Rod Maughan
We just had a bloke knock at the door who is going to be selling fish in the area from his van - Mandy told him politely no thanks, we're vegetarians, and she was informed - 'oh but lots of vegetarians eat fish'. No, they do not. People who eat fish but no other meat are not vegetarians, they are pescetarians. Meat is meat, whether it's from a cow, chicken, fish, mussel or beetle.
A couple of polite replies and enquiries ensued, which were answered with equal politeness and patience... But then we get this chap from America, who will remain anonymous:
So rather than eat meat based products which by the way are from animals that use up oxygen lets all eat vegetables that actually make the oxygen and also while we are at it lets starve the other herbivores on earth. Because we need the plants to produce the oxygen we breathe first off and second mankind is an omnivore meaning we were made to eat meat and or produce . But then we all choose our own lifestyles and have that right.
(I have corrected all his spelling and grammar mistakes by the way. I could've left them to underline things, but I'm a perfectionist and they were bugging the hell out of me!)
My reply:
Rod Maughan First of all I'm not in the business of trying to convert anyone, so don't go on the defensive. Vegetarianism is something I believe in almost spiritually and have done all my life, as have my family, but I try my best to respect others.
And secondly, oh my goodness, your argument is really wrong. Eating animals is eating 3rd generation energy and is much less efficient way of obtaining nutrients and energy. The vast bulk of oxygen producing plants are: 1st, blue-green algae blooms in the oceans, 2nd, the Taigar forest which stretches almost all the way round the far northern hemisphere, and 3rd the rain forests. These are not being consumed on any meaningful scale by vegetarians or any other animal, you will not be deprived of your oxygen by us.
The rain forests are however being torn down at an alarming rate to make way for growing food to raise cattle for beef. It takes 10 times as much fresh water to produce the same quantity of meat as vegetable matter. All these farm animals are producing more than a 5th of the world's CO2 emissions, more than cars and helping us along our way gradually to man made climate change.
As for omnivores... well that's a transitional stage. We started out as herbivores, hence the really long digestive tract, appendix and molar teeth and then gradually began evolving into carnivores. But now we have this huge population problem and massive shortages in fresh water, and the scientific know-how and ethical responsibility towards the future that there is no reason for us to eat meat any more. Other than the fact that people enjoy it. That's nice. "We have that right." How selfish. Sorry future.
Some scientists have suggested that the world will have to turn vegetarian in the next 50 years or we will begin to starve to death - there will not be enough fresh water to grow the vast quantities of food to feed the animals any more, we will require it for ourselves. Those that is produced will cost so much that only the elite will be able to afford it. We are taking far more from this Earth than can be sustained, it will not last forever.
Have you seen a world population growth chart? It is mind-boggling. If it carries on at the same rate then at some point in the next 100 years there could be more people alive on the planet than have ever been born in the whole of history. Any way, for those reasons, and other more ethical spiritual reasons, I am vegetarian. It is not much for one person to do, a drop in the ocean, but it is something that I can actually do (along with not owning a car) and it gives me peace of mind and is so very important to me.
But each to their own.
But he did not reply to that. Obviously the double whammy of both evolution and climate change must have scared him away. As he was American and I gather possibly from the Bible Belt area...
I will now add the rest of what I said, just to finish making my case for vegetarianism, after other people had polite follow-up questions:
Rod Maughan No, eggs aren't meat - people classify them in with dairy produce, though they're not technically that either. Vegans do not eat them, but vegetarians do. The Vegetarian Society has lots of information on everything I've talked about and more, nutrition, etc. https://www.vegsoc.org if you are interested in finding out more. I agree with you about all the food that is thrown away, just terrible - I'm sure there's enough there to feed the world's starving nations, or at least all our homeless people on the streets. I can supply you with some links if you like, or look it up yourself - key words like environmental vegetarianism, world food or water shortage, etc, should bring up numerous interesting articles. I don't really consider myself an expert, but it is something that means a lot to me and so I take an active interest in it.
@Jasun (Maughan, my son): Thanks, but steady on there, no need to be insulting people for having different opinions. You remind me of me when I was your age! I suppose the spirituality side of it stems from my own personal pagan-based beliefs which I know we haven't really discussed at length. The way I see it, if it's a matter of survival one would do what one must to live. But in this day and age we have plenty and so do not need to resort to the type of cruelty we inflict upon factory farmed animals raised as food - spiritually I feel that if I was a part of that process which caused so much pain and suffering to other sentient life then it would be like a stain on my soul. I feel an affinity with all living things (except spiders... and crane flies!) especially those sentient enough to feel fear and pain. Why cause so much suffering when it is not really necessary? But this is just my own personal viewpoint/ belief which I have developed over a life time, it works for me and I'm sticking with it. I do not assume it is the correct way to live for all, as we are all different, and I do my very best not to be judgmental of others whose beliefs differ wildly smile emoticon
And so all of that is why I am and always will be a vegetarian.
Bye for now -
