Money Rules

It's all about the money.  Let's face it, doesn't matter what it is - if you've got the money you've got the power (more's the pity). 

I came across this today Meat Industry Advertising and if you don't want to click through and read the whole article - the picture really says it all.  The difference in money spent on promoting meat is whopping (those are the red dots) compared to the little green dots? yes, you guessed right - that's the vegetarian or meat industry reform.

But, guess what - most of the red dots represent just estimated advertising whereas the green dots represent the total budge of the organization.  It's really no wonder that it's hard to get the vegetarian/animal rights message across.

I came across this article yesterday (Do We Have The Language Needed To Grant Dolphins Non-Human Rights?)  and I got quite riled up over it.  The more I thought about it the more I got …. well, not angry, but just - can't think of the word.  Which is really what the article is about - finding the right word for a  "specific word that encapsulates the relationship of you're-an-individual-as-I-am-even-though-we-are-different-species."

Now I'm not thinking about the "word" - what got me about the story is that we are even looking at giving "rights" to dolphins.  And before you jump down on me let me explain where I'm coming from.

We have human rights - and look how we manage that.  It's abysmal - we can't even get that right, so how is anyone going to think that by applying cetacean rights that anything is going to change the fact that dolphins and whales will still be abused.

And, speaking of rights, what about the rights of cows and pigs ….. yes, yes, I know, the article is saying that dolphins are highly intelligent therefore should be given rights.  Well it is also known that pigs are intelligent as are elephants and apes - and who says that cows and sheep are not?  So, what about their "rights".  They may not be as intelligent as dolphins, but there are lots of humans I could put on their intellectual level! and yet we give them "rights".

My point is that we should not be so concerned about the word "rights" be it to an individual or a species (including human), but we should be doing what is right to all living creatures.  Then comes the argument that what I might believe is right may not be in sync with what you think is right

I don't have an issue with humans who eat animal foods for survival (e.g. A country like Mongolia cannot grow anything so needs to live on meat) just as I don't have an issue with dolphins and lions etc who hunt for fish/meat in order to survive.  What I have an issue with is the blatant abusive farming activities that are practiced in order to quench the "desire" for meat - not the "need".  I mean - you don't see dolphins fish farming……mind you, if we keep depleting the ocean of fish life……well, dolphins are intelligent aren't they.

I'm getting off my soap box now.

What to do About Global Hunger

Reading a short blog this morning about global hunger and the fact that the less meat we eat the more people we can feed got me thinking.

I've always been a big believer in going to the top.  Let's face it when you need to get results it's always sometimes quicker and easier just to go to the top man rather than working your way through the chain of command.

It's like that for food.  Why not cut out the middle man?  Why go through the food chain for nutrition?  Why not go directly to the source?

Are you with me here?  Let me explain.  The grain that grows has all the nutrients needed - the meat industry feeds that grain to the animals then in turn feeds it to the humans….so, cut out the meat and get to the primary source (the grain) and get the pure nutrients.

Extrapolate this out.  Not only do you need land to grow the grain, but you need it also to farm the animals.  Cut out the "middle man" i.e. the farmed animals and you have more land to grow crops = more food to feed the hungry.

It's really quite simple math……but here's the rub - money.  The meat industry, unfortunately, just doesn't see it that way - it would appear that personal gain comes way above the gains of the planet.  So it's up to us.  By choosing to have at least one meat free day a week you will make a difference.  Try to make it a completely animal free day (vegan) like no dairy products or eggs and you will make that one small step towards doing something about world hunger.

Brilliant Book:

So, Do You Like Mushrooms?

I have just read the most interesting little book called "Mushrooms For Health and Longevity" and, to say that I was amazed at the medicinal properties of these fungi would be an understatement.

It's pretty common knowledge that mushrooms are good for you....let's face it, you're pretty safe to assume that anything in the fruit or veggie department has to have some goodness, so why not mushrooms. 

But I really had no idea how much these insignificant, brown/white/sometimes off white/sometimes dirty weird looking things could pack such a major punch in the health and well-being stakes.

Did you know that there is a variety of mushroom that contains the highest amount of vitamin D of all edible natural foods?  No?  Neither did I. 

Could A Vegetarian Diet Help Lose Weight?

If you are under the mis-conception that vegetarian style eating is not nutrient rich or has the protein that the body needs - then please think again.

A study that has recently been published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in June (111: 819-827, 2011), has found that instead of being nutrient deficient a vegetarian diet is actually nutrient dense.

Oil Spill in Clean Green New Zealand

C'mon NZ where's your "clean, green" policy?

I'm struggling a bit to get my head around why it took so long for NZ to start getting the oil off this ship.

Life's Not Easy Being Vegetarian

 Life is not as easy as one thinks when it comes to being vegetarian!  Oh, the food's a doddle (that means easy), but trying not to use animals in other things....that's where the headache begins.