Spoiling organic milk? 6

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1. 

   jdhlax Posted 9:09 am
   17 Feb 2005

   Protect Cows Or The Land?This issue raises a conflict between what's better for cows and what's better for the land.  While it's certainly better for the cows to be grazing outdoors, cattle and sheep grazing is extremely ecologically destructive to the western U.S.  As environmentalists, we should hope that the cattle remain indoors.

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2. 

   Mary Posted 9:56 am
   18 Feb 2005

   Protect cows AND the land.As genuine environmentalists, and as decent, compassionate people, we should opt for a plant-based diet and reject all animal products. Both the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada have stated that:
   
   "Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence."
   
   Mere appetite is no justification for depriving cows or any other animals of fresh air, sunlight and the innumerable other benefits of the outdoors. And confining animals to indoor systems results in the immense waste accumulation and other environmental problems we deplore.
   
   See: http://www.TryVeg.com
   
   Mary

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3. 

   Fatdogsmells Posted 11:17 pm
   19 Feb 2005

   Stop Trying to Make Us Go VegListen, while Horizon's practices may be questionable, vegetarianism is not a one size fits all answer. For example the many soy products which make up the core of the modern american vegetarian diet have serious negative health effects. Soy is linked to hypothyroidism for example, as well as various forms of cancers. Nevermind that 80% of the world's soy crop is genetically modified. Historically, soy products were never eaten without fermentation (think miso), the glut of unfermented soy products such as tofu is a relatively recent thing. And the rise of Soy in this country has less to do with it's beneficial aspects and more to do with the soy lobbying industry. Do Americans consume too many animal products? Yes. Does that mean the natural reaction is to go vegeterian? No.

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4. 

   couloir007 Posted 1:30 am
   22 Feb 2005

   Mary, you're wrong.According to the article below, going vegan during pregnancy and raising children vegan is unethical, and I agree.  Also, going vegan is not good for the cows.  Who is going to raise cows if there is no market for them?  Let's see, I can't sell my milk, meat or leather, but I'll spend my money any way raising them.  Makes sense.  More likely, domesticated cows would cease to exist, which is ok with me.  I'd rather buffalo roaming the pastures of the Great Plains, and I'd eat them too.  I've also read the not so good things about soy.  There is too much literature out there for it not to have some validity.
   http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=vn20050222071527174C941418
   
   

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5. 

   jdhlax Posted 9:13 am
   22 Feb 2005

   Lies Of The Meat Industry And FanaticsThe only nutrient one cannot get without consuming animal products is vitamin B-12. With the exception of breast milk from your mother as a baby, dairy products are totally unnatural and unhealthy, and all minerals contained in them can be gotten from green leafy vegetables, which are exponentially healthier.  The vast majority of Americans eat far too much meat, both for their health and the health of the planet.
   A vegan diet provides all of the protein needed in order to be healthy, and vegetable protein is of higher quality than animal protein.  The only reason eating animals provides protein is that animals get protein from eating vegetation.  Animal protein is thus secondary, while vegetable protein is primary.
   That said, fanatic vegans are wrong, too.  Humans have evolved eating some meat. The healthiest manner to get protein is to eat mostly veggie, with a supplement of eggs or wild meat, such as fish or venison, once in awhile.

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6. 

   Chris Schults Posted 10:33 am
   23 Feb 2005

   The skinny on the vegan study mentioned aboveFor another take on the study written about in the article provided by couloir007, I offer you an article by VegSource.com.
   In particular, the article points out:
   Was this based on carefully conducted research? No. Was it based on structured study with control groups and meticulous monitoring of what children ate? No. Was it perhaps based on a large number of children eating a normal vegan diet who were found to have a greater than usual risk for illness? No. Her basis for this bizarre and completely unfounded declaration was her experience in Africa. Children who had been eating nothing but corn and beans were given a little meat and their health improved. Not children on a normal, healthy vegan diet - children who had been eating nothing but corn and beans. Adding almost anything to their diet would have caused improvement.
   I also suggest another article from the Vegetarian Resource Group titled Feeding Vegan Kids.
   But this is Gristmill. So, if we are to continue on this topic, may I suggest we discuss veganism in the context of the environment. For example, see VeganOutreach.com.
   
   Support Grist: http://www.grist.org/support

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