Blogging About Critters Since 2007

Monday, May 18, 2009

Belgian City Goes Vegetarian Once a Week

Last week, the City of Ghent in Belgium started eating vegetarian one day a week. Public officials and politicians will start, with school children following in September. It's their way of acknowledging the impact of livestock on the environment.

Not only is there reason to believe that livestock contribute to greenhouse gases, but meat is resource-intensive to produce. A lot of land and money goes into producing meat in a world with diminishing space. Is meat really the best way to feed our growing population?

I honestly believe it will take environmental catastrophe for people to stop eating other species. I have very little regard for the human conscience when it comes to empathy outside themselves. Only when humans start to freak out about their own survival will they stop eating meat. In the meantime, they will always justify it in some manner whether it be "logic" or "God."

2 comments:

Bea Elliott said...

Hello... I think that's great about Ghent going vegetarian (one day a week).

But you're right that the majority of people will only do what's necessary after they've exhausted every other possible way...

And as far as using the "god" card - Ha! What a set up! We create a mythical being to justify our meat eating whims and defend it with all the "logic" we can possibly fake. I'm with you on the lack of respect for our human(e) conscientiousness... we have none.

Perhaps an environmental catastrophe or zootonic disease might be what it will eventually take. Sad.

Andrew said...

Hi Ana,

This sounds like an interesting experiment.

I am interested in your viewpoint about eating meat. I don't know much about diets and healthy eating, but I was always taught growing up that small portions of meat are part of a balanced healthy diet.

Do you know much about the health related impacts of adopting a vegetarian related diet? Is this a step which people should take only after consulting their local doctor or dietician?

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