The Inevitable

It was bound to happen wasn't it? Delving into the whole green life thing, it was almost certain I'd start experimenting with vegetarianism. Lori, I blame you for introducing me to the wikipedia article on environmental vegetarianism.

Basically, I've developed a personal conviction against the modern meat industry. I don't have a moral issue with consuming the dead flesh of other sentient beings because animals eat other animals. So being carnivorous is a part of the natural world and the natural order. How humans fit into it is up for debate, but I don't think there's anything immoral about killing animals for food. Of course, if I had to kill animals myself and clean their carcasses, I would absolutely be a strict vegetarian. I'm the product of a modern urban environment and consequently spoiled that way.

No, my "beef" (ha ha, did you see that? its a pun. applaud me.) with the meat industry is that the way in which it is produced is harmful to all parties involved.

This is a well cited wikipedia article on the effects of modern meat production on people and the environment.

I don't think vegetarianism is the answer to all these problems, but meat reduction obviously is. By practicing vegetarianism, I'm at least contributing to lessen the demand. I want to at least try this out for a week or two, and then make a decision on how I will conduct my meat consumption in the future.

What I may very well do is just make sure that when I do eat meat, it has been produced in a way that I approve of.

I wonder when I'll be able to apply for my tree hugging liberal hippy certification. Probably around the time I start evangelizing about all this stuff to people on the bus.