In Defense of Animals

No, this isn't a rant about why you should vote for Prop 2, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, though I'll probably vote for it. What I felt I needed to do is take a moment and point out why I dislike fake animal products.

Yes, I am a meat eater, but I have much respect for vegetarians and vegans. I recognize that by excluding meat and other animal products from your diet, you are helping to reduce your ecological footprint and protecting your health. I choose to continue to eat meat, none-the-less, but am careful about the type of meat I buy. By going with locally raised, organic, grass-fed beef and lamb, I am addressing a number of these problems since:

• grass-fed animals don't require the intense amount of resources like grains and water to grow the corn and grains to feed them;
• animals with a grass-based diet receive the proper balance of essential fatty acids including omega-3, a balance which is lacking in meat from grain fed animals and results in industrial meat being linked to illnesses like cardiovascular disease and diabetes;
• organic meat does not contain antibiotics and hormones which are damaging to the consumer's health and the environment;
  
• eating Californian and Oregon meat means I'm not aiding in the deforestation of the Amazon in order to create pastures, and I am limiting the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the transportation of my meat; and
  
• the pasture raised animals are raised in more humane, natural conditions since they aren't kept pinned up in overcrowded, unhealthy warehouses.

Those are some of the reasons that leave me feeling justified in my choice to eat meat. I still understand that even those points may not be enough to make someone feel comfortable with eating meat and other animal products, and that's just fine with me. What doesn't make sense is why some of these people choose to eat fake meat.

There's nothing healthy about eating super processed food. Whether it's processed soy and wheat mashed up to a shape and texture mimicking chicken or margarine and bleached flour mixed to form "cheese" for some mac and cheese, I just don't get it. You might as well add a serving of "fruit" by throwing some Skittles onto the menu. There are so many wonderful and healthy alternatives for non-meat eaters besides the processed meat and dairy substitutes. I know not all veggie folk care about the health side of food choices, but any diet with lots of processed foods is not good for your health or the environment. If there's a craving for meat or cheese, at least choose a portabella burger to sink your teeth into or the cashew cheese to crumble on your salad.

And another vegan product that I don't get are the vegan shoes made out of synthetics. Again, I understand the value of boycotting leather products since cows are resource intensive animals, but I don't see how petrochemical-based materials like PVC and polyester are any better. If you don't want natural leather shoes because you are trying to make a statement, try hemp, organic cotton, and natural rubber as materials to look for instead of the ever-popular synthetics.

As the biggest consumers on this small planet, it's our responsibility to be aware of the numerous repercussions that our choices have and to act accordingly.