vegetarianism and veganism
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Animal rights group called out for repeatedly exploiting women
Yesterday, The Sydney Morning Herald had a piece about PETA titled, “Why does a pro-vegetarian organisation treat women like meat?” Good question. The women-as-meat connection’s nothing new — 1990’s Sexual Politics of Meat, anyone? But it’s especially ironic coming from a group that asserts, “Animals are not ours to use for entertainment.” Seattle’s stellar Erica […]
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Don Lee Farms veggie patties are the shizzle
I’m probably going to get in trouble for this, since it’s not organic and it comes from some anonymous frozen-food manufacturer, but the discovery of a veggie pattie that doesn’t suck is good news that must be shared with the world. As you’re probably aware, most "veggie burgers" taste like cardboard. Most real veg-heads I […]
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Vegan food ain’t Badu
“Vegan food is soul food in its truest form. Soul food means to feed the soul. And, to me, your soul is your intent. If your intent is pure, you are pure.” — Erykah Badu, in the recentest issue of VegNews
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The great Mark Bittman on how to push meat off the center of the plate
I’m no vegan. I believe that the only truly sustainable agriculture involves raising crops along with animals. I also adore the globe’s cooking traditions, most of which involve integrating meat and/or dairy products with vegetables, grains, and spices. And yet, I’m appalled by this fact, from the USDA: In 2005, total meat consumption (red meat, […]
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Still more reasons to eat local and lay off the beef
Photo: Elizabeth Thomsen via Flickr.Increasingly, consumers are trying to reduce the environmental impacts of the foods they eat. But it's not so easy to know what to do, in part because of the bewildering array of food choices the market offers, but also because it's hard to know what food choices carry the biggest impact.
This nifty study tries to clear away some of the murk by tackling a fairly straightforward question: If you care about the climate, which is more important, what kind of food you eat, or where that food is grown?
To summarize the findings: All else being equal, locally grown food is friendlier to the climate than food grown half a continent away. But if you're looking for a single food choice that will help curb your climate impact, your best bet is to stay away from cows!
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A tired pregnant chick “tests” six green baby books
Which baby book covers the gamut of green issues? Back in the old days, I used to do active product testing for Grist. Things like lotions and paper towels and CFLs — stuff that really got the heart pounding. But that was before a 30-pound orb attached itself to my front, slowing me down significantly. […]
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Umbra on the impacts of biking
Dear Umbra, A couple of your recent columns have been about this novel idea of biking as the end-all in green transportation, but how green is biking, especially when you go out to buy a new one? If you switch to biking as the main source of transportation, you will be rewarded with the fantastic […]
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Chicago overturns 2-year old ordinance banning foie gras
In The New York Times Dining section yesterday, I read this:
Chicagoans can feast on foie gras once more. The Chicago City Council just repealed the ban on its sale that it put in place two years ago.
Now I know that many of my vegan friends will go ballistic on me when I say that this is a good thing, but this is a good thing. The animal rights groups who supported this measure did so because they saw it as a layup -- an easy target. Who would oppose a ban on something only rich, snobby, hoity-toity gourmands consume?
Besides the measure being silly government intervention, it reminded me of the folks who say they won't eat veal because they heard it was cruel ... as they pull up to the KFC drive thru.
Banning foie gras saves a few ducks and geese. Wanna make a difference? Ban CAFOs. You needn't stop eating meat (unless of course you want to, that's entirely up to you), just stop eating feedlot meat. Get your beef, pork, and chicken from the farmer down the road, from the farmers market, from a CSA. Trust the source, and you'll trust the food.
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