GOT ROOM? Can the Planet Sustain Meat as a Food Source?
In reply to a friend's email about meat and hunting:
Well, my wife is from Kansas- all hunters. I don't condone hunting, generally. I think that as long as the poor things are already slaughtered and served up at the market- may as well make those deaths worthwhile by eating the meat that's already been harvested. We try as hard as we can to be vegan- probably at 70% these days. As with our recycling efforts, if a bottle goes with the produce-well, oops-we don't fish it out! If we want meat, we eat it, generally, and don't treat it like a religion- we hope we're not going to hell for that chicken we had! If we do eat meat, we try to stick with hormone-free, antibiotics-free, organic and free range, and support ethical treatment of animals, especially at slaughter where they deserve the utmost respect as treasured givers of sustenance.
But to all hunters I say that as long as you're eating what you kill- having to carve it up and doing all the nasty work- then okay. I hunted as a teen and know the bloody mess it makes- the warm innards- the smell. If you can handle that, then you've kind of earned it. KIND OF. God's way of keeping us from killing everything in sight? Nowadays though, there are so many options for food, self-sustainability, knowledge about meat, protein needs, fake meats available, etc., that I find it harder all the time to accept the death of any animal for our own needs. I still eat meat on occassion, and I do have some questions in the back of my mind about it as I enjoy my meal. Sport hunters-on the other hand-if they were hunted, they might come to understand what that feels like and stop. I definitely believe in hunting with a camera-shoot all ya want in all that camo-and it's much harder to get a good shot off!!!
I understand how deep the hunting culture is- I painted a piece recently of a grandson and grandpa on their first hunt, and it's clearly a rite-of-passage thing more than a need to put food on the table. I love the shot and the moment. I understand the feelings there- it's about bonding.
You being half Cherokee, I'm sure you understand how hunting has changed. It was once a sacred act of survival, then with the settlers came the massacring of herds for their hides and to control Indian populations. I don't buy the concepts of hunting as "it's American" or "you need to thin the herd" or as being a part of the right to bear arms. I do understand the idea that you should have the right to collect your own food, and not be at the mercy of the food industry- so okay. I end up lightly supporting a very life-respecting, animal-considerate, fair-hunt policy that keeps freedom in our hands. But I think it's the animals that need all the help they can get.
Recently, when I took a stroll through the ultra-cool Bass Pro Shop, I was pulled in two directions: 1. Wow, I want some weapons and go out and shoot some stuff that I can take home 'n' eat. 2. This is truly an unfair fight- run, animals, run! The gear, the decoys, the scopes, the rifles, the camo, the ammo- it's a fight I would break up as unfair! In the face of all that technology, animals are defenseless. What an awful thing to do to a helpless, beautiful, perfect creature.
I think we're crazy if we think we are superior in any way to them- to the squirrel, the rabbit, the bison. All creatures live in their own complete universe with feelings and fears, and a love of their own as we do. We all seek to reproduce and to protect our young. No better, no worse. Just 'cause we can build stuff that can wipe ourselves and everything else off the planet doesn't mean we're better. We've actually just become more of a threat to everything that exists. I think we need to stop and think more. Be more considerate of god's creatures. Any splatttering of his creations to me is a sin. The other day a post quoted Denis Leary as saying, "eating meat is an instict." I've heard that one before and always think "not." We learn what to eat from what is served on the table, and served on our televisions. You won't find me eating bugs as they do in Asia!!! The lesser known quote that I like is "thou shall not kill." However you interpret the scripture, it's a healthy guide. I simply try to eat further down the food chain, though I'm sure plants don't enjoy being devoured either. ???
Anyway, I posted the Triathlete article because people think they need the extra protein, or they need something that's missing- that just isn't true. Most of us get too much protein. I believe you need to make sure you're mixing it up when going veggie. I've had friends say they went veggie and just ate veggie burritos all the time- that's not going to cut it! That's just more fast food. I think you probably need to eat more often as a veg too cause it goes happily right through you. I say get some of those lazy bones shakin' and get some cookin' skills goin'. Here's link to olympian Carl Lewis on being a vegan: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=744765316519516434.
As far as pure nutrition, some of the largest animals on earth are vegetarian. We're better off eating what they eat, rather than getting it second hand through their meat- simply more efficient. MOST IMPORTANTLY- I don't see how this planet can sustain the production of meat. It's just a matter of time when the world will HAVE to go veggie. What then? A $1,000. steak? People killing each other for a Big Mac??? I don't see us being able to keep it up. Seriously, oxygen from our rain forests, or meat? That will be the choice.
I guess lastly, I don't think people know how good some veggie stuff is. Like anything else, you just have to figure which things you like (even with meat, you might like bacon and hate pork chops- wouldn't know if you didn't try it, right?) I just had a portobello sandwich the other day that was simply amazing. Or try these on for size: veggie lasagna, hummous, grape leaves, greek salad, guacamole, vegan pancakes, my vegan pumpkin pie (!), my homemade salsa (!!!! legendary !!!!). We go to Mexican restaurants and feast by simply ordering sides of rice, beans (hold the cheese), salsa and corn tortillas- talk about a cheap dinner date! We go to our Thai place and they have the best ever Chicken Satay (wheat meat that you wouldn't believe), coconut soup and Rad Na (big thai noodles and veggies). I'm getting hungry writing this! The cucumber roll and avocado handwrap at our sushi joint with edemame and miso soup is makin' me call my wife for a lunch date!
Anyways- I'm glad you've gotten away from the hormones, antibiotics and garbage, which is soooo concentrated in the meat of animals- very astute of you. All I do is go as far down the road as I can to opening my heart and mind to things I hadn't before seen. I'm so glad I met you there!
RF
Editor The Signal Santa Clarita, CA Dear Sirs; To say, as Lynn Vakay stated in “Right Here, Right Now”, that I am voting against the Propositions is because I don't want to pay taxes and that I believe some of the garbage that Right Wing media spews in order to gain legs, couldn't be further from the truth.
I'm voting against the State Propositions, particularly 1A, D and E, because they attack the programs I strongly believe in. Even though I don’t have any children, I want good schools. I want young children to get the best start in life they can and I want the mentally ill to get the treatment they need to help them recover. I also don't want our senior citizens and chronically ill to be treated as “cast aways” to become beggars in our society. I want our young mothers with children not to become homeless and have their children removed from them because they have lost their housing. These State Propositions will further intensify societal problems when people with special needs are not helped. Isn’t it ironic that the areas these propositions attack are those with the poorest and weakest among us? Or are these areas being attacked because they have fewer voters? What we really need is to restore Majority Rule in our budgetary process. We need to overthrow the two-thirds rule that requires all budget/revenue bills to get 67% of the legislators to vote for them. Our citizens should not be held hostage because of the Republicans promised no taxes, I don’t know anyone who “enjoys” paying taxes but year after year, the state citizens are being held hostage. Citizens need to be mindful of a budget that shrinks essential educational, social and health care services for California citizens. To do so is abominable and I will not hold my nose and vote “yes” at their expense!!
The Republicans are in the vast minority, yet we hear that they control the majority. I am not happy either with the Democrats, who have been boxed in and have been encouraging citizens to vote for these propositions filled with loopholes that are poorly explained.
All my life I was taught that the majority rules. It is also very unfair that the weakest among us are being sacrificed. This was not the change that I was voting for in the last election. Please be sure to vote “YES” on 1F, it stands to reason if we are facing large deficits that no legislator should receive pay increases. Voting yes will hold legislators accountable to the voters. When legislators feel they are immune to their actions they won’t find a need to clean up their budgetary messes. Think carefully when you vote on May 19th. The sustainable future we all desire is being crushed. Sincerely, Minerva L. Williams
31945 Emerald Lane
Castaic, CA, 91384-3102
(661) 295-9318
Creating a Tipping Point for Sustainable Economic Prosperity
The Status Quo is at it again - trying to blow the smoke of denial in our eyes. They would like us to rescue the Old Economy and bring back the old ways of manipulating commerce and unsustainable business practices.
What is actually required is to move forward and build the infrastructure for a New Economy based on sustainability, access and accountability. Yet the Sacred Cow that says, "Keep looking backwards" is front and center, stubbornly digging it's heels in to sabotage any real change.
Most people know in their heart of hearts that the old economy is dying. The Old Guard would love to feed the sense of hopelessness and fear with their carefully calculated doomsday predictions and the Media will gladly oblige.
What we can do to pull the plug on this kind of thinking is to turn our focus towards businesses and solutions that are being built now, rather than spending our precious resources on keeping the Titanic afloat.
Recovery? Restore America to the prosperity of 2006?
Way too small a vision for our time and place in global history.
Please energize your resources to galvanize President Obama and the administration into defining and declaring a BIG EMPOWERING VISION for America. Something with the motivating power of Kennedy’s bold declaration of putting a man on the moon.
The realities of the confluence of global environmental and social issues challenges our ability to prevail with anything resembling our current lifestyle... These realities demand setting a goal of altering our collision course with mega disaster. We confront the probability of environmental changes so dramatic that they are a threat not only for our children’s future, but our own.
This vision, based on unspoken realities, will also shake up the resistant and reactionary from their state of fear and paralysis. They can only profit if we survive.
It’'s simple. We must evolve or perish.
Please light some fires and help motivate your network to help create the future we want for our children... and ourselves, beginning NOW.
I put a 5 part video up on YouTube that amplifies this concern. It is also available on my website: http://web.mac.com/marvlyons/EarthTHRIVE/Challenge_to_Barack.html
I have a DVD with the same videos. if you would like one. I’m proposing public involvement in defining our Empowering Vision.
Marv Lyons
For several years, I have been trying to build up momentum for a program that would educate and encourage people to Take Care of Their Share of the environment.
The central focus for this initiative would be a central (federal) website that provides information for any citizen that wants to learn how to Take Care of Their Share of the environment. This federal site would contain links to federal organizations that provide this information, such as the DEP and NRDC. This site would also have links to similar pages for every state government, that would list resources within that state that teach citizens how to Take Care of Their Share of the environment.
I think this is of critical importance for several reasons. First, there is just too much information out there and it is spread so thin that it is virtually impossible to locate. And when you do locate it, you have no way of knowing how accurate or verifiable the information is.
The federal and state governments have access to scientists and other experts in the fields of environmental health.
Second, President Obama is the perfect president to implement this. He is all about rallying the people to do their part, and his inspirational messages have the power to encourage them.
Third, President Obama wants to help support green collar jobs and I feel that it is important to recognize that green writers and green web designers need to be included in this initiative.
Now the question is, how does one going about trying to push through something like this?
I started contacting state governments back in 2007 about this idea and I have gotten very little support. I think it needs to come from the top but how does someone get the ball rolling on something like this?
***Now, before anyone visits the website and gets turned off by the advertisements, keep in mind that I have been working on this project for over 5 years (started locally and moved nationally) and have received no pay other than minimal MINIMAL donations from my friends. The ads were recently added to try to support the costs of the website.
A meeting that you don't want to miss - especially if you're interested in learning from our local legen, Joel Salatin, about sustainable local food.
Creating a Local Food System that Works with Joel Salatin
Joel Salatin, third generation alternative farmer, creator of Polyface Farms, and author of many acclaimed
Permaculture Design Course: Sustainability Strategies for the Blue Ridge.
This event will be held at the Montessori Community School on Pantops Mountain located at 305 Rolkin
Rd. Charlottesville, VA. The suggested donation for the event is $15, and the proceeds will support the Blue
Ridge Permaculture Network. For more information and to register: contact Terry Lilley, 434-296-3963,
email: tygerlilley@gmail.com
Obama's vision is bringing new hope and promise for Global Sustainability. But are our current public & private institutions equipped to deliver that? What would it take to transform their old mental models that has long been a threat to sustainability?We need new institutional arrangements and a new consciousness of long-term/ systemic accountability & sustainability.What would be the leadership vision, culture, policies, systems dynamics and philosophical underpinning of such ‘ideal’ sustainable institutions?
First a definition, a hyperlocavore tries to eat as much food as close to home as possible, in order to reduce the food miles that his food travels. It is an extension of the term locavore. A locavore typically tries to eat seasonally within 100 miles of her home, to reduce food miles and to develop the local economic base. A hyperlocavore therefore wants to bring food even closer. And what's closer than your neighborhood? We have a time crunch, we have land and property that is loosing value fast, we have kids who don't know where their food comes from, and we have a climate crisis.
Hyperlocavore.com, a social network, is here to help facilitate yardsharing. Yardsharing and group growing is new. It's different from a community garden - but the site (hyperlocavore.com) can be used to create and manage one. A yardshare might be an arrangement between an elderly couple and a young one to grow more food cheaply for both. Or friends who live in an apartment and a friend in the burbs to save money and food miles.
This is a list of the reasons I think group gardens and yardsharing is an idea whose time has come. The links hide some people, websites and imagery that have inspired me to build hyperlocavore.com. Have fun exploring. Every reason is not meant to appeal to everyone. See if just one make sense to you! Then join us to explore the possibilities. The site is free, and you do not need to commit to anything to participate. It's new to most of us. It's up to you what makes sense for you and yours. We just hope to inspire and facilitate. If you agree with more than two of these, you just may be a hyperlocavore!
I work with the Hope Now Project for free voluntary global birth control. You can find out more about this at: www.mundomio.org/hopenow.html. This incredible program can dramatically reduce environmental pressure in ONE DECADE, while simultaneously transferring wealth from the "haves" to the "have-nots" in a voluntary and managed way.
I seek to get rid of the "soft corruption" that is ubiquitous in the U.S.: cronyism, partiality to wealth and influence, bureacratic fear to engage politically powerful perpetrators.
I also seek a society that is high-tech/low-consumption/low-waste/low-exploitation (see: www.mundomio.org).
Lastly, I have an amazing sensing technology that promises to revolutionize how we interact with each other...think the next generation of the Internet, immersion virtual travel (see: www.prv.com).
Lea and I hosted an Economic Recovery meeting last week. We had a wonderful gathering and an interesting and informative exchange of ideas. I'm going to post a summary of what we talked about, starting with sustainability. Thank you so much to Liz, Anand, Tommy, Joan and Barbara for participating and making the discussion so lively:
This new government, being one of sound deliberation needs to place world population growth at the top of policy objectives. This planet needs the human population to come together and develop a plan which will help reduce and stabilize the human population if we want this planet to remain livable. Until we deal with this problem all our other concerns will continue to increase in severity.
Let's make this an issue of open discussion. Let us consider the future we are creating with the growth rates we have for the human population. Let us consider what having more and more people brings with it. Examples of problems include but are in no way limited to: increased pollution, increased wildlife habitat destruction and fragmentation, increased flooding and sporadic weather, inability to educate, increasing crime levels, further separation in wealth structures, increasing dependence of the people on corporations focused on profits rather than human and ecological welfare, increasing traffic and congestion, increasing mortality do to food and water shortages, increasing sea levels, decreasing glacial mass, among other problems. Basically as population increases every other problem we face also increases.
We can make this a priority for open discussion. Let us join together and make it part of what the world is talking about and making plans to fix for the hope of all of the life that lives on this planet and makes this planet livable.
Nine local residents met December 13 to plan how we can connect local change efforts with those at regional and national levels and the Obama administration.
We introduced ourselves and expressed our priorities for change:
The Pickens Plan: For those who would like to become an active participant in a solution for our nations energy needs I urge you to join with T.Boone Pickens in his quest for a cleaner planet through alternative energy.
Also see Green Wave Energy: Green Wave was founded by Mark Holmes and was formulated for viable alternative energy solutions. Green Wave Energy is promoting state-of-the-art energy-saving products and services throughout the country.
Green Wave Energy understands alternative energy technology will become “main stream” when
Call 949.645.1701 for information on how Green Wave Energy can help you save the planet.
Alternative EnergySource: David Apperson
url: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/tag/alternative-energy
Food and Water Watch is encouraging concerned citizens to contact President-elect and his transition team to develop solid policies and programs for food, water and fish.
This is the link to send a message: http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/t/5915/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=392
We are currently living through the worst financial crisis since the great depression. This is a result not so much of a failure on Wall Street as a failure on Main Street in terms of the subprime mortgage mess. Mortgage brokers, many of them very local businesses, wrote no-doc loans for eager buyers and placed them with banks and finance companies, who in turn re-sold them to other lenders and institutional investors in “bundles,” which these lenders resold to private investors in the form of fractional securities.
Most of these loans were to people who needed a home. Although at the end of the real-estate boom many homes were being bought by speculators, the majority of the loans were issued to people who just qualified for them within the guidelines being used at the time. Once these loans adjusted, these families could no longer afford the homes; and currently two million of them are being forced out, having lost their deposits and their payments into their new houses.
If the government guaranteed these loans, instead of buying the “toxic assets” from the financial sector, there would be no toxic assets to worry about, and these two million people would continue to live in their homes - they would just owe some money to the government as well as to the mortgage company, which might be deferred or adjusted according to their income. In other words, if the government “bailed out” lower-income homeowners, it would not have to bail out the Wall Street financiers who have brought about their own demise by “slicing and dicing” these mortgage-backed securities, and developing further esoteric derivatives of highly dubious value based on them.
What we need is not trickle-down economics but a trickle-up economy - which some folks have recognized is the only kind of economy that is sustainable anyway.
