Chew On This Video
It may sometimes seem like preaching, but there is no doubt of the existence of cruelty. If seeing is believing, here you go.
-Mr. SoVeg
The Admission of Cruelty
So the AVA (The American Veal Association) has made a bit of an announcement… They are Phasing out the method of chaining their calves by the neck inside their lonely crates by 2017. They are of course chained and crated in order to immobilize them and create tender veal.
2017?!?! Phasing out?!? This is a pathetic announcement in my honest opinion. It is truly so hard to stop chaining them by their necks that it is going to take 9 or 10 years?
GoVeg.com calls this a “historic change”, and I guess it could be considered a baby step, but one baby step that will take a decade to hit the ground.
These insanely slow baby steps are becoming more common news. In the past year, Smithfield Foods, Maple Leaf Foods, and Cargill Meat Solutions have all pledged to phase out the use of those horrible gestation crates. Again with the phasing out! The fact that they are phasing it out at all, is them admitting that it is a cruel practice, and therefore these methods should not be phased out, but stopped in their tracks.
Some fast food joints are hopping onto that baby step bandwagon as well. It took SIX years of negotiations with PETA to get Burger King to give in and pledge to purchase 20 percent of it’s pig meat from suppliers that do not use the gestation crates, and 5 percent of it’s eggs from suppliers that do not use battery cages (a 5 to a filing cabinet drawer-sized cage). It did not take long for Wendy’s to jump in sign practically the same deal.
20 percent?!?! 5 percent?!?! It took six years for them to sign up?! Again, pledging at all is the admission of cruelty, and deciding that they are only going to be 80% as cruel to pigs and only 95% as cruel to chickens does not exactly impress me. More than anything, it angers me. If you even buy a small fry from these guys as a vegetarian, then they will feel like they have done enough.
-Mr. SoVeg
Time to Flick Off
I have an idea, flick off. If you leave a room, there is no need for that room to stay lit. If you are not watching the TV, why is it on? If your cell phone is fully charged, why is it still charging? Far too many people on this planet have developed these wasteful habits, and it is about time you break them.
One simple method that I have become a fan of, is the use of power bars. Most power bars have a switch that makes it easier than ever to flick off. Power is flowing through your electronics and appliances whether they are switched on or not. The power bar method is a fool proof method that assures you that you are not wasting electricity. Wasting electricity is not only emission causing, but it is also expensive. Power bills are higher than ever and the cost of electricity will of course continue to rise in the coming years.
Your power bill each month should state how many kWh you use daily, so challenge yourself and the others in your household. Set yourself some goals, and step all over them. You will be very surprised by the immense improvement in your killowatt-hour usage immediately if you keep this flick off mindset going. Let’s get started shall we?
-Mr. SoVeg
Great Vegetarian Quotes # 1
cannibals?” -Unknown
The Benefits of Buying Local
There are many benefits of buying local. Even if you food is organic and ‘environmentally friendly‘ you may want to think twice.
Think about where this food came from. Does it say Costa Rica on that vegetable? Think about how far it has traveled, and HOW it has traveled. Buying local when possible can drastically reduce your carbon food print. Even that one piece of fruit is responsible for it’s fair share of the emissions required to bring it to your nearest grocery store.
Buying local is also better for your health. I think we all know that fruit, vegetables, and other foods lose their vitamins and minerals as they age.
Why not support your local economy? Buying your food from local farmers will help support your local economy (the one that truly matters to you). The majority of towns and cities that I know of hold a weekly or even daily market, and don’t forget those locals on the side of the road selling fresh strawberries.
There are nothing but good repercussions when you buy your food from near by. One thing you may want to try out is the 100 mile challenge. I heard about this on the news a week or so ago. This challenge is simple, only buy food from within a 100 mile radius. Depending on where you live, you will probably have to live without a few things such as chocolate, but I’m sure you can handle it.
You should not just apply this mindset to what goes into your fridge. If you do not live in China, why buy pencils from China? There are pencil manufacturers in your country, so why buy pencils that came from overseas? When you buy a product, be sure it’s ‘MADE IN (insert you country here)’, for a healthier planet.
-Mr. SoVeg
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