To ask everyone to eat less meat and meat products?

[Breadandwine]

There are 3 reasons I eat a plant-exclusive diet:

1. I feel I'm healthier (I became veggie to avoid BSE - and my osteoarthritis has been stopped in its tracks since I went vegan)
2. Animal welfare issues (I went vegan after looking at the inevitable cruelty involved in the meat and dairy industries)
3. Global warming/climate change (the single most important thing anyone can do to fight GW is to go vegan - the world's livestock industry contributes more to GW than does transport!)

Before global warming reared its ugly head, I was quite reticent about my veganism, only talking about it when I was asked. But now that our children's and our grandchildren's future is threatened, I'm a lot more vocal.

And now there's me and the Pope on the same side - who'dda thunk it?

I apologise if I offended anyone with my first post. I just find it scary what's happening to the world, and so few people seem to care, or even want to care.

To the person who said it's personal, it's really not. The wellbeing of this planet is all of our business.

As for Meat Free Monday, it doesn't have to be Mondays! Choose any day. It's just an idea to try and get people engaged.

Let's aim for less meat but better quality meat as a pp suggested. Better all round for everyone.

I am coming up to my 31st anniversary of not consuming animal products.

OP you are a mere beginner love. One word of advice, stop being so bloody judgy. It is far better to eat locally sourced ethically reared/organic meat, than many vegan foods shipped in from across the globe. Many an afford locally sources organic meat so they do what they can, if it suits them. If not, judgy threads on here won't encourage anyone to change their minds any time soon.

crustsaway do you have no concerns at all about what you eat?
Or is it all about where the next MacDonalds is coming from for you?

Future generations will advance and think of something else the way we did so I wouldnt worry too much about it.

Its a massive interconnected web that boils down to profit and greed.

In which I'm assuming that you're accusing the consumer of being the most greedy as they will only buy the cheapest meat that they force the farmer to produce.

I'm taking my staff to an all-you-can-eat meat barbecue tonight, so no thanks.

No thanks

I like my steak still practically moo-ing too

Surely you still eat eh OP?

I'm thinking more of the processed foods business springsprang where I think the consumer,particularly the less well off consumer,carries a lesser burden of blame than the producer.

Look at the horse meat scandal.

Haven't read the full thread, just wanted to post before bed.

YANBU

How can you possibly be unreasonable to ask someone to do anything? You have not forced anyone with a gun to their head so to all those who posted YABU - you simply didn't answer the question.

As to the object, I totally agree that we should eat less meat. It is having an affect on our planet. Cut down a rain forest and grass grows back and for two years only we have Brazilian beef, after 5 years the soil is so leached that only melons will grow and then desert by year 6. A rainforest which has taken thousands of years to mature is gone.

We can grow crops inside forests. Trees, crops, bushes when planted together all draw up to the light and trees give shelter. We need less land for protein in the form of plant produce, much less than meat production.

Also, don't forget that in the UK, although there are great swathes of arable land at this time of year clearly displaying wheat, barley almost ready to harvest, oats, beans and maize, a significant proportion of this goes to feed cattle, sheep and pigs.

crusts

Have you been at the sauce?

YABU you have no idea of my diet or why it is what it is, don't presume everyone that eats meats is wasteful or doesn't care.

Taking one of your points though, it does annoy me that as a car driver I am penalised through emissions related car tax, parking charges designed to reduce car use etc. But a meat eating, non driver is not penalised.
Does make you wonder about 'green' levies.

Suburban I don't think so. I think CatMilkMan is a tiger or a lion or something similar. Or a shark. With an I-Pad.

My resident vegan would have today consumed coffee, bananas, oranges, dates and coconut oil (and other stuff). None of these products are local to us, they would have been transported hundreds (thousands?) of miles. And under what conditions were they farmed/produced/gathered? How many people and animals are exploited from the farming and production of those products? How green and ethical is it possible to be?

YABU and it's none of your business what other people eat.

1. I am healthy albeit disabled, eat only free range meat and shall continue to do so.

1. Global warming doesn't exist - this planet has changed from ice age to tropical and in between countless times over millions of years and will continue to do so.

What is it with some people on here who think they know better than others - they don't - so mind your own business.

yabu

But bacon though...

what if everyone went veggie? the amount of vitamins we would have to swallow would enable many a pharmaceutical company to profit hugely and you know what that would mean dont you?

crusts I've never taken a vitamin in my life - I just eat a balanced, vegan diet, and I'm as fit as a flea!

This thread is really depressing.

spatch, you're right, and I knew what I was getting into by starting this thread, but I find people just don't talk about the coming 'catastrophe', to use your word. But, if, every time the subject is raised, someone else eats a little less meat, that's got to be a good thing, right?

Sorry if I've come across as 'preachy', folks, or as 'imposing my views'! Not my intention at all. I guess I just want to raise people's consciousness!

Global warming doesn't exist

Oh dear....

I think veganism makes a huge amount of sense, I don't eat much meat but the idea of doing without eggs and butter and yogurt makes me so blue, I just can't imagine ever taking that route.

Your OP was interesting till you got to global warming but I cime from the school of it all being exaggerated. Even Lovelock regrets some of his dramatic language and don't forget in the 70s they were panicking about the new Ice Age they thought was imminent. the planet will change, that's okay, I think the nearer crises will be related to overpopulation. And the closest one is economic.

The problem is, everyone who's found their 'diet solution' is evangelical about it, believes its the healthiest way to be and thinks everyone should do as they do.

But it's only the best way to be for them

Personally, I only eat chicken, tuna, salmon, eggs, fruits, vegetables and olive oil (to cook with). It works for me and I believe it's very healthy. But HCLF Vegan adherents would say there's too many animal products, Sugar-is-a-sin adherents would say that fruit is evil, doctors would say there's not enough fat, nutritionists would say there's not enough variety, normal people would say it's boring ... and so it goes on.

You can only choose the diet that works for you. I can't cut out literally half the things I eat to please you and I can't force people not to eat the things I find unhealthy and disgusting (of which there are many!)

Flipping heck, global warming is nothing to do with who eats meat and who doesnt. How funny. If you want to eat like a rabbit thats up to you. I personally like a bit of meat.

Fit as a flee? are they fit? Do flees have longevity? How long do they live?