The veg blog.

Craig & Walter (2005) from Kirsten Lepore on Vimeo.

Thank you to Chris Kretzu for the previous video. I thought it was hilarious...and I have to agree with Chris, the narwhal sounds a bit like Tommie Hogue.

All kidding aside, I'm back on the vegetarian train. I've been pondering going back to it for awhile now but I've honestly just been lazy. Choosing to have an alternative eating style, no matter how well accepted it is, is still difficult. And living with my family it's just much easier to eat whatever they prepare for dinner versus having to make myself an alternative. However, that said...I was reading my VegNews magazine and it just occured to me. All of the reasons that I gave up meat in the first place.

I don't want to continue to contribute to the problems that raising livestock brings. Problem #1, maintaining our land. Livestock is not a sustainable crop. Actually, let me correct that, the way we raise livestock makes it a non-sustainable crop. Since we raise excessive amounts of agriculture in small areas doesn't help the land, it hurts it. Unlike certain grains and vegetables that actually help make the land more fertile, livestock raised in very small acreages damages land. Livestock creates massive amounts of waste and raising livestock on farms that don't also grow other crops doesn't make raising livestock an eco friendly, sustainable crop. (I will agree that raising livestock and other crops on one farm is the BEST way to create truly sustainable land but most farms do not operate in this way.)

Problem #2, water. It costs much more in water to raise livestock. Agriculture is the number 1 use of water in the United States, and we're running out. I mean people who think we will have water forever are kidding themselves. It's estimated California has only 20 years left of drinkable water and New Mexico only has 10. About 500 million tons of animal waste from raising animals for food are stored in manure "lagoons" each year and often some of this manure leaks into our drinking water. Last year one spill put 560,000 tons of liquid manure into Maryland's drinking water, contaminating their water with E coli. Granted raising livestock isn't the only thing that uses water, thermoelectic power plants use 40% of our water while pharmaceutical waste causes chemical contamination to our water. I can't control thermoelectricity or pharmaceutical companies but I can give up meat adding no demand from me and help to decrease the fact that 3/4 of the world's available freshwater is used for industrial agriculture. If you want to read more about this let me know and I can find some way to get an amazing article to you about it.

Problem #3, animal cruelty. I know that I probably don't need to get into how cruel the commercial farming industry can be. Chickens, cows, sheep, fish, any animal that is raised on a mass scale to feed, clothe or whatever human kind is raised in a manner that is cruel. You wouldn't cut off your dogs snout so he couldn't bite you so why do we do it to chickens? It's horrible how little regulation there is for animal rights and while I know there are bigger issues out there to be dealt with I know that I can refuse to contribute to this one.

There are farms out there that raise their livestock in a manner that is sustainable and do not believe in cruelty however they are not the norm. And these often organic, humane farms have even more trouble than the average farmer because it costs more to raise animals in a non cruel manner.

So, anyhow. I believe this is one issue that I can make a difference about. I know that people always think what difference can one person make in the grand scheme of things but I know that enough single water drops will fill a pail. I want to feel like I am doing my best not to contribute to this particular issue.

So, someone come eat with me here!