Hi All
Some may think this is off-subject. I personally believe that it is
intimately involved with birds and conservation and the thread. I'm not
trying to preach or force my views on anyone but simply offering one
person's simple way of making a small difference. If everyone tried this,
perhaps there would be an enormous difference....
When I was quite young, I realised that the "pastoral" industries were
involved in over-clearing, overgrazing - especially in marginal areas,
slaughtering native animals (referred to as "pests"), polluting rivers and
robbing them of their natural flows, allowing stock to destroy outback soil
structures and damage grasslands, perpetrating cruelty to "livestock", etc.,
etc.. I knew that the loss of so many mammal species in the past and now
the imminent loss of so many birds was always going to be the result. I saw
the cruelty of the dairy and battery hen business and the madness of the
ocean fisheries. I became a vegetarian in 1973 and a vegan in 1990 in
response.
There are many other reasons to be a vegan and all should be aware that I
have enjoyed vastly better health than all of my non-veggie friends and have
been a nationally ranked middle distance runner, biathlete, etc., into the
bargain (I'm going for a 10km run as soon as I press send). I could have
presented so many justifications for my lifestyle choice whenever people ask
me why I am a vegan, but mostly I offer them the simple truth that every
piece of meat you eat is costing our environment in terms of habitat
destruction and species loss. There is no escaping this fact.
I've heard all of the petty and specious arguments for being a "carrion"
feeder but none stand up to the facts. I wont drag on this email any
further, but if anyone would like more info or to challenge my points I am
happy to continue the discussion and provide these facts.
Anyway, it's just food for thought from a nature lover who thinks about her
food.
Regards - Ricki
|
