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The Meatrix

07 Apr 2007

My friend Diana, pointed me to The Meatrix. It’s fun and will hopefully make you want to learn more about modern food production. Though it is kind of childish and simple, it is very accessible for everyone which is crucial for change. I also like how it uses Flash correctly, as a movie and not as a whole site or navigation. Though, they lose points for not having a volume control on their movie which is so uncool.

My Views

I will try not to tell you how to live your life, but I will take this opportunity to share my personal views on the subject. I have recently become a vegetarian again. Before, I was vegetarian for a few years and about six months of that I was Vegan. I would like to embrace veganism in my life again because I think vegetarianism is half-assed, but I have also realized through the years that I cannot always change overnight.

I personally do not think that the consumption of animals for food or clothing is necessarily wrong. It can be argued whether humans are “naturally” herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores, but it seems to be that our bodies are adapted to eat meat. On the other hand, I do not believe that the consumption of diary is “natural”.

The problem, I believe is with the current production of animals. Besides the fact that it is absurdly cruel to animals, it is so destructive to the environment as a whole. The numerous facts and statistics that support these claims can be found in the resources below. Personally, just driving through the hog farming region of North Carolina you can smell the evidence. And it is not just animal waste that destroys our planet, it’s the amount of resources that go into the production.

So, even if we could make changes so that all animals for consumption were treated well and that the production was more sustainable for the Earth, in the “ [Global North](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_North “Wikipedia Global North”)”, we still devour maore meat than is sustainable. It is similar to the energy crisis, even if we only use sustainable energy sources, we still use too much electricity.

I understand that this is a very limited view on this subject, but please watch The Meatrix and read through some of the resources below. At least with knowledge you can make better decisions in your life.

Resources

Sustainable Table
“Sustainable Table celebrates the sustainable food movement, educates consumers on food-related issues, and works to build community through food.”
PETA
Though there is often a lot of controversy about PETA, they have a lot resources at their hands.
Vegan Action
“A non-profit organization dedicated to helping the animals, environment, and human health by educating the public about the benefits of a vegan lifestyle…”
Vegan Outreach
“Ultimately, living with compassion means striving to maximize the good we accomplish, not following a set of rules or trying to fit a certain label. From eating less meat to being vegan, our actions are only a means to an end: decreasing suffering.”
Food First
“The Institute for Food and Development Policy/Food First shapes how people think by analyzing the root causes of global hunger, poverty, and ecological degradation and developing solutions in partnership with movements working for social change.”
Veg Guide
“The ultimate restaurant and shopping guide for vegetarians and vegans.”

Local Organizations