Greenpeace and its Kangaroo Complex

I first heard about Greenpeace promoting the substitution of kangaroo meat for cow meat on a Jay Leno monologue so I had hoped it was a joke. But since I knew that some Australian scientist was advocating the same thing a while back, I got a little worried.

Well, it's true. It all goes back to the story we posted last week about how cattle contribute to greenhouse gases. Kangaroos don't do this, see, so we should essentially factory-farm them instead of cows.

Greenpeace, Greenpeace, Greenpeace.

In the US, Greenpeace seemed to go underground for a long time under the current anti-environment regime. Now, it's back in the spotlight with canvassers on our City streets and silly comments like these.

This is silly for two reasons.

One is that it is an about-face for Greenpeace. Here is what Sea Shepherd says on their web site.

The one consistent thing these days about the Greenpeace Foundation is its inconsistency. Back in 1986, Greenpeace produced a film about the commercial slaughter of the kangaroos in Australia. The film was called Goodbye to Joey, and it denounced the wholesale slaughter of kangaroos. According to Australian Greenpeace spokesperson Trevor Daley, Greenpeace opposed the commercial trade of kangaroo products on ecological and moral grounds and stated that, "on a purely moral basis, we find it nauseating."

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Founder and President Captain Paul Watson was also a co-founder of Greenpeace. "I feel a little like Dr. Frankenstein, having helped to create this green mean monster. There can be no justification for this insane proposal." Al Johnson, who founded Greenpeace USA and was a member of the film crew in 1984 that made Goodbye to Joey was shocked when he heard this proposal. "This is inexcusable. How can we produce a passionate film denouncing the horrific kangaroo slaughter and then advocate the mass slaughter of kangaroos a few years later?"

"It is interesting that Dr. Diesendorf {from the University of New South Wales] does not mention vegetarianism as a solution to global warming, nor does he mention the need to reduce human populations or to curb our excessive consumption of fish," said Captain Watson. "Instead, he has chosen to become Dr. Death for the 'roos and is advocating the mass slaughter of a wild native animal that has been a positive member of the Australian ecosystem for tens of thousands of years. And he dismisses those who disagree with him as a 'small subset of environmentalists."

Why substitute one animal for another? It won't change the problem. Substitute kangaroos for cows and there will still be factory farming. There will still be waste management issues. There will still be big agriculture. There will still be big coal and oil. There would still be a demand for graze land. It doesn't solve the problem, but only shifts the overwhelming human desire for meat onto another animal.

Look, I understand that people want to eat meat, but the goal is to eat LESS meat or develop meat alternatives. Or not bother with it at all.

Photo by Jennifrog