Maafkan aku kalau tulisanku ini mengganggumu. Aku sendiri juga tidak yakin apakah benar menulis surat ini atau tidak. Tapi, kupikr, jika surat ini tidak pernah ada, mungkin tidak akan lagi ada kesempatan. Dengan tulisan ku yang berantakan ini
ha.. ha.. kamu menyebutnya cakar ayam, semoga masih bisa terbaca, aku memberanikan diri.
Masih teringat, tiap pagi kamu selalu telat bangun. Sulit sekali untukmu bangun pagi. Sering kali kamu tidak sarapan, langsung saja berangkat. Lihat saja, badan kamu jadi kurus begitu. Tahukah kamu? Aku sangat sedih. Aku bertekad berbuat sesuatu untukmu. Tiap pagi aku akan bangun pagi-pagi, aku akan teriak terus sampai kamu bangun. Sering kali, tenggorokanku sakit, suaraku hilang, tapi aku tetap berusaha teriak sampai kamu bangun. Sekarang mungkin kamu harus berjuang sendiri,
maafkan aku, aku tidak bisa lagi membangunkanmu.
Kata dokter, telurku banyak mengandung protein. Aku begitu bahagia bisa
memberikan sesuatu dari diriku untukmu. Memang aku sulit sekali menerima ini, aku begitu sulit bertelur dengan harapan dapat anakku dapat segera menetas. Tapi sepertinya harapan itu tidak akan pernah terwujud. Setidaknya aku bisa melihatmu sehat karena telurku. Aku tidak pernah menyesal, karena aku mengasihimu, aku sangat mengasihmu.
Akhir-akhir ini, aku merasa aneh, daging pada tubuhku terasa membengkak, terutama bagian pahaku. Aku mulai bertanya kapan aku terakhir fitness. Tapi rupanya itu bukan hasil fitnessku selama ini, kamu telah melakukan sesuatu padaku. Seingatku sering kali aku tertusuk jarum yang tajam dan setelah itu, terasa ada carian yang masuk ke tubuhku. Pertama-tama kukira dengan badanku seperti ini, kamu ingin aku jadi atlit binaraga. Aku begitu bahagia, kamu begitu memperhatikanku. Ketika aku diangkut ke truk bersama teman-temanku, aku masih berpikir aku akan pergi ikut turnamen binaraga. Aku begitu bahagia berpikir bisa membawa pulang piala buatmu sampai aku sadar tempat apa yang kami tuju. Aku melihat teman-temanku sudah terkapar, darah mengucur dimana-mana, mereka sudah tidak beryawa. Teriakanku tertahan, Ini bukan gedung turnamen, ini adalah rumah jagal. Akhirnya
aku mengerti, ternyata aku disuntik supaya dagingku besar, kamu akan
menikmati dagingku. Tapi semua itu sudah terlambat. Aku takut sekali, aku ingin lari keluar tapi aku tak bisa, aku tak berdaya.
Satu-persatu temanku dimasukkan ke dalam sebuah alat yang besar,
teriakan mereka begitu menyayat hati. Aku tahu pasti, sebentar lagi aku akan merasakannya. Aku heran, suara teriakan yang begitu keras, tidakkah itu mengganggumu? Mungkin kamu tidak mendegarnya atau lebih tepatnya tidak mau mendengarnya? Bukankah kita sama-sama mahkluk ciptaan Tuhan? Bukankah dulu kita saling mengasihi? Kenapa kamu berubah begitu cepat? Apakah aku benar-benar tidak bermakna di matamu?
Waktuku sudah hampir habis, sebentar lagi akan tiba giliranku. Sudah tidak ada gunanya lagi aku berbicara terlalu banyak. Ketika kamu membaca surat ini, aku sudah tidak ada lagi di dunia ini. Hmm, mungkin juga aku sudah berada dalam perutmu!
Tapi ada satu hal yang aku ingin sekali kamu tahu, bahwa aku masih mengasihmu, saudaraku. Aku doakan semoga kamu bisa hidup bahagia denga kasih. Semoga pengorbananku ini bermakna bagimu. Aku masih terus menantikan hari dimana kita bisa hidup bersama, saling mengasihi. Mungkinkah hari itu akan tiba?
21 Oktober 2009
Kucing Vegetarian
Dapatkah seekor kucing menjadi vegetarian? Kebanyakan dokter hewan akan berkata, "Tidak mungkin. Saya tidak pernah mendengar hal seperti itu. Bagi kucing, lebih baik mati dari pada menjadi vegetarian!" Tetapi Saudari Liu punya seekor kucing yang sangat luar biasa, bernama "Bighead (si Kepala Besar)" yang sangat ketat bervegetarian, menolak untuk menyentuh makanan apa saja yang berbau daging, bahkan juga "daging" vegetarian. Di bawah ini adalah cerita yang menarik dari kucing yang luar biasa ini.
Tuhan pasti telah mengatur agar saudari Liu bertemu dengan Bighead. Setelah diinisiasi, saudari Liu tidak memelihara binatang sebab dia harus bervegetarian dan tidak suka akan bau binatang. Kemudian pada suatu hari, dia pindah ke rumah yang baru. Setelah memindahkan barang-barang, dia menemukan seekor kucing liar yang badannya kecil dan kurus kering di tangga apartemennya, dan untuk beberapa hari dia memberikan susu dan biskuit pada kucing itu.
Saudari Liu mengajar Bahasa Inggris di rumah, dan suatu hari sebelum kelas dimulai, kucing itu mengikuti muridnya masuk ke dalam apartemennya. Tetapi, saudari Liu yang selalu menjaga kebersihan rumahnya, tidak mau memelihara binatang itu dan mengeluarkannya. Pada malam itu, beberapa saudara sepelatihan datang ke rumah saudari Liu untuk meditasi kelompok, dan seorang dari mereka mengusulkan agar saudari Liu memelihara kucing yang tak berdaya itu. Pada hari berikutnya, ketika saudari Liu melihat kucing itu di tangga, dia membuka pintu dan berkata pada si kucing, "Jika kamu ingin tinggal bersama saya, kamu harus menjadi vegetarian seperti saya." Kemudian saudari Liu mulai menghitung dari satu sampai sepuluh dan dia memutuskan akan menutup pintu jika si kucing kecil itu tidak masuk ke dalam rumah sebelum dia selesai menghitung. Tetapi ketika dia menghitung sampai delapan, si kucing dengan perlahan berjalan masuk dan mulai saat itu menjadi anggota keluarga saudari Liu.
Apa yang sebenarnya dimakan oleh Bighead? Saya yakin semuanya ingin tahu tentang itu! Bighead makan ketimun, tunas alfalfa, pepaya, buah kesemak, apel, pir, seledri, kubis, tomat, serat daging vegetarian, biskuit, dan bahkan pothos rebus (potted golden pothos). Dia terutama sangat suka akan ketimun, tunas alfalfa dan makanan asam manis. Bahkan sekarang dia mendapat hal-hal baru dalam daftar makanannya! Hal lain yang menarik dari kucing ini adalah dia memilih makanan yang ringan. Dia menolak makanan vegetarian yang menyerupai daging. Luar biasa! Kita tahu bahwa kucing tidak punya gigi geraham, lalu bagaimana Bighead mengunyah makanan? Saudari Liu mengunyah makanan itu duluan dan kemudian menempatkan sepotong kecil, yang tidak lebih besar dari kacang ijo, di telapak tangannya dan memberi makan pada si kucing. Setiap kali makan akan menghabiskan waktu sekitar satu jam. Pada permulaan, Bighead belum dapat mengontrol rahangnya dengan baik dan giginya menggarut jari saudari Liu, tetapi sekarang kucing pandai itu telah belajar bagaimana menjilat makanan tanpa melukai majikannya. Dari sini kita tahu kalau binatang pun punya perasaaan dan sangat berpengertian.
Ketika Saudari Liu membawa Bighead ke dokter hewan untuk pertama kalinya, kucing itu mengambil sikap bertahan dan galak. Setelah tiga kali berkunjung, kucing itu menjadi jinak, tenang dan sangat bekerja sama. Pada mulanya dokter hewan itu tidak percaya kalau kucing dapat menjadi vegetarian, tetapi kemudian dia tertawa dan berkata kalau Bighead akan segera menjadi "tercerahkan," dan melalui insiden ini dia mulai mengenal ajaran Guru. Di bawah pemeliharaan yang teliti, kucing tak berbulu ini mulai mempunyai bulu lagi dan karena berdiet vegetarian, dia tidak berbau seperti halnya binatang lainnya.
Bighead adalah seekor kucing spiritual "Quan Yin". Dia berjalan dengan tenangnya di antara para inisiat yang datang untuk bermeditasi bersama, dan setelah bermeditasi, seorang saudara sepelatihan mendapatkan Bighead duduk tak bergerak pada lututnya, sepertinya dia sedang bermeditasi. Ketika para inisiat bersiap-siap untuk pulang setelah sesi meditasi selesai, kucing itu duduk di bantal dari setiap orang selama beberapa saat, supaya mendapatkan berkah. Bighead juga adalah weker dari saudari Liu. Setiap pagi, si kucing membangunkan saudari Liu untuk mengingatkan dia akan saat meditasi!
Sejak Bighead mulai makan makanan vegetarian, dia menjadi jinak dan bertingkah laku menyenangkan, yang membuatnya menjadi terkenal di antara para dewasa dan anak-anak. Tetapi dia juga sensitif. Dia menyembunyikan diri jika ada orang asing yang datang, tetapi keluar dengan segera untuk menyambut para inisiat. Ketika murid saudari Liu datang, dia bersembunyi, tetapi ketika anak-anak inisiat datang ke rumah saudari Liu, dia bermain dengan mereka dan membiarkan mereka mengelus tubuhnya. Kucing yang sangat menyenangkan!
Bighead tinggal dengan gembira dan bebas di rumah saudari Liu, dimana dia menikmati meluncur di lantai yang bersih dan berjungkirbalik ketika dia berada sendirian di rumah. Saudari Liu telah belajar tentang kebajikan, cinta dan kesabaran dari Bighead, dan sekarang mengerti kalau binatang pun mempunyai aspek kerohanian, yang berbeda hanyalah mereka menggunakan bahasa yang berlainan. Bighead adalah suatu bukti nyata bahwa binatang peliharaan dapat menjadi vegetarian, yang membuat mereka lebih sehat dan memiliki bulu yang lebih indah. (Silahkan melihat rujukan pada "Diet Vegetarian Menyelamatkan Anjing," Majalah News No. 134.) Apakah kalian ingin mencoba gaya hidup saudari Liu? Mungkin binatang peliharaan kalian akan menjadi kucing atau anjing vegetarian yang berbahagia.
Diceritakan oleh Saudari Sepelatihan
Taipei, Formosa.
Tuhan pasti telah mengatur agar saudari Liu bertemu dengan Bighead. Setelah diinisiasi, saudari Liu tidak memelihara binatang sebab dia harus bervegetarian dan tidak suka akan bau binatang. Kemudian pada suatu hari, dia pindah ke rumah yang baru. Setelah memindahkan barang-barang, dia menemukan seekor kucing liar yang badannya kecil dan kurus kering di tangga apartemennya, dan untuk beberapa hari dia memberikan susu dan biskuit pada kucing itu.
Saudari Liu mengajar Bahasa Inggris di rumah, dan suatu hari sebelum kelas dimulai, kucing itu mengikuti muridnya masuk ke dalam apartemennya. Tetapi, saudari Liu yang selalu menjaga kebersihan rumahnya, tidak mau memelihara binatang itu dan mengeluarkannya. Pada malam itu, beberapa saudara sepelatihan datang ke rumah saudari Liu untuk meditasi kelompok, dan seorang dari mereka mengusulkan agar saudari Liu memelihara kucing yang tak berdaya itu. Pada hari berikutnya, ketika saudari Liu melihat kucing itu di tangga, dia membuka pintu dan berkata pada si kucing, "Jika kamu ingin tinggal bersama saya, kamu harus menjadi vegetarian seperti saya." Kemudian saudari Liu mulai menghitung dari satu sampai sepuluh dan dia memutuskan akan menutup pintu jika si kucing kecil itu tidak masuk ke dalam rumah sebelum dia selesai menghitung. Tetapi ketika dia menghitung sampai delapan, si kucing dengan perlahan berjalan masuk dan mulai saat itu menjadi anggota keluarga saudari Liu.
Apa yang sebenarnya dimakan oleh Bighead? Saya yakin semuanya ingin tahu tentang itu! Bighead makan ketimun, tunas alfalfa, pepaya, buah kesemak, apel, pir, seledri, kubis, tomat, serat daging vegetarian, biskuit, dan bahkan pothos rebus (potted golden pothos). Dia terutama sangat suka akan ketimun, tunas alfalfa dan makanan asam manis. Bahkan sekarang dia mendapat hal-hal baru dalam daftar makanannya! Hal lain yang menarik dari kucing ini adalah dia memilih makanan yang ringan. Dia menolak makanan vegetarian yang menyerupai daging. Luar biasa! Kita tahu bahwa kucing tidak punya gigi geraham, lalu bagaimana Bighead mengunyah makanan? Saudari Liu mengunyah makanan itu duluan dan kemudian menempatkan sepotong kecil, yang tidak lebih besar dari kacang ijo, di telapak tangannya dan memberi makan pada si kucing. Setiap kali makan akan menghabiskan waktu sekitar satu jam. Pada permulaan, Bighead belum dapat mengontrol rahangnya dengan baik dan giginya menggarut jari saudari Liu, tetapi sekarang kucing pandai itu telah belajar bagaimana menjilat makanan tanpa melukai majikannya. Dari sini kita tahu kalau binatang pun punya perasaaan dan sangat berpengertian.
Ketika Saudari Liu membawa Bighead ke dokter hewan untuk pertama kalinya, kucing itu mengambil sikap bertahan dan galak. Setelah tiga kali berkunjung, kucing itu menjadi jinak, tenang dan sangat bekerja sama. Pada mulanya dokter hewan itu tidak percaya kalau kucing dapat menjadi vegetarian, tetapi kemudian dia tertawa dan berkata kalau Bighead akan segera menjadi "tercerahkan," dan melalui insiden ini dia mulai mengenal ajaran Guru. Di bawah pemeliharaan yang teliti, kucing tak berbulu ini mulai mempunyai bulu lagi dan karena berdiet vegetarian, dia tidak berbau seperti halnya binatang lainnya.
Bighead adalah seekor kucing spiritual "Quan Yin". Dia berjalan dengan tenangnya di antara para inisiat yang datang untuk bermeditasi bersama, dan setelah bermeditasi, seorang saudara sepelatihan mendapatkan Bighead duduk tak bergerak pada lututnya, sepertinya dia sedang bermeditasi. Ketika para inisiat bersiap-siap untuk pulang setelah sesi meditasi selesai, kucing itu duduk di bantal dari setiap orang selama beberapa saat, supaya mendapatkan berkah. Bighead juga adalah weker dari saudari Liu. Setiap pagi, si kucing membangunkan saudari Liu untuk mengingatkan dia akan saat meditasi!
Sejak Bighead mulai makan makanan vegetarian, dia menjadi jinak dan bertingkah laku menyenangkan, yang membuatnya menjadi terkenal di antara para dewasa dan anak-anak. Tetapi dia juga sensitif. Dia menyembunyikan diri jika ada orang asing yang datang, tetapi keluar dengan segera untuk menyambut para inisiat. Ketika murid saudari Liu datang, dia bersembunyi, tetapi ketika anak-anak inisiat datang ke rumah saudari Liu, dia bermain dengan mereka dan membiarkan mereka mengelus tubuhnya. Kucing yang sangat menyenangkan!
Bighead tinggal dengan gembira dan bebas di rumah saudari Liu, dimana dia menikmati meluncur di lantai yang bersih dan berjungkirbalik ketika dia berada sendirian di rumah. Saudari Liu telah belajar tentang kebajikan, cinta dan kesabaran dari Bighead, dan sekarang mengerti kalau binatang pun mempunyai aspek kerohanian, yang berbeda hanyalah mereka menggunakan bahasa yang berlainan. Bighead adalah suatu bukti nyata bahwa binatang peliharaan dapat menjadi vegetarian, yang membuat mereka lebih sehat dan memiliki bulu yang lebih indah. (Silahkan melihat rujukan pada "Diet Vegetarian Menyelamatkan Anjing," Majalah News No. 134.) Apakah kalian ingin mencoba gaya hidup saudari Liu? Mungkin binatang peliharaan kalian akan menjadi kucing atau anjing vegetarian yang berbahagia.
Diceritakan oleh Saudari Sepelatihan
Taipei, Formosa.
Hak hidup hewan?
Jika Kekejaman dan Ketidakadilan terhadap Manusia saja Masih Terjadi, Mengapa Kita Sibuk Mempermasalahkan Kekejaman terhadap Hewan? Alphonse Lamartine mengungkapkan kembali apa yang disuarakan Abraham Lincoln ketika dia berkata, “Kita tidak memiliki dua hati, hati untuk hewan dan hati untuk umat manusia. Tak ada bedanya kekejaman terhadap hewan maupun kekejaman terhadap manusia, tetapi menunjukkan mereka telah menjadi korban.”
Jika hati manusia buta dan tuli terhadap kesakitan dan penderitaan korban yang lemah seperti hewan yang dibunuh karena makanannya atau sebagai hewan percobaan di laboratorium maka akhirnya hati yang satu ini akan mengeras.
ImageAkibatnya lahirlah segala bentuk kebrutalanyang menjadi bumerang bagi umat manusia. Seperti dilukiskan oleh sebuah syair kuno tentang pembunuhan dan perang di antara sesama manusia, “Untuk mengetahui dari mana asalnya bentuk kekejaman ini bermula maka dengarkanlah tangisan pilu dari rumah jagal.” “Dunia yang lebih baik akan terwujud jika kita memiliki keberanian untuk mengakui kekejaman adalah kekejaman, baik korbannya adalah manusia ataupun hewan.” Kalimat ini diutarakan Rachel Carson, orang pertama yang menyadarkan dunia tentang bahaya pestisida. Satu hal dalam Rachel Carson yang akan ditambahkan oleh Abraham Lincoln adalah beranilah berjuang bagi mereka yang menjadi korban, karena inilah panggilan dalam diri manusia.
Panggilan nuraniah menghidupkan kebenaran untuk menuju dunia yang membahagiakan bagi semua orang, semua makhluk. Apakah anda ingin mengatakan bahwa hewan juga memiliki hak seperti manusia, sehingga seekor anjing juga berhak untuk ikut pemilu dan berhak dipilih menjadi anggota Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat? Hewan tidak selalu memiliki hak yang sama dengan manusia karena kepentingan mereka tidak selalu sama dengan manusia. Misalnya seperti contoh yang anda katakan. Seekor anjing tentu saja tidak memiliki kepentingan dalam pemilihan umum. Karenanya anjing tidak memiliki hak untuk memilih karena hak itu hanya akan sia-sia saja, seperti halnya semua anak kecil atau bayi di semua negara tidak memiliki hak memilih maupuh dipilih. Hewan tentu saja memiliki hak yang bersesuaian dengan kepentingan mereka. Contohnya, sudah pasti anjing memiliki kepentingan untuk tidak merasa sakit. Seperti sakit pada manusia maka rasa sakit yang dialami anjing juga membuat anjing tidak leluasa. Karena itu kita perlu menaruh perhatian dan menghormati hak anjing dengan tidak secara tak perlu menyebabkan timbulnya rasa sakit pada mereka. Dengan singkat tidak menyakiti anjing dan hewan lainnya secara tak perlu. Akan datang hari yang menjadi kenyataan, ketika hewan mendapatkan hak-haknya kembali dari tangan tirani yang menggenggamnya. (Jeremy Bentham)
Apakah perlakuan pemilik ternak kepada hewannya memang tidak layak. Bukankah mereka menyediakan kandang bagi ternaknya sehingga dapat terlindungi dari cuaca yang buruk dan predator. Bahkan juga diberi makan dan minum. Apakah kondisi demikian tidak lebih baik dari kehidupan di alam liar? Di masa lalu pedagang budak berargumen lebih baik menjadi budak di masyarakat Kristen yang berbudaya daripada memiliki kemerdekaan tetapi di hutan belantara. Pola pikir atas hidup dan kebebasan makhluk lain. Produser ternak mengatakan hewannya lebih menyukai “makan tiga kali sehari” daripada kehidupan di alam liar. Padahal istilah “liar” adalah proyeksi manusia atas tanah Bumi yang asing baginya. Liar menurut manusia tidak berarti ”liar” bagi hewan di sana. Itulah rumah mereka. Di peternakan, justru hewan hidup dalam situasi lebih yang mencerminkan kehidupan manusia dan bukannya cara hidup hewan di habitat aslinya tak logis kita berargumen manusia melindungi ternaknya dari “predator” (pemangsa). Justru kitalah predatornya. Apalagi dengan mengurung mereka seperti yang kita lakukan kita telah memaparkan mereka kepada lebih banyak lagi parasit. Belum lagi jutaan ternak mati karena stres akibat panas dan kondisi iklim dibandingkan hewan yang hidup di alam bebas. Ditambah lagi hidup dalam kurungan sehingga tidak bisa mengembangkan kemampuan pertahanan alaminya. Akibatnya timbul stres patologi yang dapat menghancurkan sistem imunitas.
Jika hati manusia buta dan tuli terhadap kesakitan dan penderitaan korban yang lemah seperti hewan yang dibunuh karena makanannya atau sebagai hewan percobaan di laboratorium maka akhirnya hati yang satu ini akan mengeras.
ImageAkibatnya lahirlah segala bentuk kebrutalanyang menjadi bumerang bagi umat manusia. Seperti dilukiskan oleh sebuah syair kuno tentang pembunuhan dan perang di antara sesama manusia, “Untuk mengetahui dari mana asalnya bentuk kekejaman ini bermula maka dengarkanlah tangisan pilu dari rumah jagal.” “Dunia yang lebih baik akan terwujud jika kita memiliki keberanian untuk mengakui kekejaman adalah kekejaman, baik korbannya adalah manusia ataupun hewan.” Kalimat ini diutarakan Rachel Carson, orang pertama yang menyadarkan dunia tentang bahaya pestisida. Satu hal dalam Rachel Carson yang akan ditambahkan oleh Abraham Lincoln adalah beranilah berjuang bagi mereka yang menjadi korban, karena inilah panggilan dalam diri manusia.
Panggilan nuraniah menghidupkan kebenaran untuk menuju dunia yang membahagiakan bagi semua orang, semua makhluk. Apakah anda ingin mengatakan bahwa hewan juga memiliki hak seperti manusia, sehingga seekor anjing juga berhak untuk ikut pemilu dan berhak dipilih menjadi anggota Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat? Hewan tidak selalu memiliki hak yang sama dengan manusia karena kepentingan mereka tidak selalu sama dengan manusia. Misalnya seperti contoh yang anda katakan. Seekor anjing tentu saja tidak memiliki kepentingan dalam pemilihan umum. Karenanya anjing tidak memiliki hak untuk memilih karena hak itu hanya akan sia-sia saja, seperti halnya semua anak kecil atau bayi di semua negara tidak memiliki hak memilih maupuh dipilih. Hewan tentu saja memiliki hak yang bersesuaian dengan kepentingan mereka. Contohnya, sudah pasti anjing memiliki kepentingan untuk tidak merasa sakit. Seperti sakit pada manusia maka rasa sakit yang dialami anjing juga membuat anjing tidak leluasa. Karena itu kita perlu menaruh perhatian dan menghormati hak anjing dengan tidak secara tak perlu menyebabkan timbulnya rasa sakit pada mereka. Dengan singkat tidak menyakiti anjing dan hewan lainnya secara tak perlu. Akan datang hari yang menjadi kenyataan, ketika hewan mendapatkan hak-haknya kembali dari tangan tirani yang menggenggamnya. (Jeremy Bentham)
Apakah perlakuan pemilik ternak kepada hewannya memang tidak layak. Bukankah mereka menyediakan kandang bagi ternaknya sehingga dapat terlindungi dari cuaca yang buruk dan predator. Bahkan juga diberi makan dan minum. Apakah kondisi demikian tidak lebih baik dari kehidupan di alam liar? Di masa lalu pedagang budak berargumen lebih baik menjadi budak di masyarakat Kristen yang berbudaya daripada memiliki kemerdekaan tetapi di hutan belantara. Pola pikir atas hidup dan kebebasan makhluk lain. Produser ternak mengatakan hewannya lebih menyukai “makan tiga kali sehari” daripada kehidupan di alam liar. Padahal istilah “liar” adalah proyeksi manusia atas tanah Bumi yang asing baginya. Liar menurut manusia tidak berarti ”liar” bagi hewan di sana. Itulah rumah mereka. Di peternakan, justru hewan hidup dalam situasi lebih yang mencerminkan kehidupan manusia dan bukannya cara hidup hewan di habitat aslinya tak logis kita berargumen manusia melindungi ternaknya dari “predator” (pemangsa). Justru kitalah predatornya. Apalagi dengan mengurung mereka seperti yang kita lakukan kita telah memaparkan mereka kepada lebih banyak lagi parasit. Belum lagi jutaan ternak mati karena stres akibat panas dan kondisi iklim dibandingkan hewan yang hidup di alam bebas. Ditambah lagi hidup dalam kurungan sehingga tidak bisa mengembangkan kemampuan pertahanan alaminya. Akibatnya timbul stres patologi yang dapat menghancurkan sistem imunitas.
26 Maret 2009
Going Vegetarian
by Jacklyn Hopper
Are you thinking about making the transition to a vegetarian or vegan diet? If so, that's good news. With more and more emerging research supporting the benefits of a plant-based diet, along with fast growing demands (and websites like HappyCow that leads one to vegetarian restaurants and health food stores), it is easier than ever to become a vegetarian.
Stereotypes project that vegetarians and vegans only eat lettuce and a few vegetables and that their diets are boring. But the standard American diet, which used to make once healthy populations now obese and unhealthy, almost always consists of mainly just flesh meat and processed junk food.Just because non vegetarians gorge on the flesh of cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, lamb, fish, and animals does not qualify their diet as "varied" or balanced. In fact, it's the very opposite that rings true!
When you speak with most vegetarians and vegans, they will tell you that since becoming vegetarians, they have become more open to food variety and have discovered a cornucopia of wholesome and delicious food options.There are vegetarians and there are vegans
A vegetarian diet consists of mostly plant-based foods and no animal flesh. Some vegetarians consume eggs and/or dairy while others do not. A vegan diet, the most strict form of vegetarian, eliminates all animal products and animal by products. But do not think that vegans are deprived. On the contrary, vegans have access to everything they want to eat, only their foods are made without animal products - from ice cream, cake, cookies, pastries and gravy to mock "meats" that taste so much like the real thing. While the vegan versions of favorite foods are just as delicious, if not more, they contain no cholesterol and almost no saturated fat or none at all! It's a win-win situation. If there are the same tasty food options available that involve no cruelty to animals, that are healthier, and the producing of them is gentle on the environment, why not choose the more healthy, beneficial choice?
There is a stereotype is that vegetarians and vegans are "hippie wannabes", but consider that those very people who subscribe to such stereotype actually admire many vegans and vegetarians without even knowing it! You don't see Pamela Anderson, Brad Pitt, Christie Brinkley, Penelope Cruz, Josh Hartnett, Natalie Portman, Alicia Silverstone, and many celebrity vegetarians wearing hemp and tie-dye, brightly colored bandanas and flowers while shouting, "Free love!" and lighting up a joint. The reality is that many of today's top professionals, doctors, celebrities, along with revered minds of the past including Shakespeare, Leonardo Da Vinci, Ghandi, Buddha believed in eating plant-based diets that do not harm living creatures... even Albert Einstein and Jesus Christ. See list of HappyCow's list of famous vegetarians.How does one get enough protein as a vegetarian?
The "but you need more protein" issue is a myth - it is a false argument. It is based on a far outdated experiment conducted in the early 1900s on rats. Many current medical studies are showing that too much protein, in fact, especially from animal protein, is the problem. Too much animal protein can impair the kidneys as well as leach calcium, zinc, B vitamins, iron and magnesium from our bodies. Studies have also correlated too much protein with osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, and obesity. We've all heard the saying, "Everything in moderation." The thing is, an overly excessive amount of protein in the human body can is detrimental to health.
Although too much protein is bad, our body needs some amounts of it. Protein is deemed as "the building blocks of life," and everything has protein in it in varying amounts. A varying diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, beans, grains, and legumes provides more than adequate amounts of protein - only without the added cholesterol and saturated fats, antibiotics, chemicals, steroids, sulfuric substances, etc., found in animal sources.
The best way to eat, for me, is to consider which food will give me more nutrition per calorie, ie. the most nutritional bang for my caloric buck. This is one of the reasons I, along with vegetarians I know, stay trim and healthy. One hundred calories of cow meat is tiny, but one hundred calories of broccoli is a huge amount of broccoli. Besides, anything you think you might be getting from eating flesh meat is only "second-hand." Where does the cow get its protein? Like babies who feed on their mothers' milk, getting the nutrients from the milk that their mother already consumed, people who eat animals are only getting the nutrients, second-hand, that the animal already consumed. Personally, I'd rather get first-hand quality where my health is concerned. A good book that delves into thirty years of studies where animal protein is concerned (including milk) is The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, PhD.
Read more on: vegetarian proteinWhat about calcium? Do I need dairy for strong bones?
NO, you do not need animal dairy for calcium or anything. This idea is perpetrated by an extremely aggressive advertising program paid for by the dairy industry that is not based on good science. It is a money-making scheme. Milk is an animal protein, and thus contributes to the host of illnesses listed above. Studies have shown that that people in countries that consume milk routinely tend to have weaker bones than those in countries that avoid milk. Osteoporosis have been correlated to an excess of protein in the diet along with sedentary living. Milk does NOT slow the process of osteoporosis that commonly occurs in older women. Pasteurized, processed dairy, in my opinion, is a toxic "food group". It doesn't help that it's basically all saturated fat and cholesterol. Dairy also contains antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, steroids, chemicals, and even perchlorate (that is the scientific word for rocket fuel!) Yuck! Dioxin, too, one of the most toxic substances in the world, is often found in dairy products. And how about the blood cells and pus that come in it, too, from the far overgrown mutated utters that are hooked up to painful metal machines all day to keep up with demand so that they blister and bleed? Not so appetizing.On the other hand, a reliable source of minerals (manganese, chromium, selenium and magnesium) can be found in fruits and vegetables and in higher quantity and better quality. Fresh fruits and veggies are also high in boron, which helps lessen the loss of calcium through urine - while animal protein increases the loss of calcium through urine. Plant-based foods are abundant in first hand calcium that is more easily absorbed by the body. This includes, but is not limited to, quinoa, molasses, green leafy vegetables such as kale, collards (any kind of greens, really), broccoli, soy products, grapefruits, chickpeas, fortified grains and cereals, red beans, seeds, raw nuts, etc... Read more on: vegetarian nutrition
Going from vegetarian to vegan
It is as simple as cutting out the dairy and animal by-products. Check online or in books to see what animal by-products are. See HappyCow's list of animal ingredients.Examples of animal by-products are gelatin, glycerin (unless specified that it's from plant sources), cochineal, casein, whey, etc. Don't let your jaw drop just yet, though - it's far easier than it seems; I promise. The healthiest vegan stays almost exclusively in the fresh produce section and the bulk staples section, where one can stock up on things such as fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, oats, rice, beans, flour, seeds, various grains, etc. There's no worry there - everything is mostly likely vegan.
Make your meals at home. You can make cooking fun by inviting some friends over and doing it together. It can lead to a lot of laughter and interesting conversations. HappyCow and websites like Vegweb offer hundreds ofvegetarian recipes to help you make yummy homemade meals. Book stores carry vegan cookbooks. And it's often easy to "veganize" your favorite recipe with substitutes.
For instance, if a baked goods recipe calls for an egg, you can use half a mashed banana, a bit of applesauce, tofu, Ener-G brand egg replacement, or blend some flax seeds with a bit of water in a blender until they are the consistency of raw egg. For milk, you can use soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, oat milk, or hemp milk. Soy milk tends to be the most commonly used replacement, and if you don't mind a little fat, Very Vanilla Silk Soymilk brand "for kids" (who says adults can't enjoy it, too?") tastes just like melted ice cream. Non-fat soymilk, such as West Soy brand non-fat, comes in vanilla or plain. You will be able to find different flavors of soymilk such as chocolate, chai, and coffee, at most majory health food stores. Around the holidays, Silk brand offers a soy nog that tastes very much like eggnog.
For butter, you can use vegetable margarine or oils; I find that dishes taste the same without that added butter fat. Cheese cake? No problem. Toffutti brand makes a vegan-style cream "cheese" that produces cheesecakes that taste just like the dairy version. Tacos? There's always the option of beans and lentils, but if you want that meaty flavor and texture, TVP (textures vegetable protein) is the way to go. TVP tastes has a meaty texture. Add some sauce, and it is a surefire way to make your meat-eating friends believe they are eating beef in their tacos! If friends know you as a strict vegan, you could really have some fun with this.
You will be able to find substitutes for any kind of meat to make the dish that you want to make. There are substitutes for burger patties, ground beef, chicken (nuggets, slices, patties, strips, etc), turkey, deli slices, hot dogs, fish, shrimp, etc... Yes, vegans have it all. By reading the ingredient labels carefully, you will be able to determine which meat substitutes are vegetarian, and which are vegan. The non-vegan ones might contain egg and some kind of dairy (as in casein and whey). And then there is tofu, the ultimate vege "meat". Tofu soaks up the flavors in a dish, and is highly versatile; you can even make delicious pudding with it.
And, yes, there are also vegan versions of cheese, whipped cream, frosting, gravy. . .you name it. Try chocolate without the milk added in chocolate bars, baking chocolate chips, and hot cocoa. Even vegan ice cream comes in several brands and an assortment of flavors. Try the Toffutti Cutie brand of ice cream sandwich!
How about snack foods?
Well, you certainly don't have to give up that habit. You really don't have to "give up" anything when you become a vegetarian or vegan. There are vegan versions of almost everything available. Most potato chips and tortilla chips, unless made with some kind of cheese or dairy derivative, tend to be vegan. Check the labels.
Most health food stores and markets sell everything I've mentioned (and then some). Natural foods markets are a blessing for vegetarian and vegans. You will see isles upon isles, shelves upon shelves, of veggie friendly products. Even websites, such as VeganGiftShop.com, or Google "vegan snacks", offer many of alternative food options. If you want to know what is vegan in the conventional grocery stores, log onto: www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan. The site page supplies an extensive list of what is vegan.Don't like the taste of vegetables?
Vegetables are the most nutrient-dense foods. They are essential in any healthy diet. It's usually in the spicing - it's hard to believe anyone could take a taste of Indian vegetable dishes or Middle Easter vegetable dishes and hate the taste. Their cuisine is among the most delicious in the world. But, if that doesn't work, an awesome method to get some vegetables into your body is making yourself a green smoothie. What you do is you mix vegetables in a blender with fruit, and the taste of fruit overrides the taste of the vegetables and it no longer tastes so "vegetabley." You can be creative and do any amount of combinations you like with this. Pineapple is especially useful because of the strong fruity taste, but any fruit really works. Just make sure you still put a good amount of green vegetables in there and you got a tasty glass of immeasurable nutrition.My family eats out at non-vegetarian restaurants. What can I do?
If your family is adventurous, you could suggest going to a vegetarian restaurant once in a while or going to a vegetarian-friendly place. Often times, meat eaters are surprised by the veggie dishes served at vegetarian restaurants. The experience might open them up to the wide variety of plant foods that are available. If your family is not open to trying pure vegetarian restaurants, then you could suggest going to a vegetarian-friendly place. Try restaurants that offer international cuisines such as Indian, Middle Eastern, Ethiopian, Greek, Thai and Chinese restaurants. Often times, you will find vegetarian dishes on the menu. You could always ask for substitutes ("no oyster sauce", etc.). Many customer friendly restaurants are willing to make substitutions whenver possible. Don't be afraid to ask. Occasionally, restaurants will make "impromptu" meals to suit your needs when requested. You could call ahead to check.How do vegetarians deal with negative comments and such?
When you become a vegetarian or vegan, you are bound to hear negative comments made about the diet, maybe from family members or peers. The people who make comments against a vegetarian diet are almost always people who lack true knowledge about vegetarianism and health. When a person makes a baseless, negative comment in any other area of life, what do I tend to do? Ignore it because I know what s/he said isn't true. Reacting with anger only adds fuel to fire. Being pushy, preachy, or condescending in return? Two wrongs don't make a right; it only makes the ignorant less open to learning about where one stands. It's said that the best "revenge" is to succeed. When you eat a balanced vegetarian diet, you will be healthy. Be happy and healthy. Get lots of books on vegetarianism and become extensively informed on the subject. And when someone asks you about your new diet, share with them what you know. The best thing to do is to lead by a positive example. For books on veganism, check out: VeganGiftShop.com
What about holiday meals?
Large natural foods markets usually will offer special holiday meals for vegetarians and vegans - or ask them to! Browse the frozen section at the health food stores, for vege turkey and vege ham products if that's what you need. Try Tofurkey, a vege turkey with stuffing. Or make something yourself. In fact, whip something up extra delicious to make an extra good impression.Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?
Yes. There are even vegan versions. Barbara's Bakery brand makes 'em.Visit Jacklyn Hopper's blog. Article edited by HappyCow.Net
12 Maret 2009
Livestock Industry and Global Warming
A UN report concludes that animal agriculture is responsible for 18% of total greenhouse gas emissions, more than all transportation in the world combined.
The most under reported cause of global warming is the livestock industry, which accounts for a minimum of 18 percent of global warming, and, according to more updated information, is possibly responsible for 50 percent or more of the current emissions in the atmosphere.
Lowering emissions by eliminating animal products from your life is one of the fastest, cheapest and most effective methods one can take to not only lower global emissions, but to bring abut rapid planetary cooling.
*Easy to implement. Eating a plant-based diet to lower emissions requires no infrastructure investments, capital investment or government rebates.
*Lowers monthly costs. Plant-based diets ends up reducing monthly costs for consumers immediately.
*Improves health, lowers weight. A well planned vegan diet is likely to improve health and result in a reduction in weight.
*Cools the planet faster. Reducing emissions through a shift from a meat- and dairy-laden diet will bring about more rapid cooling than a reduction of CO2 emissions through any other option.
*Tastes great. As Oprah Winfrey attests, once you learn how to incorporate a vegan diet into your life, the food tastes great, leaving one satisfied and well-nourished.
“Wow, wow, wow! I never imagined meatless meals could be so satisfying. I had been focused on what I had to give up..."What's left?" I thought. Apparently a lot. I can honestly say every meal was a surprise and a delight...” Oprah Winfrey, commenting on her 21 day vegan 'cleanse'
Livestock’s Long Shadow
The livestock group within the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization evaluated the comprehensive environmental damage resulting from raising animals for food and other purposes, concluding the livestock sector is one of the leading causes of environmental degradation on the planet. The report, Livestock’s Long Shadow, states:
“The livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global. The findings of [Livestock’s Long Shadow] suggest that it should be a major policy focus when dealing with problems of land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and water pollution and loss of biodiversity."
“Livestock’s contribution to environmental problems is on a massive scale...The impact is so significant that it needs to be addressed with urgency.”
By using a global warming potential estimate for methane of 23 times that of CO2, the UN concluded that livestock were responsible for 18 percent of total global emissions, more than all transportation in the world, which only produces an estimate of 13 percent of global emissions. However, because this global warming potential estimate is low (link to section below), it is believed that emissions from meat and dairy consumption are significantly higher than the 18 percent estimate of the UN FAO.
The researchers determined that livestock are responsible for the creation of 9 percent of human-caused CO2 emissions, 37 percent of human-caused methane emissions, and 67 percent of human-caused nitrous oxide emissions. Animals raised as livestock by humans are the single largest source of human-caused methane and nitrous oxide emissions on the planet.
Methane: Hotter than they are leading us to believe.
The global warming potential estimate of 23 is misleading and significantly under-estimates the role livestock play in global warming. Methane has an atmospheric lifetime of nine to 15 years, meaning the methane has dissipated out of the atmosphere within that time, leaving behind a residual that still continues to warm the planet.
For example, twenty years after a cow belches methane into the atmosphere (and five to 11 years after it’s atmospheric lifetime has ended and the methane has dissipated out of the atmosphere) the methane has a global warming potential of 62 times that of CO2. A hundred years after that cow belched her methane into the atmosphere, that belch is still warming the planet, but its global warming potential has dropped to only 23 times that of CO2.
This raises a really powerful question. If the residual methane left in the atmosphere five or more years after the atmospheric lifetime of methane is passed, how hot is methane during its atmospheric lifetime? And what does that say about the need to lower emissions from livestock?
During a September 2009 panel discussion sponsored by Compassion in World Farming in London, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, head of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, stated that prominent scientists were calling him up and telling him that the emissions from livestock were much, much higher than current estimates. During an interview with Supreme Master Television, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, the nutritional biochemist who led the China Project/Study, stated reputable scientists at the World Bank had indicated to him that livestock emissions make up 50 percent or more of the emissions currently in our atmosphere.
The Fastest Way to Cool the Planet
With the Earth rapidly approaching and surpassing critical tipping points, halting global warming immediately has become urgent. Right now, government programs and public emissions reduction efforts are focused on lowering our CO2 emissions. This is great, however, because the atmospheric lifetime of CO2 is so much longer than methane, and because its residual global warming potential will still be felt 500 or a 1000 years later, reductions in CO2 emissions are not going to bring about rapid planetary cooling.
Scientists are increasingly telling us that because methane dissipates out of the atmosphere much more quickly than CO2, that lowering methane emissions are the fastest way to bring about planetary cooling. And because animals are the greatest source of methane emissions, the less meat- and dairy we consume, and the more plant-based foods we consume, the quicker the planet will begin to cool.
The following reports on the emissions from animals are based upon misleading methane global warming potential estimates around 23 times that of CO2. This means that these reports under estimate the role of meat and dairy consumption on global warming.
Eating a plant-based diet reduces more emissions than buying a hybrid car.
Researchers at the University of Chicago evaluated the emissions throughout the food production chain if one were consuming the average diet and compared it to a diet of equal calories where all the calories were consumed in the form of plant-based foods. They determined that the average meat and dairy consumer was responsible for about 1.5 tonness of emissions per year than a person consuming a purely meat- and dairy-free diet. By comparison, they also calculated that switching from the average car to a Toyota Prius would save only 1 tonne of emissions per year, clearly indicating you will succeed in a significant reduction of your emissions if without spending the money on a new energy-efficient car by just eating more plant-based foods. Concluding that the average American was responsible for 1,485 kg in emissions over a person consuming a plant-based diet.
Plant-based eating reduces 7 times more emissions than eating local foods.
Most people promoting “locavore”or local eating evaluate only the transportation emissions. However, transportation emissions are actually only a small portion of the overall emissions created in the food production process. A study done at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, USA evaluated the emissions produced throughout the production lifecycle of food in the US diet, concluding that only 11% of emissions come from transportation. Agricultural and industrial practices account for the remaining 83% of emissions from the American diet. The Carnegie Mellon Researchers found that emissions from animal products were responsible for 58% of the emissions in the American diet, and that by going vegan just one day per week, more emissions would be saved then by eating locally all year long.
94 % of dietary emissions are reduced by switching to an organic, plant-based diet
Switching from a conventionally-raised, meat- and dairy-based diet to an organic plant-based diet reduces the emissions from your diet by 94 percent. Research by Foodwatch in Germany became the first to comprehensively measure greenhouse gas emissions from various dietary choices, including conventional vs. organic farming.
*The average meat eater consuming traditionally-farmed foods with herbicides and pesticides is responsible for the carbon dioxide emissions-equivalent of driving 4,758 kilometers each year.
*Eating organic, sustainably-raised meats, dairy and produce will reduce emissions 8 percent to 4,377 kilometers.
*Eating a vegetarian diet, including dairy products, reduces emissions by about half, to the equivalent of driving 2,427 kilometers each year.
*Eating an organic vegetarian diet reduces the emissions an additional 18.5 percent to the equivalent of driving 1,978 kilometers.
*A conventionally-grown vegan diet (vegetarian with no dairy or eggs) reduces emissions to the equivalent of driving 629 kilometers each year.
*An organic vegan diet, which creates the equivalent carbon footprint of driving 281 kilometers, or 6.4 percent of the emissions of an organic omnivore and 5.9 percent of the emissions created by an omnivore eating non-organic foods.
The most under reported cause of global warming is the livestock industry, which accounts for a minimum of 18 percent of global warming, and, according to more updated information, is possibly responsible for 50 percent or more of the current emissions in the atmosphere.
Lowering emissions by eliminating animal products from your life is one of the fastest, cheapest and most effective methods one can take to not only lower global emissions, but to bring abut rapid planetary cooling.
*Easy to implement. Eating a plant-based diet to lower emissions requires no infrastructure investments, capital investment or government rebates.
*Lowers monthly costs. Plant-based diets ends up reducing monthly costs for consumers immediately.
*Improves health, lowers weight. A well planned vegan diet is likely to improve health and result in a reduction in weight.
*Cools the planet faster. Reducing emissions through a shift from a meat- and dairy-laden diet will bring about more rapid cooling than a reduction of CO2 emissions through any other option.
*Tastes great. As Oprah Winfrey attests, once you learn how to incorporate a vegan diet into your life, the food tastes great, leaving one satisfied and well-nourished.
“Wow, wow, wow! I never imagined meatless meals could be so satisfying. I had been focused on what I had to give up..."What's left?" I thought. Apparently a lot. I can honestly say every meal was a surprise and a delight...” Oprah Winfrey, commenting on her 21 day vegan 'cleanse'
Livestock’s Long Shadow
The livestock group within the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization evaluated the comprehensive environmental damage resulting from raising animals for food and other purposes, concluding the livestock sector is one of the leading causes of environmental degradation on the planet. The report, Livestock’s Long Shadow, states:
“The livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global. The findings of [Livestock’s Long Shadow] suggest that it should be a major policy focus when dealing with problems of land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and water pollution and loss of biodiversity."
“Livestock’s contribution to environmental problems is on a massive scale...The impact is so significant that it needs to be addressed with urgency.”
By using a global warming potential estimate for methane of 23 times that of CO2, the UN concluded that livestock were responsible for 18 percent of total global emissions, more than all transportation in the world, which only produces an estimate of 13 percent of global emissions. However, because this global warming potential estimate is low (link to section below), it is believed that emissions from meat and dairy consumption are significantly higher than the 18 percent estimate of the UN FAO.
The researchers determined that livestock are responsible for the creation of 9 percent of human-caused CO2 emissions, 37 percent of human-caused methane emissions, and 67 percent of human-caused nitrous oxide emissions. Animals raised as livestock by humans are the single largest source of human-caused methane and nitrous oxide emissions on the planet.
Methane: Hotter than they are leading us to believe.
The global warming potential estimate of 23 is misleading and significantly under-estimates the role livestock play in global warming. Methane has an atmospheric lifetime of nine to 15 years, meaning the methane has dissipated out of the atmosphere within that time, leaving behind a residual that still continues to warm the planet.
For example, twenty years after a cow belches methane into the atmosphere (and five to 11 years after it’s atmospheric lifetime has ended and the methane has dissipated out of the atmosphere) the methane has a global warming potential of 62 times that of CO2. A hundred years after that cow belched her methane into the atmosphere, that belch is still warming the planet, but its global warming potential has dropped to only 23 times that of CO2.
This raises a really powerful question. If the residual methane left in the atmosphere five or more years after the atmospheric lifetime of methane is passed, how hot is methane during its atmospheric lifetime? And what does that say about the need to lower emissions from livestock?
During a September 2009 panel discussion sponsored by Compassion in World Farming in London, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, head of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, stated that prominent scientists were calling him up and telling him that the emissions from livestock were much, much higher than current estimates. During an interview with Supreme Master Television, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, the nutritional biochemist who led the China Project/Study, stated reputable scientists at the World Bank had indicated to him that livestock emissions make up 50 percent or more of the emissions currently in our atmosphere.
The Fastest Way to Cool the Planet
With the Earth rapidly approaching and surpassing critical tipping points, halting global warming immediately has become urgent. Right now, government programs and public emissions reduction efforts are focused on lowering our CO2 emissions. This is great, however, because the atmospheric lifetime of CO2 is so much longer than methane, and because its residual global warming potential will still be felt 500 or a 1000 years later, reductions in CO2 emissions are not going to bring about rapid planetary cooling.
Scientists are increasingly telling us that because methane dissipates out of the atmosphere much more quickly than CO2, that lowering methane emissions are the fastest way to bring about planetary cooling. And because animals are the greatest source of methane emissions, the less meat- and dairy we consume, and the more plant-based foods we consume, the quicker the planet will begin to cool.
The following reports on the emissions from animals are based upon misleading methane global warming potential estimates around 23 times that of CO2. This means that these reports under estimate the role of meat and dairy consumption on global warming.
Eating a plant-based diet reduces more emissions than buying a hybrid car.
Researchers at the University of Chicago evaluated the emissions throughout the food production chain if one were consuming the average diet and compared it to a diet of equal calories where all the calories were consumed in the form of plant-based foods. They determined that the average meat and dairy consumer was responsible for about 1.5 tonness of emissions per year than a person consuming a purely meat- and dairy-free diet. By comparison, they also calculated that switching from the average car to a Toyota Prius would save only 1 tonne of emissions per year, clearly indicating you will succeed in a significant reduction of your emissions if without spending the money on a new energy-efficient car by just eating more plant-based foods. Concluding that the average American was responsible for 1,485 kg in emissions over a person consuming a plant-based diet.
Plant-based eating reduces 7 times more emissions than eating local foods.
Most people promoting “locavore”or local eating evaluate only the transportation emissions. However, transportation emissions are actually only a small portion of the overall emissions created in the food production process. A study done at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, USA evaluated the emissions produced throughout the production lifecycle of food in the US diet, concluding that only 11% of emissions come from transportation. Agricultural and industrial practices account for the remaining 83% of emissions from the American diet. The Carnegie Mellon Researchers found that emissions from animal products were responsible for 58% of the emissions in the American diet, and that by going vegan just one day per week, more emissions would be saved then by eating locally all year long.
94 % of dietary emissions are reduced by switching to an organic, plant-based diet
Switching from a conventionally-raised, meat- and dairy-based diet to an organic plant-based diet reduces the emissions from your diet by 94 percent. Research by Foodwatch in Germany became the first to comprehensively measure greenhouse gas emissions from various dietary choices, including conventional vs. organic farming.
*The average meat eater consuming traditionally-farmed foods with herbicides and pesticides is responsible for the carbon dioxide emissions-equivalent of driving 4,758 kilometers each year.
*Eating organic, sustainably-raised meats, dairy and produce will reduce emissions 8 percent to 4,377 kilometers.
*Eating a vegetarian diet, including dairy products, reduces emissions by about half, to the equivalent of driving 2,427 kilometers each year.
*Eating an organic vegetarian diet reduces the emissions an additional 18.5 percent to the equivalent of driving 1,978 kilometers.
*A conventionally-grown vegan diet (vegetarian with no dairy or eggs) reduces emissions to the equivalent of driving 629 kilometers each year.
*An organic vegan diet, which creates the equivalent carbon footprint of driving 281 kilometers, or 6.4 percent of the emissions of an organic omnivore and 5.9 percent of the emissions created by an omnivore eating non-organic foods.
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