Vegetarianism- A sustainability view.

Vegetarianism or any food habit stems from cultural cues. The culinary habits are so cultural that it tends to evolve along with the community. The cultural effect with respect to food habits stems from availability, taboo, religion, climate, geography, companionship, etc.

In the Globalized world of today, the BIG industries are eliminating the obstacles of availability, taboo and with that rest of the team. This is very much evident in the eating habits of low-income or an ignorant American family. The livestock industry has made the American people love Beef, Hog and chicken like never before and this is slowly spreading to the rest of the world(Evolution of culture).

I am going to concentrate on the ill effects of Non-vegetarianism to vouch for being vegetarian.

Livestock Industry: The livestock industry follows the following path.

First Step

• Arable Land + Water + Petro based Fertilizers and Pesticides + Patented Seeds =Corn + Pollution + no seeds to replant.

Corn is the hero- The Corn is subsidized by the Govt of USA, so the BIG industries buy corn to feed Cows( which cannot digest it without antibiotics, hormones), feed farmed fishes like Tilapia and other livestock. The corn farmer makes no money out of this, but the giant corporations. The subsidized corn makes two important stuff cheap 1)soft drinks 2)Livestock feed, [also this subsidization and mass production followed by export to Latin America throws Mexican farmers out of job forcing them to illegally migrate to US, creating further problems.]

A small list of uses from Corn [LINK]

Also the chemicals used on the farm-field gets washed off to water bodies, bio-accumulating and then poisoning anything that consumes it. Also polluting any organic farms downriver.

The Next step

• Corn + Water + Livestock(Cows, Hogs, Chicken) + Abominable conditions(No sunlight, Standing on feces, Chickens eating chicken remnants~Cannibalism) + Industrial slaughtering[Unsanitary(to meet efficiency) + unethical(for few)] = Cheap (Beef,Chicken,Pepperoni etc.) + Obese consumers with numerous diseases and an unsustainable world.

I mentioned Cheap, but is it really cheap?

In each and every step ‘Petroleum based vehicles’ are used for transfer of seeds, Corn, Fertilizers, Chemicals, Livestock, Animal waste and finally finished industrial food. The costs of water(634 gallons of water is required for a single hamburger), fuel, labor and other transportation costs are hidden as it is stolen from the tax in terms of subsidies which are in fact HUGE. The environmental costs are completely hidden and are unaccounted for. A United Nations report suggests that the efficiency of meat production is low even if it is carried out in an organic manner (considering food produced by consumption), but this unsustainable means of production are unimaginably worse for the environment.

Also, this Livestock industry not only contributes CO₂ but also nitrous oxides and methane (not to mention unclean and unhealthy workplaces).

Once Humans consume it, What then?

The food consumed at a higher level in a food chain is bland, inefficient, and contains higher percentages of toxic metals like cadmium, mercury etc. The fat rich food also consumed along with oil, may be fries and soft drinks result in dumping of huge amount of Fat in human body. A condition widely known as Obesity arises. Read more about it in the Stanford hospital website.

-Fragile Prints

P.S: Nothing written in this post is new or out of the world. Just wanted to celebrate me being a vegetarian.

For further reading : 101 reasons to be a vegetarian.

Water and its potability.

Water is termed as blue gold, well many analysts and cynics have predicted that the next great war is going to be fought for it.. The dams are built. Civilizations thrive alongside its great carriers. Rain is regarded as the sign of fertility. No amount of prose or poem is sufficient for this gem of a compound.

How do you use it? Rather, the question should be,

How ‘sensibly’ do you use it?

“Snow melt water from Gallatin Valley, Bozeman, MT, USA”

Well, you have heard lots of stuff to use water sensibly. I am also going to plead a bit more to use it wisely while taking shower, washing dishes, doing laundry and so on. More than that, I want you to say ‘No’ to bottled water, Get a Camelbak, get Nalgene or any durable bottle which you can reuse for years. It will save you lots of money, but more importantly it is vital for survival and sustainability.

But, Don’t reduce the amount of water you drink. Stay Hydrated 😉

Always carry a bottle of water when you are on commute. Going back country? get a filtration system or at least, Iodine pills, its a cheap and light-weight way to get water drinkable. Remember stay hydrated all the time.

If it’s dry weather, you may not feel the need or thirst, but your internal organs are actually drying out. Help them. If its humid, you may not pee, because you are sweating. Drink more. Stay Hydrated.

Did I tell you not to buy bottled water, Not convincing enough?? Follow the link.

storyofstuff.org/bottledwater/

and hear the story in its best manner, may be you have already seen it, but its always good to watch and share it again.

“I yearn to see a time when I don’t have to see the non biodegradable waste lying next to life and its immense possibilities. Kerala, India”

-FP