Moby Questions Author Mark Bittman About Veganism And Factory Farming

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by Michael Parrish DuDell January 19, 2010
Categories: Eats, People
Tags: , .

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Earlier this week, Food Matters author Mark Bittman participated in a live chat on CBC Books. Bittman is the author of six books and has a weekly column in the New York Times.

Since food is Bittman’s speciality, Moby took a moment during the chat to ask the author what he thinks about veganism and factory farming. Mark had this to say:

“I think veganism is the most principled position one can take when it comes to eating; there is no need to eat animal products at all, and – aside from processed food – they are the most damaging foods produced, both from a personal and a global perspective.

“Having said that, I think veganism is a very tough sell. And I would rather see millions, tens of millions of people significantly reduce their consumption of animal products than see tens of thousands eliminate them.

“As an aside, let’s also remember that one can be a vegan and still eat junk. So my advice remains – eat plants above all else, eat unprocessed or minimally processed plants whenever possible, and eat these foods at the expense of everything else, particularly animal products and junk.”

Sounds like a plan to us! Not ready to take the VEG plunge completely? Why not start with Mark’s “vegan until six” approach? To check out the entire live chat, visit CBC.CA!

via: vegetarianstar.com

  • VeggieTart

    It’s not perfect, but Mr. Bittman clearly is a realist. Of course, it depends on how much people reduce their meat, dairy, and egg consumption. Two people cutting their meat consumption in half is like one person going vegetarian. Someone going from eating 21 meaty meals a week to 18 meaty meals and 3 veg meals a week isn’t much of a dent.

  • kristin

    While I agree with Mr. Bittman, and realize that his view is very rational and logical in our society, I still have trouble understanding why it is that veganism is such a tough sell? I still don’t understand why people can’t give up meat. I understand a lot of it has to do with the marriage of food and culture, but cultures used to have a lot of other things too that they started to see as morally wrong. Why not with food?

    I suppose this is more of a rhetorical question, but I guess it still amazes me how some people can know how bad factory farming is and still eat meat.

  • Pingback: Bittman: “There is No Need to Eat Animal Products at All”

  • Samantha

    Agreed, Kristin.

    I’ve found veganism was the easiest transition I’ve made in my life. While I don’t think that Mr. Bittman’s wrong, it is not through his own fault. Why society as a whole finds it so difficult to abolish animal products, I cannot understand. When we have seen the horrors of the lives of the animals in slavery, when we have proven science and medicine that clearly indicate that a diet including animal products absolutely will inevitably lead to health issues in the future, and when we can visually see the direct correlation between animal agriculture, and its devastating affects on our planet…why is this so difficult?

    • ddpalmer

      It is difficult because you are not entirely correct. I don’t expect society will ever abolish animal products and if they do it won’t happen for centuries.

      Go back 300-400 years. How many vegetarians where there? Very few is my guess. Yet almost everyone was either direct involved in or not far removed from, as you put it “the horrors of the lives of the animals in slavery”. So why do you believe that if people now are exposed to the “horrors” that they will react any different than their ancestors?

      And this statement “…a diet including animal products absolutely will inevitably lead to health issues in the future…”. That may be your belief but it does not match with the actual science. Yes, animal products greatly increase the chances of certain health issues but they don’t make them inevitable. Also with medical improvements many of these medical issues can be readily dealt with.

      Plus you have to remember that life is a terminal situation and everyone will die. So many people who like animal products make the decision to risk the health issues so they can enjoy what they like. It is just like people who smoke or drink or partake in other high risk activities. They know it is bad for them and/or entails risks but they decide to take the risks to do what they enjoy.

      • Samantha

        Actually, 300-400 years ago, only the wealthy were able to afford animal products, as they were very expensive.

        So the majority of the public, the “common” people were actually mostly vegan, if only by necessity.

        And my statement regarding animal products causing long-term health defects? Not an opinion. This is proven medical and scientific fact completed by industry and academic professionals, including *non-industry funded* organizations, such as the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association and more. Studies have included several different cultures around the world, and have been compiled over the past 40-50 years, most recently.

        There is absolutely a direct correlation between the consumption of animal products and long term health issues. Luckily for me, this is a fact.

      • ddpalmer

        Took a little searching but you are also wrong about the poor being vegatarian even by necessity.

        The poor didn’t eat meat on a regular basis but they did eat meat.

        “If meat was consumed at all levels of European society in the early modern period, there were huge variations by social class in the frequency with which it appeared on the table, and the amount that was consumed. It was relatively rare for the poor to eat meat, but accounts of banquets at the other end of the social scale list daunting amounts of meat.”

        http://www.answers.com/topic/food-and-drink

        And either way my point still stands. People who have intimate knowledge of the slaughtering process don’t become vegans because of the horrors. Do some people? Sure, but it is not the reaction of everyone and my guess is it is not the reaction of most people.

      • abacus

        Ah, DDPalmer – no suprises there. Actually, you are wrong. I spent all night researching what you posted and you are not entirly correct. In fact, I’ve got nothing else better to do than to look at other peoples posts and find holes.

        What would I do without google? I’d just be another poindexter without an almighty sword.

      • ddpalmer

        So if you found all these facts that disprove what I posted why didn’t you post them?

        And as I said, even if my example is off by 50 or 100 years the point remains the same and is just as valid. Seeing or being involved with the slaughter of animals will not make most people become vegan.

  • Chastity

    I really don’t agree with Bittman at all. He is not a realist. He is someone who has fallen into the marketing trap of an abhorrent industry–whether that’s factory farming or “happy” meat.

    No offense but there’s nothing more absurd than his “Vegan Before 6″ plan. Veganism is not just about having a plant based diet. It is a principle that boycotts animal flesh and secretions, animal ingredients, animal textiles, breeding operations, and the involvement of animals in entertainment while emphasizing on the removal of the property status that nonhuman animals are currently under. Vegan Before 6 is far, far from it.

    To avoid being duped by industry (and to save lives while you’re at it!), I propose the following 5 step plan:

    1. Watch Earthlings
    2. Visit http://www.humanemyth.org
    3. Bookmark http://www.abolitionistapproach.com
    4. Support Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary (they care for rescued farm animals in their sanctuary and they spread vegan education via billboards and full page ads in prominent newspapers such as the LA Times)
    5. Gooogle the article “Invasion of the Movement Snatchers”

    The World is Vegan! If you want it.

  • ddpalmer

    Lucky for me it is not a fact that eating animal products does not lead “inevitably” to health problems. I agree that it does increase the chances of some diseases but they are by no means “inevitably”.

    But like I said even if it was “inevitably”, it doesn’t matter and it will not get people to give up meat. People do things everyday that increase their risk of injury, disease or death but they still decide to do those things.

    • Samantha

      Unfortunately for you, it absolutely is inevitable that a diet including animal products will lead to long-term health issues. Studies have shown that a vegan diet can not only prevent the onset of these diseases, but actually reverse and treat many of them.

      While it’s true that many partake in activities that are unhealthy, that’s not an incredibly justifiable excuse for you to do it. Especially when the risk is not only to yourself, but also demands the life of another.

      • ddpalmer

        You may believe what you write but eating meat does not lead to inevitable long term health issues.

    • dogs out

      There are names for people like you DDPalmer.

  • Samantha

    dd, it is not a matter of belief. It is a matter of well documented medical, scientific research conducted over the course of decades.

    This is not my opinion, it is fact. Why is that so difficult for you to grasp?

    • ddpalmer

      Because it is not fact.

      Cite to one peer reviewed medical study that shows eating meat will inevitable lead to long term health issues.

      But as I have said even if it were true, it doesn’t matter. Many people like eating meat. Eating meat is legal. Many people are willing to run the risks involved with eating meat. Therefore, many people will continue to eat meat, and many of those people know exactly what is involved in raising and slaughtering the meat they eat.

      • Samantha

        “many of those people know exactly what is involved in raising and slaughtering the meat they eat.”

        Are you kidding? That’s one of the most ignorant things I’ve heard yet – and I’ve heard a lot. Very few are aware of the health consequences associated with a meat based diet, nor are they aware of the immense cruelty and suffering that occurs. The few that find these facts are shocked, some so shocked as to adapt veg*nism.

        While you’re right, as I’ve stated, that few care about the moral or medical consequences of their actions, that does not justify them.

        As far as citing peer based medical journals regarding my claims? No. I’m not your mother, or your teacher. They’re readily available to you, and you’re welcome to do your own research. I assume you won’t, but I get it, no one likes to be proven wrong.

  • ddpalmer

    “…no one likes to be proven wrong.”

    This is exactly why you won’t cite anything, because it doesn’t exist and you know it. I have researched it and I can find lots of medical studies that show eating meat ‘can’ lead to health problems, just like I said. But I can’t find a single medical study that shows that eating meat ‘inevitably’ leads to health problems.

    You know you were wrong and now that you have been called on it you try and hide from it and want someone else to prove a statement you made. You could easily admit you overstated your case and the issue would be over but by refusing to admit you are wrong you just keep the issue alive and dig yourself a deeper hole.

    “Very few are aware of the health consequences associated with a meat based diet, nor are they aware of the immense cruelty and suffering that occurs.”

    That is another good one. I know in my state we just this year voted on a farm bill dealing with animal treatment and there were hundreds of TV/radio/newspaper ads about the conditions under which animals are raised and slaughtered. Numerous TV and newspaper stories/editorials about it were also broadcast/printed. California and Michigan went through similar legislative/voter issues recently. And that doesn’t even cover the vegetarian discussions on Oprah, Ellen and 60 Minutes, etc. some of which have been promoted on this website.

    • http://www.thesingingpatient.com Carla

      Please read Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman. He is an MD who read 2000 medicals studies in preparation for his book. His concluded with absolute certainty that consumption of animal products increases rates of cancer, heart disease, and numerous other chronic ailments. Read the China study, a landmark study showing those folks in remote regions of China who lived on organic produce had near zero rates of the illnesses we all assume we’re going to end up with in old age here in the USA. Don’t just claim to have read things; actually read them.

  • don miguelo

    Somehow can’t find a single study that tobacco causes cancer either (that will stick in court). Must be all those “other variables” that cause it in smokers.

    Thanks for being a surly fact-checker, you’re the greatest, everyone loves that energy!

    • ddpalmer

      Well then you need to take some computer classes. Took me all of 3 minutes.

      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2038856/?tool=pubmed

      • abacus

        Do you have anything better to do DD? than to promote and stimulate others with your wonderful ways into interesting debates and discussions? The hours you spent pouring over the net to be the mega nitpicker sure is entertaining. But seriously, do you have a real job?

      • don miguelo

        And you need glasses, dd. Or maybe you didn’t see the parentheses in my 1st statement– Let me put it in caps: “THAT WILL STICK IN COURT”.
        A better hit to my comment would have been to this website (which i found in only 30 seconds)
        http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6412617

        More importantly you missed the forest thru the trees on that one, which was that I don’t give a crap about smoking arguments, medical or legal, I was only being sarcastic. Please read my comment again maybe it might hit you this time a little clearer.

        I do respect that you seem to be looking for a discussion based on facts that are provable, and then everyone here or viewing can make better decisions than just gut reactions. I support that, I do. But no one likes an opinion rammed down their throat, right or wrong. I would suggest, if that’s what you are here for, to work on the tone.
        (Yes I realize it’s not just you, Yes I also realize the irony of being sarcastic myself rather than cordial.)

        Let me put it this way : I could hear your points better if they came from somewhere not just logical and well-researched, but also if there was room for other views to appear without being slapped in the face with a “You know you’re wrong” every post.

      • ddpalmer

        “Let me put it this way : I could hear your points better if they came from somewhere not just logical and well-researched, but also if there was room for other views to appear without being slapped in the face with a “You know you’re wrong” every post.”

        Pot
        Kettle
        Black

  • Samantha

    Sure dd, you got me. I know nothing, you know everything. Surely the 5 minutes you spent looking proves your vast knowledge and research capabilities.

    I recommend reading “The China Study.” Studies done over 75 grant years, compiled by a former dairy farmer lead inevitably to what I’ve been saying. I know you won’t read it, because as I said, you’d like to remain (ignorant) right, but it’s a fascinating and eye-opening read.

  • ddpalmer

    I never said I know everything. If you think so then that is your problem. What I do have is common sense and a science background. Medicine is a science and scientists almost never use absolutes like inevitable. They talk about theories because they know they can’t check every possibility so there is always a chance that their theory will be proven wrong.

    “The findings? “People who ate the most animal-based foods got the most chronic disease … People who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease. These results could not be ignored,” said Dr. Campbell.”

    No inevitable there. Just increased of decreased risk. I will look for the book at my local library. But I bet it never says meat eaters will inevitably have health problems.

    With your psychic powers you should help them find Osama bin Laden Or maybe you could get of your morally superior pedestal and admit that your morals aren’t the only ones and that yours aren’t better than those of anyone else.

  • Samantha

    My morals are actually the only (acceptable) ones, and they are better than those who would disagree. This is non-negotiable.

    • ddpalmer

      Oh I didn’t realize.

      How are your companions?
      Hitler
      Stalin
      Pol Pot
      Charles Manson
      Jeffrey Dahmer

      • Samantha

        Yes, I’m absolutely the same as people like Hitler – someone who believed that some were better than others.

        I’m trying to educate people that we are NOT better than our four legged counterparts, and people like you claim that we are.

        I DON’T eat dead, rotting flesh, or contribute to the deaths of others, either directly or indirectly.

        You believe human beings are superior to another species, you’d like to be free to practice your speciesism, you consume rotting, diseased flesh of the dead, and you take no issue with the deaths of billions of lives a year.

        So, who’s really more akin to Hitler, Stalin, Manson or Dahmer? Seems to me you fit the bill of everyone you’ve listed?

  • don miguelo

    Well that’s unfortunate. This is exactly what I was saying: You take any chance to tear people down. I even tried to extend an olive branch and find common ground up there, but you instead pointed out that was the pot calling the kettle black. Good choice. Funny thing is I WAS QUOTING YOU, so you just called yourself the kettle.

    I stand by what I said the 1st time around – You need glasses. Even with them you would not see, because you are not willing to see the message behind the passion. I will say this about your posts, they mostly try to back up what you are saying with links and research, and that could happen more often here by other posters. You are analytical and you hate replies to you without links and research to back it up. I appreciate that. But if you think I am going to have a discussion with you where I’m screwed whatever I do, you’re wrong. People are not going to supply their research to you because you are programmed to find real AND perceived flaws– and then say they are wrong. If they don’t provide them– you say they become not credible and (again) wrong.

    We’re not going to provide proof to your impossible standards. Why should we? Your answer will be the same, that we’re wrong anyway.(Ironically enough, that’s exactly how “Hitler Stalin Pol Pot Charles Manson Jeffrey Dahmer” would think as well, Mr DD Kettle).

    • ddpalmer

      Let’s see. You claim I need glasses and can’t comprehend your point that you tried to show by bringing cigarettes into the discussion rather than just making your point.

      You say you realize it is not just me who acts in a way you don’t like, but I was the only one you called out on it.

      An olive branch covered in thorns is not an olive branch.

      And most of the posters here are not my intended audience. Because most of them are as close minded as Samantha who claims to have the only acceptable morals. I post to ensure that both sides are represented so when people who aren’t familiar with the situation and the facts come to the site they don’t get a one-side argument saying one cheeseburger will cause an instant clogged artery.

      I know the facts from both sides. I know there are risks in eating meat. I also know there are risks every time I get on the ship for our next trip across Lake Erie. But in both cases I know the risks and I decide to accept those risks for the benefits they bring.

      By trying to ensure both sides are fairly presented I give the people in the middle the opportunity to weigh the risks and benefits themselves so they can make an informed decision. I have no problem with the vegetarian viewpoint being presented. Heck I could make the vegetarian argument better than many of the vegetarians who post here. But I do have a problem with lying to make the non-vegetarian side seem worse than it really is.

      Only showing people one viewpoint, insisting they follow that viewpoint and claiming any other viewpoint is invalid/immoral is what dictators and egomaniacs do.

      • don miguelo

        Ok, now most of that I agree with!

        …Not so much with the “covered in thorns” part but I’ll let it slide.

        We should all be able to back up our opinions with some reputable facts. And only allowing 1 viewpoint and forcing others to adhere is elitist or, in some cases of history, fascist. Intolerance is an ugly quality wherever it is found.

        I have never found intolerance, the black and white version of the world, to be terribly convincing. You can’t change people’s mind thru force in a holistic way. I think Moby up there would agree, especially if you look at his discussion on the “Everything You know is Wrong” liner notes.

      • Samantha

        I’m genuinely interested now. So, you claim to know all the risks vs. benefits, as well you claim the ability to argue the ‘vegetarian’ argument (which is irrelevant in this case, I’m vegan, and vegetarianism is not a huge step up from consuming animal products), so I’m interested in hearing you tell me the benefits of veganism, as if you were arguing FOR it.

        I’m also interested in hearing the risk vs. benefits of an omnivorous diet, seeing as you are the expert.

  • ddpalmer

    Samantha, obviously you mind is to full of your superior morals. Because otherwise I can’t figure out why have don’t seem to have the ability to read and understand English.

    I never said I knew all the risks and I didn’t say vegan, but somehow you read both those things.

    So I will let you get back to your work teaching the whole world how to act morally, and maybe you will have some spare time to take a class in English.

    Have a nice life. I have to get to my rack and get some sleep. Some of us are going to shoot moose early tomorrow and I don’t want to miss a chance at a good shot because I yawn at the wrong time.

  • abacus

    DD – you are getting a little tiring now. Your 30 secs of fame are up. adieu.

    • ddpalmer

      No. I was tired that is why I went to bed. maybe Samantha can help you with your English.

  • Samantha

    “Because otherwise I can’t figure out why have don’t seem to have the ability to read and understand English.”

    If *that* is proper English, then yes, I suppose you’re right. I definitely cannot understand that. Perhaps you would like to share your version of the English language with the rest of the world, so we can all get up to speed with your superior language skills.

    As far as the hunting comment – how typical. You should feel mighty accomplished that you have now resorted to the very same immature tactic I’ve seen of *every* threatened omni I encounter – when all else fails, get the damn vegans by threatening to hunt or slaughter as many animals as possible!

    Grow up, and re-educate yourself before you attempt to play with the big boys again.

  • ddpalmer

    There you go adding things to what I wrote that weren’t there. Maybe your dyslexic or just hallucinating?

    The moose hunting season ends in mid-December. We are going with cameras.

    And I apologize for assuming you were a woman. I have never heard of a boy called Samantha.

  • Samantha

    What did I add that you did not write? The misspoken English that I quoted of you was directly copy and pasted from your post – it’s still there for you to read, so I’m not sure what you’re referring to.

    Maybe you’re insinuating that it’s important to note that you’re only photographing moose, and not hunting? It really couldn’t matter less. You’re immaturity shone through either way. It’s clear what you attempted to imply.

    And I am a woman, it’s a figure of speech. And English one.

    • ddpalmer

      I admit that my english grammar isn’t perfect, but since English isn’t my first language or even my second I still make errors. I usually try and run my comments through a word processor to check for those errors but sometimes I don’t have the time.

      And actually from the many native English speakers from many different countries that I work with, ‘big boy’ is not and English expression. It is an American expression.

  • Samantha

    Listen, I’m not here to demean your English skills. My point is that it seems awfully inappropriate and hypocritical to accuse me of poor English, when it is clearly not your strong suit.

    Semantics and grammar aside, I’m done here. We’re not going to agree, and this is largely becoming a waste of my time.

  • http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=9FD18926170ED901&search_query=earthlings Whoever…

    Why do you guys pay any kind of attention to people like the ddpalmer character? Just ignore him!

    You’re wasting your time and energy because people like that are not interested in knowing the facts from both sides or accepting different points of view.

    They don’t have an open mind and are not willing to change their little world of illusion where everything is great and where humans are the superior and special species (weren’t hitler ideas similar to this, regarding the Jewish people?) and thus we can do whatever we want to the planet without expecting any type of consequences…

    If this guy isn’t a paid blogger, he sure has too much free time on his hands to annoy other people without even bothering to ‘listen’ to what they have to say.

    • Samantha

      I agree 100%.

    • ddpalmer

      I already know many of the facts from both sides and when I weight those facts I have decided that eating meat is acceptable. If others decide they don’t want to eat meat that is fine, we have had vegetarians on the crew before with no problem, not sure if any of them may have been vegan. But it is many vegetarians/vegans that want to force others to there point of view. I don’t want any vegetarians or vegans to start eating meat. I just want them to respect my different point of view.
      “…weren’t hitler ideas similar to this, regarding the Jewish people?” No not really he used the Jewish people and many other minorities as political scapegoats to explain Germanys’ economic problems. Although to a much smaller and less extreme level Pres. Obama is doing the same thing to the oil, bank and insurance industries.
      “If this guy isn’t a paid blogger, he sure has too much free time on his hands to annoy other people without even bothering to ‘listen’ to what they have to say.” I spend about an hour or two a day looking at blogs like this one, and as I have explained before I work in coastal shipping. Most of my work day consists of checking gauges for about 5 minutes every hour, unless something breaks then it is constant work until it is repaired. But the ships I work with currently are all well maintained and fairly new. So my job gives me 45+ minutes of free time every hour. If you meant ‘believe and follow’ when you said ‘listen’ then you have the problem. I ‘listen’ to what others have to say but that doesn’t mean I agree with it, so I respond with my views. And if I annoy you then you have the ability to ignore me. It won’t hurt my feelings.

      • http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=9FD18926170ED901&search_query=earthlings Whoever…

        Okay, I’m going to make an exception (against my own advice to other people) and actually address a few points you presented:

        - “I just want them to respect my different point of view.”
        Veg*ans ‘have no problem’ with animal eaters who admit they are aware of the suffering inflicted on animals and are willing to reduce their consumption; I mean, before I became vegan I was also an animal eater (good riddance :) ); What we don’t accept is animal eaters who don’t give a damn about the suffering inflicted on animals and who truly believe animals are here to serve us and that we’re the superior species; Who says so? Religions? Let’s not even go there! And real scientific research has proved that animals do think and feel ‘just like’ us (although at a different level); And we’re back to the nazis – they also used Jews for labor, to test on, and even used parts of their bodies to manufacture products… sounds familiar?
        Animals don’t have a choice about what is done to them so why should this only be a matter of personal choice for animal eaters? If you have that much ‘free’ time, please do click on my nickname and watch the documentary ‘Earthlings’. If after that you still feel the same way, ‘fine’! But then at least have the courage to admit you are an insensitive person who doesn’t like animals at all and only have respect for human life (or probably not)…

        - “Although to a much smaller and less extreme level Pres. Obama is doing the same thing to the oil, bank and insurance industries.”
        Don’t forget to add pharmaceutical companies, multinationals and religious leaders and you have the ‘elite’ who has controlled, manipulated and enslaved us during all these years – funny you’re mentioning this; Just listen to the news and you’ll hear, for instance, about the H1N1 vaccines scam – the so called conspiracy theorists warned about it and now it’s actually the main stream mass media that’s covering this subject! Big pharmaceuticals put a lot of pressure on the WHO to promote the ‘alleged pandemic’ swine flu so that they could make a huge profit with vaccines. Can we then truly trust institutions and organizations like WHO, IMF, the UN and so on? Therefore yes, President Obama is on the right track, although he has no power to stand up to the world elite. Again, please watch the 2 videos on the following site and then draw your own conclusions. From all that I’ve seen, heard and read, it all adds up…
        http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

        - “If you meant ‘believe and follow’ when you said ‘listen’ then you have the problem.”
        No I didn’t! I never believe in anything until I have done some research, and even then I’m always open to change my points of view if proven wrong.

      • Samantha

        Again, you state you know the facts, and choose an animals based diet.

        Please then, by all means, state the facts that lead you to believe this is an acceptable lifestyle.

        Surely you don’t have this belief based on the devastating effects of animal agriculture on our planet.

        And it can’t be that you believe it’s healthier, because science and medicine have proven the vegan diet to be the best diet for optimal human health.

        Certainly it isn’t for the benefit of the animals – who suffer tremendously after living miserable and short lives (I second the recommendation to watch Earthlings, as suggested – this will give you an idea of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight).

        So what are these facts you’ve studiously researched that have led you to believe that an animal based diet is a positive one, in any sense of the word?

        I mean come on people. We can look back now and see the slavery that was abolished was wrong, we acknowledge the perverse prejudice that gave birth to the Holocaust, and yet we cannot see that we are repeating the same practices?

        There is a group (animals) that another group (humans) feel superior to. Check. The “superior” group enslaves the “inferior” group. Check. The “superior” group justifies these prejudiced and immoral actions by means of attempting to prove the inferiority of the “inferior” group. Check.

        So if Jewish and African Americans have equality, if Women have equality, if children and intellectually disabled persons all have equality, why do we still deny the equality of this last group, simply because they are different than we?

  • Jae

    If meat eating were bad for you Eskimos would have died out.

    Enough Vegan sanctimony already!
    We’re in the middle of a food diversity crisis!
    Why are we listening to idiots trying to further restrict and exacerbate food diversity?

    We need to be eating a much wider variety of crops and animals not less.

    Ecology over animal protest industry agit-prop please.

    • Samantha

      You’re aware that with the entire world eating an animal based diet we don’t actually have enough land to raise food for every individual on the planet, are you?

      “- A vegan diet is so beneficial for our planet that eating vegan one day a week does more for the environment than driving a Prius or eating local 365 days a year.

      - Animal agriculture uses 37% of all pesticides and 50% of all antibiotics

      - Nearly 20% of all global warming emissions come from livestock -that’s more emissions than from all of the world’s transportation combined.

      - Animal agriculture takes up nearly 70% of all agricultural land, and 30% of the total land surface of the planet.

      - Animal agriculture is the biggest cause of slashing and burning the world’s forests.

      - It takes about 300 gallons of water per day to produce food for a vegan, and more than 4,000 gallons of water per day to produce food for a meat-eater. You save more water by not eating a pound of beef than you do by not showering for an entire year.

      - Eating one pound of meat emits the same amount of greenhouse gases as driving an SUV 40 miles.

      - Food for a vegan can be produced on only 1/6 of an acre of land, while it takes 3 and 1/4 acres of land to produce enough food for a meat-eater. If you add up all the arable land on the planet and divided it equally, every human would get 2/3 of an acre—more than enough to sustain a vegan diet, but not nearly enough to sustain a meat-eater.

      - It takes 16 pounds of grain to produce just 1 pound of edible animal flesh. Imagine how many people could be fed if we would eat the grain directly instead of funneling it through animals first.”

      If you’d like to talk about diversifying food, how about diversifying how many people are capable of eating on our planet? V

      eganism is the most beneficial and responsible choice for our planet, humanity, your own health, and of course, the animals who are currently being slaughtered at a rate of 50 billion a year to satisfy an international blood lust.

      I can personally testify to the fact that I’ve never eaten such a diverse group of foods until I went vegan. It is arguably the most diverse diet there is.

      As for you Jae – since you clearly are not concerned with the health of our planet, the delicate and important balance of ecological diversity in nature (which we are destroying exponentially), or the survival of our species – what exactly are you doing following a pro-vegan, pro-environmentalism and pro-humanitarianism blog?

      Certainly would make most question your motives here.

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