Going Vegan

[Ugly Nora]

I was a vegetarian for about 10 years and then made the switch back to full meat eater, and it was the best decision I ever made. For example, this weekend I went out to dinner with my girlfriend and her family. I had:

Seared Ahi Tuna appetizer
Ribeye (rare)

Plus I had some of my girlfriends crab cakes and ribs. Then, we shared a piece of cheesecake.

[D.o.S.]

Maybe I've missed something -- why are we ignoring the moral and ecological/economic arguments?

[Chankgeez]

Well, I'd consider myself vegetarian not vegan, but there are things that still disturb me as an ovo-lacto vegetarian.

I don't really like eggs and don't eat 'em often, but it's disturbing to know that hundreds of millions of male chicks are killed every year by the egg industry.

I do like cheese, but it's also creepy that in order for cows (or other dairy animals) to keep producing milk they need to constantly be giving birth.

[neonblack]

Its also messed up that the meat industry contributes more to climate change/global warming/pollution than almost any other industry.

[Blunderbus]

I am vegetarian for the sole reason that I wish not to consume meat that comes from a filthy industry. Where growth hormones, antibiotics and other nature manipulating practices are done for maximum profit.

I buy vegetarian cheese as well as normal cheese requires rennet that comes from the stomach of veal.

Vegans do not use leather in anything. No adhesives that are made from ground up cattle bones.

Going Vegan is tough and I praise the persons being vegan. I myself could not do it.

[Swordfishtrombone]

Maybe I've missed something -- why are we ignoring the moral and ecological/economic arguments?

While I have no real reason to be in this thread since I'm not vegan/vegetarian, and have no intention on making the jump anytime soon (even if most of my diet doesn't involve meat), I think it's because a lot of people seem to already know a bit about those sides of it. Not only that, but I agree with everyone else that's said that it's probably not smart to just jump from being an omnivore to being vegan like it's nothing, and it's pretty important to bring up. Even without making drastic changes in my diet, the minor ones have had some screwy effects on me (it probably doesn't help that my health issues probably contribute to that <_<), so it's definitely important, especially for the reasons that they gave for wanting to go vegan.

[Sparrow]

almond milk is rad in cereal

[Faldoe]

All I'm gonna say is that if we were meant to be carnivores, we would be able to hunt and kill prey with our hands and teeth and eat the meat raw.

When is the last time you ate a fresh kill, still warm with blood?

Despite our evolutionary eating patterns, what we've done to the earth with industrial livestock farming has put a huge burden on the planet. It seems people have lived and do live healthy lives as vegans.

I think above all it is a choice about the world, environment, nature.

I enjoy meat but it is hard to rationalize historical eating habits/development over the huge problems we face. And we do face them, whether one wants to admit it or not. Or just get lost in the tweaking of knobs.

[Faldoe]

All I'm gonna say is that if we were meant to be carnivores, we would be able to hunt and kill prey with our hands and teeth and eat the meat raw.

When is the last time you ate a fresh kill, still warm with blood?

Despite our evolutionary eating patterns, what we've done to the earth with industrial livestock farming has put a huge burden on the planet. It seems people have lived and do live healthy lives as vegans.

I think above all it is a choice about the world, environment, nature.

I enjoy meat but it is hard to rationalize historical eating habits/development over the huge problems we face. And we do face them, whether one wants to admit it or not. Or just get lost in the tweaking of knobs.

Its also messed up that the meat industry contributes more to climate change/global warming/pollution than almost any other industry.

Yes, indeed.

[cheesecats]

it's all well and good to criticize modern agricultural production methods. but they have lowered costs, increased availability, and improved nutrition for billions of people around the world. generally, people with plenty of disposable income are the ones who can afford to buy organic produce and hormone-free, free-range meat and eggs. i'm not criticizing that, but it would be impossible to feed everyone using these low-output, high-cost methods. and we consumers are to blame as well, demanding convenience and distancing ourselves from the farm. i wonder how many carnivores could slaughter and butcher their own meat? but milk comes from a carton, meat from a fast food joint--no stress, no mess. things aren't going to change soon--the asian diet has been westernizing rapidly, putting even more pressure on resources like the cerrado and the amazon as brazil gears up to feed china. there's no easy fix.

[D.o.S.]

Sure there is:

http://www.theonion.com/articles/new-ec ... man,17529/

[Chankgeez]

... i'm not criticizing that, but it would be impossible to feed everyone using these low-output, high-cost methods.

Thanks for bringing up our overpopulation problem.

[UglyCasanova]

... i'm not criticizing that, but it would be impossible to feed everyone using these low-output, high-cost methods.

Thanks for bringing up our overpopulation problem.

[Eivind August]

So... Nobody here goes fishing or hunting? Being from a family of hunters, I get alot of meat that they killed themselves. I try not to support the meat industry (though of course I end up doing it), but I don't see myself becoming a vegetarian anytime soon. It's cool that alot of you guys are, though.

[Jwar]

BRO no steak? NO chicken? NO buffalo? NO meat????????????? My God. I think I'd rather be dead. Dead I say! DEAD!!!!!!!!


Good on you though. haha. It's not easy I've heard, but there's tons of info out there. Just don't become a weirdo and get sucked into the Whole Foods/hipster movement.


Me? I gots to have my meat. My man meat....errr....nm....