[MD] vegetarianism

[Matt poot]

Hi there gav,


I am a vegetarian.

I choose to be a vegetarian not because I believe eating meat is wrong, I 
believe strongly in the need for ethical codes of conduct for both 
production and consumption of meat (and yes, I includ fish  a.k.a. sea meat)


Factory farming is harmful to both humans, animals, and the environment.

Harmful for humans because various hormones and re-introduced meat 
by-products are fed to animals to increase production and decrease costs , 
with many short term (mad-cow) and long term (human growth patterns 
[puberty]) side effects.

Harmful treatment to animals during their life .  Killing can be done fairly 
humanely, and this is not my objection.  However, keeping animals (chickens, 
cows, pigs, etc.) in pens where they cant turn around , is inhumane.  What 
would people think if they saw dogs and cats being treated this way?

Harmful to the environment in all aspects of production.  For example, a cow 
eats 10 times the energy (Kj from grain) we recieve from eating it

Fishing - Destructive practices such as 'bottom trawling' which can be 
compared to strip mining, and fish farming.  In salmon farming 3-5 kilograms 
of fish are used to produce every 1 kilogram of salmon.  Environmental 
toxins are concentrated during this process.



I am going to be investigating some organic / more ethical practices.  I 
dont have a problem eating beef (for example) if it raised as it had been 
prior to these unethical practices.


I also believe that many people here in North America (and many other parts 
of the world, but i live here) eat too much meat.  Up until the 20th 
century, meat was not such an everyday occurence, and if so, in very small 
quantities.


Its bedtime, but I look forward to any questions.


POOT

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