The dairy industry.
Ever since I became a {nursing} mom 4.5 years ago, I stopped drinking cows milk cold-turkey. My kids also never drank cow's milk, even when the doctors were saying it was the only way (I found a new doctor). No, I didn't give up conventional yogurt or cheese or butter or chocolate. Yes I see how that makes zero sense.
In order for milk to be taken from an animal, that animal needs to be a mother. In order to make it a mother, it is usually artificially inseminated. Then, since the milk is obviously for us humans, not the baby calf (duh, humans are better), the calf is taken. If it is male, it is slaughtered and sold for veal. If it is female, it is destined for the same life as its mother. The animal is then milked, literally almost to death, by a machine, it's entire life. Once it's too old or useless, it's slaughtered and sold to fast food chains (which is probably why you can get a burger for $1 at McDs...)
ANYWAY, I digress, because my reasons for trying to be a non-vegan Vegan actually have much more to do with the environment than ethics...though ethics are a solid 2nd place.
What the hell is a non-vegan Vegan anyway? Its my own term referring to someone who wants to reduce their impact by about 90%, while never fully committing to never ever eating an animal product ever ever again. Because you see, I believe humans are meant to eat meat. We are omnivores. We have sharp teeth for cutting {meat} and flat teeth for chewing {plants}. I also believe that Velveeta cheese is a gift from the universe and the thought of boycotting it forever makes my heart twinge. Thirdly, I believe that the circle of life is natural. Animals kill and eat other animals. It's part of life. However the WAY in which humans kill other animals, with such superiority and disrespect, is cringeworthy (I am referencing factory farming - hunting is, in my opinion, natural and humane).
And the even BIGGER problem is what this is doing to the Earth, and what it could mean for the future of our species. Literally.
So there are a sh*t ton of human-issues surrounding climate change. We already know that. Trash, transportation emissions, energy use, etc etc. But according to a recent study, "A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use." (https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/veganism-environmental-impact-planet-reduced-plant-based-diet-humans-study-a8378631.html; Referencing this study: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6392/987)
One of the main reasons factory farming, beef and dairy in particular, is such a problem is because of the methane is produces. "Over 37 percent of methane emissions result from factory farming. Methane has a global warming potential 20 times higher than carbon dioxide." (http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/factory-farming-is-killing-the-environment/)
Here's another fun fact:
The transportation sector - I'm talking cars, planes, boats, trucks, ALL of it - is responsible for about 14% of total greenhouse gas emissions.
Factory farming emissions are responsible for 14.5-18%.
(https://www.epa.gov/transportation-air-pollution-and-climate-change; https://www.care2.com/greenliving/which-is-worse-for-the-planet-beef-or-cars.html)
Yes, factory farming has a greater impact on climate change than all of our transportation impacts COMBINED.
And what's at stake? Literally, life on earth. As of now, if the rate of over-fishing continues, we could have a complete collapse of the world's stock of seafood- COLLAPSE - by 2050. Guys, THAT'S IN OUR LIFETIME.
Anyway, I could sit here for hours giving you quotes and statistics and copying reference points but...I don't want to. It takes too much time and I need to go shopping for some veggie sausages and pick up my kids from Kita (where it's sausage day for breakfast by the way...liverwurst and salami...how ironic). I also want this topic to be in manageable-sized reading chunks for you.
My point is this: turning off the lights when we leave a room, not letting the water run, recycling and composting, biking more and buying hybrid cars...it matters, don't get me wrong. But we could make a GREATER impact, a MUCH GREATER impact on our world, our species, and the future of our children and grandchildren by eating FAR LESS MEAT AND DAIRY. And imagine if we could raise little {possibly non-vegan} vegans? They're the real future - let's educate them and set them up on the right path. I want to do better. I want to ACTUALLY make an impact, not just stand by. This is how I am choosing to do it.
Future posts on this topic will include:
- HOW I am working towards being a non-vegan Vegan
- Other {health} benefits of being a non-vegan Vegan
- How to get enough protein and nutrients while living the non-vegan Vegan lifestyle
It's too much for one post guys. It's just too much.
By the way, disclaimer: I am using the term non-vegan Vegan for fun. I don't like labels. I feel like they're restricting. Who knows how this will evolve for me, but for now, I am just trying to do better. If I can reduce my own family's impact by 80ish% while still sometimes enjoying chicken parm in Italy, brisket tacos in El Paso, Velveeta mac and cheese in the winter and salmon occasionally because I love it, then I will feel so damn successful. The thought of going cold-turkey into a vegan lifestyle has caused me to do NOTHING, so this, at least, is sustainable. However, that's a topic for another post :)
Leave me some love! What are your thoughts on eating less animal products? Is it something you want to do? If so, what is the biggest obstacle in your way to taking that first step?
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