How can going vegan help revive the economy? By putting money into everyone's pockets! American families are spending lots of money on food, more than they need to. In days of yore, families would have meat on the table only on special occasions, because it was expensive, and it still is expensive to put meat on the table. Families can save money by learning to cook using inexpensive vegetables. Dry bulk beans and grains, produce from the farmer's market, home made breads, oatmeal for breakfast. These can save money, allowing families to afford their mortgage, put money into savings, and spend on their local economies.
There are even bigger long term savings on health care expenses as these kinds of foods are healthier too. Without looming health problems and costs people will also be more productive and innovative.
EPA protecting environment from cows?
I was just watching The Daily Show and Lisa P. Jackson, head of the EPA, was the guest. They were talking about regulating carbon dioxide and Jon said 'I emit carbon dioxide..will I be regulated?' funny, she said 'EPA is not looking to reach down into individual lives and change individual livestocks(?), nor are we going to regulate cows, that's a favorite one too' that was the only mention of animal agriculture, but I was thinking, huh, if cows were polluting the environment, you'd think the EPA would have the authority to regulate them. The factory farm, confined animal feedlot operations, produce loads of waste which ends up in our water from runoff or overuse in agriculture. The vast amounts of land it takes to produce their feed at home and worldwide has pushed animal agriculture above the entire transport sector in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA could go a long way in reducing and reversing global warming by placing environmental costs into the cost chain of animal agriculture.
Exercises in imagination and empathy
Imagine how a dog experiences the world. Sniffing with so much sensitivity, they can tell much about their environment through their nose. At their height everything must appear quite tall. Meeting eyes with humans who sometimes shy away, sometimes look with love, sometimes look with disdain.
Imagine yourself as a new born calf, standing on wobbly legs for the first time. Seeking the comfort of mother. Seeing the first sunset over plains of green grass. Learning to use muscles by playing with other calves.
Remember your experience as a baby, or imagine how it might have been to be so vulnerable, so loved and comforted. Fumbling hands and sounds as you push the envelope of possibility and attempt to mimic those you see.
Imagine yourself as a new born calf, standing on wobbly legs for the first time. Seeking the comfort of mother. Seeing the first sunset over plains of green grass. Learning to use muscles by playing with other calves.
Remember your experience as a baby, or imagine how it might have been to be so vulnerable, so loved and comforted. Fumbling hands and sounds as you push the envelope of possibility and attempt to mimic those you see.
Man as a natural hunter
Nature isn't really what's important here, nor is history, what's important is living healthy right now. Being Vegan is healthier.
History may have been built on bloodshed, but that doesn't mean we are incapable of changing when we realize the stakes of our steaks.
It takes a magnitude greater quantity of resources to produce the meat that seems so happily sitting around. Our freshwater, arable land, rain forest are becoming scarce. People can change and conserve, or they can create more violence.
History may have been built on bloodshed, but that doesn't mean we are incapable of changing when we realize the stakes of our steaks.
It takes a magnitude greater quantity of resources to produce the meat that seems so happily sitting around. Our freshwater, arable land, rain forest are becoming scarce. People can change and conserve, or they can create more violence.
Job Growth in Nutritional Advisors
A great source of new jobs in the next few years could be in nutritional experts who could be employed by schools, restaurants, military, individuals, athletics, senior centers and anywhere else you might be planning meals. In this occupation they would plan healthier meals which could be more custom designed for the needs of the people they are serving.
In particular, I think there could be a great potential in offering nutritional planning services to individuals and families. With a medical checkup and an interview about preferences, activities, and capabilities, a custom meal plan could be produced for the family which would offer to bring down weight, improve cholesterol and diabetes, and improve long term health.
These meal plans should be offered as long term lifestyle changes, not short term diets, because to create lasting good health, permanent lifestyle changes should be needed.
They aren't even necessarily vegan diets, although vegan would be the ideal for everyone, and certainly having a custom vegan meal plan might be especially helpful for people with conditions that may limit them from many of the foods that most vegans depend on (such as gluten or wheat). Just getting people who want to eat healthier and improve their health access to custom meal planning is generally going to create a commitment to less animal flesh and more vegetables, and could certainly introduce people to the many healthy alternatives to animal products.
I have mentioned things to this effect before (I think) as I have been inclined towards a nutritional science degree for a while, but if anyone is interested in this type of work, it will certainly require years of college.
As far as getting this into a job-creation stimulus package, well it's going to take some organization.
In particular, I think there could be a great potential in offering nutritional planning services to individuals and families. With a medical checkup and an interview about preferences, activities, and capabilities, a custom meal plan could be produced for the family which would offer to bring down weight, improve cholesterol and diabetes, and improve long term health.
These meal plans should be offered as long term lifestyle changes, not short term diets, because to create lasting good health, permanent lifestyle changes should be needed.
They aren't even necessarily vegan diets, although vegan would be the ideal for everyone, and certainly having a custom vegan meal plan might be especially helpful for people with conditions that may limit them from many of the foods that most vegans depend on (such as gluten or wheat). Just getting people who want to eat healthier and improve their health access to custom meal planning is generally going to create a commitment to less animal flesh and more vegetables, and could certainly introduce people to the many healthy alternatives to animal products.
I have mentioned things to this effect before (I think) as I have been inclined towards a nutritional science degree for a while, but if anyone is interested in this type of work, it will certainly require years of college.
As far as getting this into a job-creation stimulus package, well it's going to take some organization.
Universal Health Care in an Unhealthy America
Everyone deserves to get treatment for health problems, just as everyone deserves police and fire protection, and every child deserves an education. Hospitals already use triage, where the people with the most dire problems get treated first. What happens after treatment is either people get back to their lives, or they go bankrupt from hospital bills, this is the difference between universal health care and our current system. Some people don't even get treatment, such as the man shown in Michael Moore's Sicko, who lost two fingers in an accident and had the option of sewing them back on at a cost of $10,000 for the middle finger and $12,000 for the index finger, he couldn't afford both, so he had to choose which he would get reattached.
This is all background for universal health care, which I hope we can agree is a good thing for society. It certainly works well in other countries around the world.
There is a problem for universal health care that I've been pondering, and that is how unhealthy many Americans tend to be lately. It seems that the people who would be using the health care services the most would be those who sat around eating junk food until their arteries start bursting. The tax burden of universal health care is equal, but the people who live unhealthy lifestyles would be using the greatest share of the health services.
This is why there needs to be reform in the health care system first, specifically, instead of doctors getting kickbacks for prescribing cholesterol drugs, doctors need to focus more on preventative care, telling patients to adopt healthier lifestyles earlier.
The consumption of meat and dairy creates so many health issues, and these issues are well known, so perhaps the solution is to make treatment of illness related to these unhealthy lifestyles something that wouldn't be covered under universal health care. This is a measure that really shouldn't have to be taken, but given the current state of health in this country, I am beginning to think universal health care wouldn't be so great after all.
Perhaps a good first step is to only guarantee coverage for accidental or non-preventable issues. Breaking a leg or cutting a finger off shouldn't bankrupt someone, and the injury should certainly be fixed, so the person can get back to their life. Diseases relating to genetics should be covered, but there's certainly plenty of questionable areas. Liver disease in alcoholics? STD's? It would really be easier just to give everyone the health care they need, but with so many people who seem so determined to eat themselves to death, it doesn't seem like something we can afford.
Update: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2009%2F03%2F17%2FED3K16FAI8.DTL this is a similar and excellent article.
This is all background for universal health care, which I hope we can agree is a good thing for society. It certainly works well in other countries around the world.
There is a problem for universal health care that I've been pondering, and that is how unhealthy many Americans tend to be lately. It seems that the people who would be using the health care services the most would be those who sat around eating junk food until their arteries start bursting. The tax burden of universal health care is equal, but the people who live unhealthy lifestyles would be using the greatest share of the health services.
This is why there needs to be reform in the health care system first, specifically, instead of doctors getting kickbacks for prescribing cholesterol drugs, doctors need to focus more on preventative care, telling patients to adopt healthier lifestyles earlier.
The consumption of meat and dairy creates so many health issues, and these issues are well known, so perhaps the solution is to make treatment of illness related to these unhealthy lifestyles something that wouldn't be covered under universal health care. This is a measure that really shouldn't have to be taken, but given the current state of health in this country, I am beginning to think universal health care wouldn't be so great after all.
Perhaps a good first step is to only guarantee coverage for accidental or non-preventable issues. Breaking a leg or cutting a finger off shouldn't bankrupt someone, and the injury should certainly be fixed, so the person can get back to their life. Diseases relating to genetics should be covered, but there's certainly plenty of questionable areas. Liver disease in alcoholics? STD's? It would really be easier just to give everyone the health care they need, but with so many people who seem so determined to eat themselves to death, it doesn't seem like something we can afford.
Update: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2009%2F03%2F17%2FED3K16FAI8.DTL this is a similar and excellent article.
food source maps
maps comparing food sources, vegan would use small local gardening, in vegan winter areas canning and a larger seasonal area is used
factory farmed animals would have arrows from huge swaths of corn to animals to slaughterhouses to cities, grass fed animals arrows would be short in a few areas
unused areas would provide ecosystem services,
smaller arrows for light transport, larger arrows for polluting transport
show current arrow map for a city, compared to the map for the same city with vegan sourcing
factory farmed animals would have arrows from huge swaths of corn to animals to slaughterhouses to cities, grass fed animals arrows would be short in a few areas
unused areas would provide ecosystem services,
smaller arrows for light transport, larger arrows for polluting transport
show current arrow map for a city, compared to the map for the same city with vegan sourcing
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)