Now that I realize that it's not healthy for everyone to go vegan (see article), it's very reasonable to campaign or to persuade people to reduce 25% - 50% of their animal products. It would not be done from a health perspective, though some people could really use way more green food to meat ratio, but for sharing the meat on this hot, small planet. Also, I HATE factory farming. It's disgusting and, besides my soft spot for animals, what they feed the animals is revolting. People should not eat that (the effects of what is fed to animals on factory farms does end up affecting those who eat animals from factory farms). Plus, I hear, that meat from small scale, family farms tastes better.
Since small scale, family farms can't possibly support all the meat eaters, the way I see the vegan diet now is a way of sharing the earth. I am perfectly healthy this way and it's a way that is deeply aligned with my heart. I'm quite sure there are many healthy vegans and vegetarians who would have no problem with sharing and encouraging reduction. But vegans need to get off of the mountain top. I am more than willing to share the earth with meat eaters, but meat eaters need to share it amongst themselves too. The only way to do that is reduce, hunt, support family farming, do your own farming, and more (though I'm out of ideas at the moment).
I'm sure these ideas are not new. Please provide any tips in the comments and also let me know if you're interested in starting an organization or a grass roots somethingorother promoting these concepts of sharing the meat.
A commenter on this blog reminded me of the slow food movement, now that is a good idea too!
I've never been good at math, so that's probably why this just hit me. Live and learn:
1. Given the vast amounts of omnivores out there, the percentage of vegans is what 1-2% if that?
2. What does it matter if one person goes 100%, since that person is rare?
3. More animals will benefit from more people reducing 25-50% than a few doing 100%.
4. Picking on vegans or people not doing it 100%, which I am so HAPPY to say, I didn't do, is such a waste of time.
5. I've killed a cockroach* or two.
6. Purity is for the puritans, religion sucks!
7. Factory farming stinks so bad. You have to be near it to fully appreciate the stench. I smelled it driving across the country, there are some places that reek! Near the dairy capital in CA, 1 in 6 kids has an inhaler. It is soooo nasty.
Peace.
*Yes I killed a cockroach. I didn't have any cockroach recipes, so it was a waste of perfectly good protein. Actually, I killed a cockroach in FL (there are none in NorCal) and soon after I watched two helping each other out of the cat litter box. From then on, I couldn't do it anymore and would catch and release or just open the door. Better than meditating all day on the cockroach soul, seriously. I think I was a Jain in my last life. ;-)
**Random asterisks.
