Post-consumerism

[kamakura]

After reading some posts about animal welfare, ecofriendly living, and the likes, it got me thinking about the general state of society. Regardless of what your stance is on veganism vs omnivorism, capitalism vs statism, democracy vs totalitarianism, and all the other ways to divide our beliefs in how society should be, I would like you to think

Comments

[blueheron]

We use non-human animals for our pleasure, amusement and research because of our societies deeply ingrained prejudice against them.

We judge them based on completely irrelevant criteria to be less than human, when the reality is that they are just different. What we do know about animals however, is that they are sentient.

That criteria is enough for me to decide that, given there is no reason to use animal other than for pleasure, I can not, in good conscious, do that. To do so would make me no better than people like Michael Vick with his dog fighting.

[sourdick]

Yeah, but hamburgers and ribs are so delicious, so that really makes up for it.

[kamakura]

Do you differentiate between "use for pleasure" and eating? I assume you're vegan based on your post, but I wanted to ask for clarification.

[blueheron]

Thanks for asking for clarification. I wrote that right before going to bed.

Considering that the vast majority of us to not need to eat animal products to be quite healthy, that really only leaves, as sourdick points out, the pleasure of the palate.

Most of us eat non-human animals principally because we enjoy doing so and we can't imagine not eating them.

[zadcat]

It's a small thing but I'd like the city to do some serious PR explaining that our tap water is 100% safe to drink. So many people have come to believe that bottled water is better (it isn't).

I often see people (who by their appearance I am guessing come from various tropical places) buying quantities of bottled water. In one way I can't blame them, if they grew up being strongly warned against drinking tap water, but clearly nobody is telling them that they no longer have to worry about this in Canada. We should do that.

[annabelle77]

Zadcat, last year and the year before I received a letter from the city stating that my tap water had elevated levels of lead in it. It warned against pregnant women and young children drinking it but assured that the levels would not be harmful for (presumably healthy) adults. The city tells me that my tap water is not 100% safe to drink by everyone. They can't do a PR blitz explaining the purity of it because it isn't a fact.

[blueheron]

Yup, there are some municipalities where the pites from the city water main to the house were made of lead.

Most places are in the middle of projects to replace these pipes.

But, those places are also the exception on the island. Our tap water is actually quite safe for most people.

[kamakura]

I'm still skeptical about tap water. I'm originally from Southern Ontario, and we had E.coli and all sorts of things going on in our water almost once a year. I shamefully admit that I like my bottled water (and not using a water bottle because it makes the water taste funny), but I do have a tap filter. I figure it's a reasonable compromise.

[damnedemily]

oy. I've seen that video a few times, it's so good. and terrifying

[kamakura]

I know! What really got to me was the "toxins in and toxins out" bit. I went to Taiwan a few years ago, and I drove by the Formosa factory and the sheer size and smog it was producing was really terrifying. It's something like the 2nd largest pollution producer in the world, and the locals aren't even aware of how much crap is being dumped into their water. The Island it sits on was actually man-made.

Sorry for that. You're post brought that to mind. If you're interested, read this article on Formosa Plastics:

http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1208369&lang=eng_news

[titelyd]

Don't need to go to Taiwan to notice how much stuff is getting dumped. I'm not too sure if it's a recycling facility or a dumpster site but if you ride with your bike on the canal Lachine heading west, you get to see a place where a lot of crap is piled up (it looks it's some sort of factory but I'm not too sure). I can't tell you where exactly but humm just enjoy the ride (since it is a really fun bike ride) and sometimes, on the other side of the canal, you'll see what I mean (i've got a picture but it's still on my camera

[kamakura]

That was very well written. I agree with you whole heartedly. Post-consumerism is the approach I'm taking as well. Unfortunately, there are a lot of extremists out there that can't be reasoned with which tend to produce a bad image of a particular cause. I asked a friend a while back about why she chose veganism as a lifestyle, and she painted any alternative as the devil's spawn. While I admire people for sticking to their guns (so to speak), it's hard to respect people like that. She's just one person though, but it is unfortunate that people become so zealous with their choices, that they shut their minds to alternatives. I've since found that asking people why they made the choices they have to be very taboo, but I'm genuinely curious. Maybe they know something I don't.

Unfortunately, there's a lot of dumps in the world. I will take that bike ride, though not in the hopes of seeing it :P

[nankyoku]

Maybe you'll be interested in this video as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU
Home...

I do have an opinion, and I have seen the story of stuff a couple of times as well, but it's too late to try to write something coherent, so I'll try tomorrow.

[martinemonster]

When it comes to eating meat, I feel it's important to note that something actually gave its life for me to get nurishment. Feasting on too much meat is not showing respect to the animal that gave its life. I won't say I use meat sparingly, but I do make sure that I value the sacrifice made.

Hope that didn't sound weird, really early morning here...

[mcfilmmakers]

It isn't immoral to eat an animal, so long as no part goes to waste.

I take a page from the Amerindians in this respect.

[blueheron]

So, if I eat another human being, but I don't let any of them go to waste (ie: i can make a couch with some of the hide, some buttons with the bones, etc), then I am in the clear?

[mcfilmmakers]

No, because it contradicts the survival of the greater society. All animals follow that law. You won't find cannibalism in any mammals unless it is a matter of individual survival (better one survives than none).