8mo ago

Why do people still eat beef when we know it's terrible for Earth?

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243 comments

Not everyone has the time and resources to commit to every 'good' fight under the sun especially when the systemic problems are as deeply rooted in our society as they are.
Which device did you post from? Did you vet it wasn't made with slave labor? You might need to go recycle all your devices and unfortunately that will cut you off from getting your message out to the world.
Your post does more harm to your cause than good because it just makes everyone angry at you.
- Potatoes, pasta, bread, legumes, nut butters, vegetables, fruits, jelly, jam; all things that many people already eat with some regularity.
  Time and resources are hardly an excuse, you don't have to spend two hours a night preparing some 5 Michelin star meal with the most organic, non-GMO, [insert buzzword] ingredients in order to make better dietary choices, at least not in the first world where we have ample options... Shit, even just reducing your meat intake by 10% is a net harm reduction that adds up.
  The slave labor thing is valid to an extent, but not entirely analogous. For better or for worse, modern society is increasingly dependent on technology; folks rely on it, in some form, to find/perform work, pay the bills, stay in contact with friends and family, survive the climate they live in, travel, etc... This isn't typically the case with meat, it's often just carnal desire which results in the death of something to the tune of ~80 billion (with a "B") animals every year that didn't really need to be slaughtered.
  People absolutely should be upset about the conditions of workers being exploited anywhere in the world and advocate on their behalf where possible, but our position shouldn't be: "Oh, some bad shit happened over here, so I guess it's fine to allow this bad shit over here to proliferate as well"... just sayin'.
  
  I's often just carnal desire which results in the death of something to the tune of ~80 billion (with a "B") animals every year that didn't really need to be slaughtered.
  I'm genuinely curious: what's the vegans' answer to the question of "what happens to the cattle and other livestock if everyone on the planet turned vegan tomorrow?". It's not like they can just be let loose...
  Realistically the amount of livestock is not sustainable and they'd need to be culled in gargantuan numbers so that they don't go from a "managed" ecological disaster to an "out of control" ecological disaster. And then you get the slaughter without the benefit of feeding billions of hungry people.
  
  I mean the premise already feels a bit absurd, but I'll play...
  I'm not a vegan myself, and I don't really hang out in vegan spaces that much, so my answers may differ from your typical vegan, or not... who knows. But I suppose if the general goal is to preserve life where possible, then you should absolutely try to find some place for the animals to live out their days in peace. If we can manage to stuff them all in neat little boxes on the land we have now, I doubt it's some intractable problem. You don't have to let 'em run free and "out of control" per se, repurpose the land of the now defunct factory farms and slaughterhouses, build a number of sanctuaries all over the place, and plop 'em there. Of course, no one can possibly know all of the variables involved, so I'm not saying this is a well thought out solution, I'm just spitballing... but we're not exactly hurting for land, to my knowledge.
  However, suppose I granted you:
  Realistically the amount of livestock is not sustainable and they’d need to be culled in gargantuan numbers
  Why would that necessitate this outcome?
  And then you get the slaughter without the benefit of feeding billions of hungry people.
  Veganism isn't some virus that physically prevents you from eating meat, and plenty of vegans have been meat eaters at some point in their lives. If it came down to it, I imagine there would be a steady supply of folks who would opt to revert temporarily instead of letting it go to waste. Vegans may disagree with me here, but I think it's certainly a more ethical choice if the animals are already dead, can't let the sacrifice be for nothing.
  The vegan viewpoint on animals really just boils down to eliminating unnecessary suffering and death. Many are fine with the prospect of hunting, fishing, or raising livestock for food when there aren't other options (eg. environments with insufficient crop yields to feed everyone or infrastructure to get other food), the problem arises from the fact that those of us privileged enough to live in a land of abundance continue to needlessly slaughter. Do we need to eat? Of course. Do we need to kill things to do it? Fuck no.
  All that said, I think a more realistic transition scenario would be something like the meat industry halting slaughter operations, exhausting their existing supply until either there are no animals left to kill, or there are a small enough quantity to where we can just yeet the rest onto some farms somewhere. Not that vegans would be entirely on board with that, being anti-slaughter and all, but it's at least a reduction in harm and a more believable way for things to play out... I think.
- Eating beef is expensive, though. I agree with the rest.
- Stop eating meat, it's easy, you change your diet and are healthier.
  Honestly stop saying "Your post does more harm to your cause than good because it just makes everyone angry at you"
  It's a tired and worn out excuse to avoid saying "I'm lazy and selfish"
  
  Can you provide some product comparisons that include cost and nutritional value? Take into account dietary restrictions as well. Not for me personally but for anyone in general.
  
  No, do your own work if you actually care or are you just trying to "gotcha" me?
  
  The 'gotcha' was going to be: "Great information! This is the kind of post that might actually change someone's mind."
  But instead we have condescending posts/comments that assume everyone simply has the means to make a significant change in their life.
  
  Well I suggest you go to one of the many places where people are talking about it. I hesitate to share one with you but try
  https://lemmy.world/c/veganhomecooks
  
  Great! Now someone reading this thread that just learned that beef is bad has a community they can look into.
  I actually very rarely eat red meat myself but it's for dietary reasons. Poultry and fish are my biggest source of protein but I still get a good amount from seeds, beans, etc.
  
  Hi there! Looks like you linked to a Lemmy community using a URL instead of its name, which doesn't work well for people on different instances. Try fixing it like this: !veganhomecooks@lemmy.world
  
  Yes, they're just trying to "gotcha" you. They could spend five seconds and look up that information on the same device they're posting from.
  
  So could the poster, but you certainly are not accusing him of trying to "gotcha" other people.
  
  OP? Seems like they're asking for anecdotes and wanting to discuss it. The "gotcha" commenter seemed to clearly be insincere.
  
  In what way? He was clearly receptive to the link given by the other guy. The fact that you only see what you want to see is the real problem here.
  
  Yes based on the further responses I think I misread the intent. No need to be a jerk about it.
  
  I'm lazy and selfish
  
  Not that lazy considering it didn't need to be said. You do you though chief. Good luck getting help to change.
  
  I don't need help
  
  I mean you just admitted you are lazy and selfish. Not a great look is it?
  
  Who cares
  
  Meeeeèeee
  
  It's easy when you only need to care about your own needs. Try saying that with a family and kids...based on your comment I suspect you can't.
  
  Lead by example, or are you too weak to do that?
  
  You could certainly lead by example by not acting like an insufferable asshole and giving the movement a bad look.
  
  You could choose to stop murdering animals, yet here we are.
  
  I'm pretty sure more animals got killed by you turning off people against the movement than I ever cause by eating beef my whole life. I barely eat beef in the first place, and most of what I eat comes from small scale local farmers. So congrats, I guess, for killing more cows than me.
  
  You're just making shit up to try and justify your stance. It's hilarious.
  
  Sure, whatever you want to believe. You don't seem to care that you're sabotaging your own movement, anyway, so what so I care what you think.
  
  Sabotage, lol, keep on coming up with excuses. Pretend it's not you who's the shitty person. I started my movement when I was a child and didn't even know the word vegan. For a lot of people vegan is a personal thing and the fact there's a community is a bonus, but you wouldn't understand.
  
  Again, sure, whatever your mind wants to make up and believe to maintain your superiority complex. It's just really funny seeing how ass-backwards you are since your efforts seem more damaging to your movement than anything else. It's almost like you don't actually care about reducing beef consumption, only that you get to claim the moral high ground. Well, whatever. It's not worth arguing with your ego, I got better things to do.

243 comments