Going vegan is free. Buying a hybrid car is expensive. Veganism is a way that we can ALL help save the environment while saving the lives of 100 animals from suffering, reducing global hunger, and improving our health. It is not nearly impossible to convince people to go veg like Al Gore is saying. Vegan food is delicious and healthy. Most people simply have no idea why it is so important to go vegan, how healthy it is, and how great the food tastes. Most people (in Ohio anyway) don’t even know what vegan food is. It’s time that we educate people. If Al Gore doesn’t want to talk about agriculture’s effect on the environment, he should at least go veg himself. Almost 3 years ago, at age 16, I went veg and it was the greatest choice I ever made. I used to be really into meat and knew nothing about vegetarianism, veganism, the environment, animal rights, or the health benefits of veganism. If I could do it, Al Gore can do it too.

I am a meat eater. I adore the taste of meat. To me, going vegetarian or vegan would be akin to never seeing the sun again. Sure, I could do it. But I would be unhappy about it (or at least I imagine I would be unhappy about it).

I do read this blog though everyday to motivate me to change. And I have made some baby steps – no more deli meats and at least one veggie day a week. In fact, it was by reading about Peta’s No Meat Mondays that I decided, yeah I can totally do meat-free at least one day a week. I have also started to look for great vegan options to satisfy my desire for meat (i.e. vegan bacon bits).

So for me, if I can start reducing my meat intake, surely it is something that everyone can consider going. Al Gore’s message for cars is ‘we can do better’. It is that exact same message he can offer on meat eating. A hybrid car is better than a non-hybrid car but not as a good as walking or biking. A reduced meat diet is better than a plent-o-meat diet but not as good as veggie or vegan.

Christy, I appreciate your honesty. Like you, I was a meat-lover. Also, like you, at one point I had similar fears about giving up meat. However, now that I’ve done it, the sun is shining brighter than ever. I don’t feel the slightest bit deprived. For every food I gave up, I found five new foods to replace it. I’ve expanded my cuisine and discovered new products and cooking methods. My diet has never been more diverse and enjoyable.

I’ve been vegan for five years now. I don’t have particularly strong willpower, and I love to eat. It is also a *great* feeling knowing that I am not contributing to the end-to-end violence and suffering in animal agriculture – long transport in sweltering heat with no food or water, suffocating or grinding up baby male chicks in hen hatcheries, pigs regaining consciousness as their bodies are being torn apart, “spent” dairy cows killed with late-term calves inside, 7-week old chicks, some still peeping, already at adult size, ready for slaughter…the horrendous list goes on and on. It is great not to have to block all that out when I sit down to eat.

Good luck! You can do it. Sounds like you’re on your way. I only wish Al Gore was as honest and willing to take those first steps.

Thank you Moby. Someone had to call out this idiotic greenwashing fool. Gore has just reinforced what many already knew…he’s just a cowardly hypocrite whose dedication to his own ‘convictions’ is trumped by a desire for steak and pork chops.

Really Al?? Getting people to eat vegetables instead of animal products is next to impossible?? This clown will continue to preach priuses and lightbulbs while he happily munches on burgers in his private jet. What a phoney.

I intend to ride around in a gas-guzzling SUV with ILVTOFU plates.

VEGANISM = ENVIRONMENTALISM.
GORE = IDIOT

I eat meat, and I’d buy a hybrid before I’d give up eating meat. I agree with Gore, a meat eater content to be so, is not going to give up that food. Money isn’t the issue. If you are a meat eater, you eat meat. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, you don’t.

I have a hybrid and steaks

Did gore stop to think that if vegetarianism and veganism were impossible to achieve we would not be in blogs like this? Christine, I second your opinion of Gore…not the brightest energy saver bulb out there…
.

Gore means that it would be inpossible to change everyone, not impossible for some of us to change ourselves. While I can see how that sounds defeatist, it may be a more probable reality. If he gets crucified for trying to get the world to stop eating animals, he will lose his credibility on other fronts where he is respected. Thomas Jefferson did the same thing with slavery (he wrote “all men are created equal” and then said slaves were inferior in a later book.) They both see it wouldn’t be good strategy to lose credibility on an issue that is not probable to change soon, even though they have changed some other amazing things.
Not everyone is 100% radically supergreen, and to judge/force them to be is intolerance and effectively alienating.
Can’t we just all do a little better in some areas where we weren’t before and be ok with that? Sorry–fear and guilt aren’t going to get permanent change, IMO.
He got the ball rolling and he’s not perfect–let’s let the right-wing talk radio try to defame his character– not do it for them. You don’t like him, he’s not good enough? Then you go out there and do it better! I’m sure no-one will find any hypocrisy in you ever.

Those are great points as well Gary!
As a veteran 10 year vegetarian/5 year vegan, inspired myself by Moby’s liner notes on “everything is wrong”, I guess being on the frontlines can make you think strategic when going to Thanksgiving–hahaha. Kudos to Moby for challenging Gore to address it (and maybe think twice about it). I agree that we should highlight that diet changes, even small ones would have a giant effect, just like driving less and recycling helps with co2 reduction. I always end up struggling myself with the constructive dialog vs the holier than thou guilt-trip that no one wants…but maybe that’s a discussion for another thread!

Well summing it all up… If you eat meat well it is your choice. If your vegan it is on step in the right direction. Agenda or no agenda anyone who is trying is in my book someone to respect anyone who ignores the facts comes off as weak. Just like any vegan who has to have his or her cookie. I thought veganism was healthy well compared to a fast food diet well hell yeah but still to much processed foods and sugar also in a vegan diet. So health is not always a factor. If your not eating veggies yet you better start because that is the only think that is going to save you from horrible diseases like cancer when your older. I think we all need to make a better effort. Stop buy stuff and conserve more, stop eating so much meat… aint good for anyone, there is no reason to eat but for taste entertainment or pleasure and that is just gosh darn egocentric. I came from Taco bell and pizza to a vegan diet. Was it easy? well with a learning curve hell yeah. All I got to say forget inconvenient truth … watch the movie … Earthlings this is for the people who really want to reach deep inside their soul. This should clear it up for most people who are sane for those who watch it and have no effect … boy that is truely scary stuff.

No one should point fingers. But everyone deserves to know the truth about the harm to our health, environment and to other living beings. Blinders does not change the nature of things.

I greatly admire people who have chosen to not eat meat for ethical reasons, but as of yet I’m not one of them.

Humans have been eating meat since the dawn of our existence so it is perfectly natural. What isn’t natural for humans is driving around in automobiles, flying and the thousands of other things we do each day to pump carbon into the atmosphere. What also isn’t natural is unchecked, exponential population growth. If we could get our population numbers down to something sustainable (2 billion), we could eat all the meat we wanted until the cows came home. I would honestly rather abstain from sex the rest of my life than give up meat. If every fertile person on earth did likewise, we’d solve the population (and environmental) problem in a generation. So why not ask Gore about his views on sexual abstinence??

The fact is, animal rights and healthy living are much stronger arguments in favour of veganism. The environmental (greenhouse gas reduction) argument was tacked on later and does not entirely hold to close scrutiny given it is not the root of the problem. Excessive material consumption and overpopulation are the roots of the problem, things we only started doing in the last century. We’ve been eating meat since the day we evolved on the plains of Africa.

“He answered honestly, basically saying that getting people to drive a hybrid car isn’t that difficult. Getting people to give up animal products is almost impossible.”

Unfortunately he’s right! What I think he meant was that it would be practically impossible to reach the general population if he had opted for a veg*an approach.

However, although I believe he has done a lot to raise some awareness concerning global warming and the destruction of the planet, I think he should set an example and become veg*an. Until he does that he can’t tell people to become veg*an, can he? That would be a “do as I say but don’t do as I do” kind of thing.

“I’m getting tired of all the smug vegans out there who think they are god’s gift to mother nature because they cut out animal products.”

Well Eric, I’m truly sorry you feel that way about many veg*ans. You know, I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 12 years (almost 100% vegan for the last 2) and let me tell you that in the beginning I was constantly inquired (that’s the right word – as if I had committed a crime) by most animal eaters regarding my choice. They made me feel as if I was doing something wrong or as if I was a radical crazy person! This got so bad that I actually started hiding the fact that I was a vegetarian.
So, you see, I could also say that I am tired of animal eaters making me feel as if I’m not normal or as if I’m doing something wrong…

Fortunately I got over it and now I don’t have any problem in letting people know I’m a vegetarian.
And if I see that people are starting to question my choice, now I know what to answer them and they just shut up and leave me alone!

Additionally, to fully understand an issue and talk about it, you should do some research first. Therefore if you want to find out why most of us become veg*ans and why we’re so passionate about it sometimes, just click on my nickname and watch the documentary ‘Earthlings’ on You Tube.
After watching all 10 parts (if you have the stomach) you’ll understand exactly our point of view.

@ Christy

“To me, going vegetarian or vegan would be akin to never seeing the sun again. ”

I also loved meat and I used to eat a LOT of it! (good riddance!)

But now that I’m a vegetarian, I feel so much better (on all levels), and believe me I love the sun…

I’m glad you’re at least considering on cutting back on meat though.

Again (as I mentioned to Eric), if you click on my nickname, it will direct you to a documentary (‘Earthlings’) on You Tube. If you watch it (all 10 parts), it will help you (when you’re ready!) decide to make a full transition to veg*anism.

And I promise you that if you have a balanced and varied veg*an diet, you’ll enjoy the sun even more

Reading all these comments has caused me to leave this blog. I apologize to the author.

I think that many people don’t know enough about veg nutrition. It’s a complicated issue. I have questions about it, like vitamin B-12. Where do they get it to make supplements for vegans? Are the supplements guaranteed vegan? I’m 90% veg now, but I would probably go strict vegan if I knew the truth. As is, I’m afraid to limit my diet too severely.

I disagree with Al Gore. It is much easier to switch to a meat free, or at least a reduced meat, more vegetarian diet than to drive a hybrid. While prices are starting to come down, hybrids are still very expensive purchases. Aside from being greener than meat based diets, vegetarian diets are much cheaper as well.

If you amortize the cost versus gas savings generated, you will see that you can compare the new hybrids with many other fuel efficient vehicles (such as the Honda Civic) and you should be unimpressed when you compare the mileage difference versus cost difference between them. My 1998 Toyota Corolla got maybe 5-10% less mileage than the hybrids do, and the new ones are about half the price.

Moreover, being a proud owner of a Volkswagon TDI Jetta, I know that it is unfortunate that it doesn’t have the reputational “hype” of being a green vehicle, but it is MUCH greener actually when stacked up with the hybrid. You can run biodiesel in a Jetta, while you can only run ethanol of up to 80% in a Prius. My Jetta gets very good mileage, 40-50 mpg, which is comparable to the hybrids and in some cases better.

Hybrid diesels would be a huge change, you could get up to 80 mpg with those. But the current hybrids are nothing but hype, and the people who drive them thinking they’re “green” are full of it, I’m sorry but they are.

Rosie,

You shouldn’t generalise an entire group of people just because you’ve met (have you?) a few veg*an individuals who you think may be somewhat smug.

If you read my previous comment you can clearly see that I also have reasons to think that most animal eaters are arrogant fools. However, I chose not to go that path…

Again, if you really want to know why some veg*ans (* means both vegans and vegetarians) are so passionate about this way of life, please click on my nickname and watch the documentary ‘Earthlings’ on You Tube. Then you’ll understand!

Elizabeth,

Here are some sites that can help you with that:

http://www.vegansociety.com/food/nutrition/b12/

http://www.vegsoc.org/info/b12.html

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/b12.htm

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/sources-of-vitamin-b12-in-your-vegetarian-diet.html

http://www.vegcooking.com/index.asp

http://www.goveg.com/order.asp

There’s a ‘world of information’ on the internet. All you have to do is look for it.
Nowadays there are already veg*an alternatives to everything you find in the conventional diet.
I hope this can be of some help to you.

erm you people seem to be forgetting cows and other animals produce more greenhouse gasses than cars? so surely by eating meat you are being more green?

Some of the responses I see here are either for people to cut meat out entirely or for people to keep eating the way they are.

Why not just learn to practice moderation? When I was growing up meat was a small part of a large meal… It made up MAYBE a quarter of the meal. Now there are some people who eat huge portions of meat for their breakfast lunch and dinner.

There is no denying that we, at least in the USA, eat too much meat, but reducing that to about 6 to 8 ounces for dinner and less for any other meals would be fine and you will see a big drop in beef, pork and chicken sales.

Now… I did follow a Vegetarian diet for about three years because of some unusual liver enzyme variations and once I got used to it, it was not so bad, but once the problem was gone I went back to an omnivorous diet, but I still do not eat as much meat as I used to, sometimes none.

It just goes back to moderation… something that we all shoudl practice and not only in eating meat, but in life in general.

Being a vegetarian for some time now, and not trying to sound like a snob; I’m honestly confused why some people have such a hard time giving up meat in their diet. Are they addicted to the taste? Is it the laziness factor, and they just don’t want to work to improve themselves or their environment?

I actually have a lot of fun eating vegetarian cuisine, as it’s generally off the beaten path and you usually incorporate a much healthier variety of foods into your meal.

Christ, you people are obnoxious. There are many reasons educated people do not go veg*an (probably the most annoying word configuration I have ever seen). For example, in many places including rural areas you cannot get a hold of the foods you would NEED to have a balanced veg*an (kill me) diet. It takes a very large amount of variation in available food in order to be a healthy veg*an and many of you on this blog probably have been told by your doctors that you aren’t even doing it properly. Besides, we are omnivorous. Have you noticed your canine teeth? Eating meat and the protein it supplied is what allowed us to develop these big ol’ brains that you like to use now to complain about people who choose to eat animals. Pretty obnoxious, don’t you think? Yes, animals contribute to global warming, just like many other things like jet fuel trails and volcanic eruptions and the industrialization that has allowed you to get these veg*an foods that you love so much. Without this industrialization, you’d still be slaughtering goats and sheep on the farm to eat. You certainly wouldn’t be sitting behind your computers being so obnoxious.

Awareness comes before meaningful change can occur. I’m a meat eater, but as I’ve learned more about the negative aspects of animal production I’ve started phasing meat out of my diet. (And as the principal menu planner and grocery shopper for my family, that means 4 other people are phasing meat out of their diets along with me.) I switched to organic, free range beef many, many years ago and now I’m reducing our consumption of even that. It’s a slow process because it involves learning a whole new way to eat! It’s not something anyone could have forced down our throats, either; this is something we, as a family, had to arrive at for ourselves. I like the approach advocated by the folks at “Meatless Monday” (http://www.meatlessmonday.com/) which asks everyone to make a pledge to give up meat products one day a week. That’s even easier than buying a hybrid car, and it makes it a lot more manageable for “regular folks” who need time to wrap their heads around a new way of eating. My family made the Meatless Monday pledge and I’ve found those meat free meals so tasty that they’re just leaking out into other days of the week, too! Like the tortoise and the hare, sometimes slow and steady is the best way to win the race, or to accomplish a goal like going veg, or to get others over to that way of thinking and living.

And to answer Travis, a couple of comments ahead of mine, YES, I happen to like the taste of meat (although I wouldn’t say addicted, but I’m sorry, I grew up eating meat it’s a familiar taste I enjoy), and YES, there is an element of laziness, although that’s not exactly the right word, either. I have a lot going on in my life and it’s easy to fall back on the quick and easy meat-based meals. I know the recipes by heart, I can purchase the ingredients without consulting a list, and I can whip them up with a minimum of fuss. Trying to find new recipes my family will eat, regardless of their inclusion or exclusion of animal products, is a HUGE deal. We’re all super picky eaters and have a hard time adjusting to new foods, so even when I’m actively looking for new recipes I can only introduce about one per week. If we went “cold turkey” (pardon the pun) on meat I think my kids would starve! Or I would. I’m trying, though, in my own, plodding, one step at a time way. (Hey, I even went to a Vegan Raw Foods un-cooking class recently, so I’m seeking out opportunities to learn more about meat free meals whenever I can. I wish I could find more cooking lessons like that one. Speaking of which, I wish Food Network would put a vegetarian/vegan cooking show on the air.)

Al Gore tells everyone what they want to here. When he’s with Stephen Gaskin on the Farm in TN, he’s a Buddhist freethinker in favor of legalizing marijuana. When he’s with Pastor Fred Phelps of Topeka, he’s suddenly a right-wing Christian who favors protecting straights from the gays and banning porn. When he’s with the gay rights groups, he’s suddenly a pro-gay advocate. When he’s with Moby, he’s pro-vegetarian. When he’s with his friends from Occidental, he’s suddenly a meat connoisseur.

Although I’d vote Gore in a heartbeat over shadow-personalities like Bush, I still am not very fond of Gore, for the way he always pretends to agree with whomever he is with.

He did a great job as Vice-President, however.

UGH!!! This is terrible. As a veggie, it’s high time vegetarians stop trying to convert the masses by talking about the suffering of animals. This is to me as silly as centering the the legalization of marijuana debate around cancer patients. The central issue should be the reason it’s illegal, which is the same reason it should be legal: economics. Everything else is distraction.

Again, I’m veg, and I believe in the inherent dignity of life, which is but part of why I don’t eat meat. Arguing this point to meat-eaters is like explaining aerodynamics to people who have never seen flight: while you may be able to explain the concept well, without seeing it most people cannot make the logical leap. There’s plenty of reason not to make the ethical leap on eating animals, it calls into question the pervasive violence in our society. But it’s DIVORCED from the reason and rationale for a vegetarian society.

That rationale is simply that we are producing meat in an environmentally and economically unconscionable way! It is bad for humans, who cares about the sad-faced cows? We need to stop subsidizing these industries, and make it clear that people consuming meat that was not produced in a soil-positive, carbon-sequestering, ecologically sound manner is wrong, as in bad for humans. We’re making our worst diseases in factory farms, diseases humans get that are then resistant to antibiotics.

STOP arguing for the animals, such sermons are lost on even the choir. Preach about the direct effect on humans and the environment, and maybe some will switch their diets, and THEN some might make that ethical leap.

There are many people who say they are “phasing out” meat or try to “limit” the amount of meat they consume. But there is a big difference between a “occasional” vegetarian and a vegan. Cutting back on meat may help your health, save a few furry or feathered animals and help the environment, but unless you go truly animal-free, vegans consider you a part of the problem at best or a real enemy at worst. I am more concerned with the treatment of my fellow humans than I am with some barnyard fowl.

the other issue is that by saying we should give up animal products, he is putting an industry to blame. by supporting hybrid cars he is supporting an industry while, surely according to him, bettering the environment.

he probably has a mad paycheck from hybrid car companies. D:

anyway, i think there’s something wrong with it. i happen to not eat meat for many reasons, environmental impact being one of them.

Emma, I’m sorry but I must say that you’ve been very well indoctrinated (as most humans have)…

“If you really cared about people you would respect their wish to eat animals to preserve the life of their families as billions of poor people around the world have to do.”

Since when do you have to eat animals to survive? I’m a vegetarian and I’ve never starved because of it! That’s preposterous!
Besides, your comment shows a huge lack of knowledge about real poverty – since when do poor people have the money to buy meat? They eat mostly vegetables… Meat is a luxury to them!!

You’re clearly an American. You have no idea what’s happening around the world – yes, there is a world outside the USA.

“That means you would rather die and see your family die than eat animal flesh.”

Did I say that? If you don’t understand what people write, it’s your problem but please do not put words where I didn’t write them, okay?

“If I needed to feed my starving “allegedly human children” I would slaughter the family cat and roast it to keep them alive.”

You’re creating an extreme situation to which I reply to you with one question: would you be capable of killing a perfect stranger in order to feed your “allegedly human children”?

“no animal of the face of this earth is worth one hair on the head of my children ”

We too are animals – you do know that, don’t you? So, again, does that comment mean you would be capable of killing another human being to save your children? If the answer is yes, then what you wrote – “They are always partial to animals over humans.” – coming from you doesn’t make much sense does it?

“It cost a fortune to be a true vegan in the U.S.”

That’s not true. I live in a country where the cost of life is higher than in the US and one doesn’t have to be wealthy to be a true vegan; on the contrary!
And from many comments I’ve read on Ecorazzi made by US veg*ans, it’s not that expensive to have a veg*an diet.

You know, most veg*ans don’t want to force people to become veg*ans (although we wish one day that would be a reality) but we do want animals to be treated with respect and not used, abused, tortured and killed in horrible ways to ‘our’ benefit.

If you truly want to understand what I’m ‘saying’ and understand our point of view, please click on my nickname and watch the documentary ‘Earthlings’ on You Tube. It’s very intense but it will open your eyes to the real truth about the animal industry and what ‘your’ beloved humans are capable of.

As someone very wise once said: “You can see the level of evolution of a people by the way it treats ‘its’ animals.”

Oh, and please do not interpret my comment as a personal attack or anything like that.

I just don’t like it when people who have very little knowledge regarding one issue, so easily point their fingers at those who do and who are only trying to make this planet a better place for all of us – including your children!!