Showing posts with label Farming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Farming. Show all posts

Friday, December 29, 2006

My only 'preachy' vegetarian post...(summary of links)

I don't know what it was about today, but everywhere I went/didn't go seemed to address 'vegetarianism' it started with an email on a listserve, to a taxi cab conversation, because I also recently saw Fast Food Nation [excellent review at Feral Scholar] and then this song kept playing in my head because I feel exactly the way this song describes about everything that sucks about this world in general.



The unedited and extremely disturbing version of this song, can be found here - you must login to view it. It made me want to upchuck my veg lunch. Lyrics.

Okay, this post won't be as preachy as I thought it would be - because I don't think it's preachy to point out why consuming large amounts of meat is bad for this planet and indeed your health, there are of course 101 reasons for you to go veg if you haven't done so already. A recent UN report even highlights the major devastation that methane (in this case cow farts!) are having on the greenhouse effect [info via pandagon].

It's interesting because I think vegetarianism is definitely one of the most pressing 'leftist' issues today. It's an issue important for feminists, socialists, environmentalists and third worldists alike.

Of course you could just want to go veg cause it makes you 'smarter' (j/k). Or because you could take a justified piss at PeTA (Poopheads entitled to TnA), [link to no-status quo - not PeTA] because I just don't think it's right for me to talk about vegetarianism if I don't get to bash on the most widely recognized 'animal right's' organizations...

You would think PeTA was done with TnA?

Nopes...



Indeed - now they want to ensure if most of the world's women don't already feel shitty about themselves they can always 'go veg' to ensure that they do. PeTA I hate you! Don't ya know - you can be fat and fit? Or that you can be an overweight and unhealthy vegetarian??? Stop with your bullshit rhetoric already - and FUCK YOU!

Anyways, with the recent carrot juice (my favorite flavor too damnit) and spinach scares earlier this year, I think going organic AND buying local are by far the best options for a healthy and sustainable planet, period. Many mid-large cities offer delivery services for reasonably priced local produce.

Note: I like links, have you noticed? Links in this post are all actual links and not just some new spam that's highlighted some words and not others on your monitor...

Also: I was born a vegetarian (Hindu), so sometimes I feel slightly hypocritical discussing vegetarianism with people - because really I didn't have much of a choice (except that my parents were very open to me trying meat if I wanted to). I also recognize the Hindu-right's disgusting anti-Muslim discriminatory vegetarian views/policies in India. This is unfortunate but like extremists everywhere they've maligned an important issue for their own evil agendas. I am also a lacto-veg who has failed at many attempts at going vegan. I do consume very few milk products and that too it's limited to cheese and yogurt (flavors difficult to replicate via soy/rice based products). I will definitely try again.

PS. Sorry about the 'videopimp' logo on that video, I couldn't find one without it on Youtube.

farmer suicides in India

Here is a weblink to one of the pressing topics in rural India- farmer suicides. This is just one very lucidly written report.