It has officially been a month now since I've eaten meat. While writing my last post, I came across
PETA's site for advocating vegetarianism. After watching the short film
"Meet Your Meat", I knew I had to at least give vegetarianism a shot.
It hasn't been nearly as hard as I had always imagined it would be. There are so many meat-free things I enjoy eating that I don't feel deprived, and there are plenty of substitutes for meat products, such as soy burgers and sausages, which aren't half bad.
I feel really good about my decision, despite the fact that it has just furthered the beliefs of those who know me that I'm completely insane -- except for
Marv, who joined me not long after he watched the film himself.
Honestly, I don't know how any compassionate person could watch that film and continue to eat meat in good conscience. And for every person who goes vegetarian, an average of 95 animals per year are spared. In addition to the animal rights issue, there are many other benefits to going vegetarian. It's better for your health and the environment, and it can aid in reducing world hunger because the grain being used to fatten animals for your plate could be used to feed the famished millions.
Thank you, Miracle Whip. It is because of your turkey-exploiting ad campaign that I have been forced to see the light where eating animals is concerned.
So what
are we eating? Lots of pizza and pasta. We haven't gone completely vegan just yet, so cheese is still on the menu, although we
are opting for soy milk and cage-free eggs. (Buying cage-free eggs is the least you can do for the poor chickens who spend their
entire lives locked up in tiny cages not big enough for them to even lift their wings, with their feet literally growing into the metal beneath them.)
There aren't many options for vegetarians in fast-food restaurants, but there are plenty to be found elsewhere.
Olive Garden, for instance, has about a dozen options, including the Ravioli di Portobello, Portobello mushroom-filled ravioli in a creamy smoked cheese and sun-dried tomato sauce. Yum. There are lots of options in Chinese and Mexican places as well, and of course, there's always dessert.
My next mission is to single-handedly put an end to global-warming. My inspiration for that came from none other than Al Gore. We saw his movie,
An Inconvenient Truth, and it was another eye-opener.
I strongly urge you to see this movie, or at the very least visit the website
www.climatecrisis.org. But just in case, here are some startling facts everyone should be aware of:
The vast majority of scientists agree that global warming is real, it’s already happening and that it is the result of our activities and not a natural occurrence. The evidence is overwhelming and undeniable.
If the warming continues, we can expect catastrophic consequences.
- Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years -- to 300,000 people a year.
- Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating coastal areas worldwide.
- Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense.
- Droughts and wildfires will occur more often.
- The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050.
- More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.
This is not some crazy conspiracy theory. This is scientific fact, and unless the world, and especially the U.S., changes its ways very soon, it is inevitable.
Now, it's time for Happy Minute. I made a vow months ago that "for every two things I bitch and moan about, I am going to throw in at least one positive, optimistic, happy, cheerful, or non-misanthropic thought." So, here's my cheerful thought for the day:
"As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields." -Leo Tolstoy
Hey Webmasters! New Photo Album Service Launched - Check it out!
Bravenet Blog 
Blog Community
Get a Free Blog
Manage your Blog
bravenet.com