takes lots more land to grow enough plants to feed a cow that then feeds a human than it does to grow enough vegetables to feed a human. In case of typical American non-organic agriculture, that is a huge savings of pesticides and chemical fertilizers that will never enter the soil.

How does it free any land for other use? What other use? Apartment buildings?