ridgerunner’s Recent Comments

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  Instead of just talking about the problem, and writing (useless) letters to your congressperson, you can actually do something tangible about this three times every day.

  GO VEGAN!

  On Factory farms get the ultimate handout posted 5 months, 1 week ago 5 Responses

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  You can be an Environmentalist, and
  You can be a Meat Eater, but
  You can't be a Meat Eating Environmentalist!
  
  (unless you are a hypocrite)
  
  Go Vegan!

  On Globesity: How climate change and obesity draw from the same roots posted 5 months, 2 weeks ago 7 Responses

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  Why aren't Environmentalists pushing less meat?

  An interesting article in the L.A. Times: Killer cow emissions. Here is an excerpt...

  Still, as evidence mounts that cutting back on beef would both improve our health and help stave off global warming, a campaign urging people to do so is clearly in order. It's understandable why political candidates are wary of bashing beef, but less understandable why environmental leaders with nothing to lose are reluctant to raise the issue. They would be more credible in targeting polluters if they were equally assertive in pointing out what all Americans can do to fight global warming, and at the very top of that list -- way ahead of more commonly mentioned approaches such as buying fluorescent lightbulbs or energy-efficient appliances -- would be eating less red meat.
  
  L.A. Times 15 October 2007

  
  On On PETA's latest campaign posted 2 years, 1 month ago 256 Responses

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  Re: Best slaughtering methods?

  Your interest in humane slaughter practices is very admirable. This is a very difficult subject which most people prefer to simply ignore/suppress and never really think about. First, to get an understanding of just how bad the current situation is, read: "Slaughterhouse" by Gail A Eisnitz of the Humane Farming Association. Gail spent years researching her book that documents the horrors of  the current state of the American slaughter industry. It turns out that the situation went from bad to worse back in the 80's when Reagan deregulated the industry which paved the way for increases in "line speeds". However, be warned: Once you read this book, you cannot un-read it - it is not for the faint of heart. There are those in the government and industry who actually do care about the welfare of animals with regard to the slaughter process and are working to improve it, one of whom is Temple Grandin who wrote this piece with regard to pigs: The Welfare of Pigs During Transport and Slaughter.

  But here is something that is really scary... The stress an animal feels on its way up the ramp to its death at a slaughterhouse is a real concern for the meat producers too, because this stress at the time of death produces undesirable properties in the meat. The genetic engineers at Monsanto and friends are hard at work developing a new transgenic pig that simply does not fear death. Their goal is to engineer an animal that has had its will to live (or fear of death), genetically removed i.e. a "stress-free" pig that will happily (and quietly) trot up the slaughterhouse ramp. Yes, this is the miracle of modern GMO science hard at work to feed a hungry planet! And once they succeed, they will patent this "product". Unfortunately, (and sadly), Frankenstein foods are becoming a reality (check out this article). These horrors of genetic engineering are documented in John Robbin's excellent book: Food Revolution - highly recommended.

  But to answer the direct question of your post, IMHO the answer I would give is "quick and painless". I don't have a problem with people eating meat - I do have a problem with the true horrors of the meat industry being actively withheld from the public consciousness. I strongly believe that children should be taught at a young age exactly where their food comes from. They should be taken outside to pick an apple from a tree and pull a carrot from the ground. And everyone who eats meat should be required (at least once) to actually slaughter and butcher an animal themselves. And if one is unable to do the killing themselves, they should at least watch it being done. This way, when one sees that piece of meat neatly wrapped in cellophane, they will know exactly what it took to get it there. And in this regard, I do respect hunters who actually go through this killing and butchering process first hand.

  p.s. I like your website! (Some good recommendations I had never considered.)

  May All beings be Happy!On On PETA's latest campaign posted 2 years, 1 month ago 256 Responses

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  Thanks for the "Eco-Eating" link!

  This is the most comprehensive single web page on the environmental aspects of veg*nism I've seen. Lots and lots of great stuff. I particularly enjoyed the links it provided to: Union of Concerned Scientists, Sierra Club, Worldwatch Institute, University of Chicago, Earthsave and E Magazine. Although the World Watch Magazine, July/August 2004, Volume 17, No. 4 (pdf download) report was quite depressing regarding how new logging roads are opening the doors to accelerated bush-meat hunting of chimps and gorillas in the Congo.

  Once again, great link! (http://www.brook.com/veg) - Thanks!On Animal-rights group makes the stupid claim that enviros must be vegetarians posted 2 years, 1 month ago 208 Responses