Ten Alarming Facts About Factory Farming That Will Break Your Heart:
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/03/21/10-alarming-facts-about-factory-farms-that-will-break-your-heart/
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/03/21/10-alarming-facts-about-factory-farms-that-will-break-your-heart/
The Philadelphia Inquierer
Personal Story:
Phillip Agren, Age 22
Philadelphia, PA
I ran to the grocery store this morning to get some milk and eggs. When I walked up to the store everyone was yelling at each other and there was a police car and an ambulance waiting outside. I got closer and was told that there was a dangerous animal in the store and to stay outside until the police officer took care of it. I wondered if a mountain lion had come down from the hills or a tiger had escaped from the zoo. I was so curious. What kind of exotic, dangerous animal was in my local minimart? I was engaging in some small talk with a middle aged woman who I had seen around the neighborhood before. She told me she thought the animal walked into the store while customers were shopping and the clerk quickly evacuated and called the police. Midway through my conversation with the woman from my neighborhood I heard two gun shots and nearly jumped out of my skin. I think a few people in the parking lot dropped down to the ground. The police officer emerged from the store and proudly announced that he took care of it. A few of us went and peaked into the store and saw the ground covered in blood. I couldn't quite make out what kind of animal it was until it was removed from the store. Before the animal was taken out, a journalist from the inquirer took a picture of the scene and asked me if I could share my experience this morning. Needless to say, I didn't get my milk and eggs. It's a bummer that cow got shot. Some woman said it sniffed her arm and was a "real threat to everyone in the store". The same woman had two packages of ground beef sitting in her paper grocery bags. I wonder if she realized the irony of the situation.
Personal Story:
Phillip Agren, Age 22
Philadelphia, PA
I ran to the grocery store this morning to get some milk and eggs. When I walked up to the store everyone was yelling at each other and there was a police car and an ambulance waiting outside. I got closer and was told that there was a dangerous animal in the store and to stay outside until the police officer took care of it. I wondered if a mountain lion had come down from the hills or a tiger had escaped from the zoo. I was so curious. What kind of exotic, dangerous animal was in my local minimart? I was engaging in some small talk with a middle aged woman who I had seen around the neighborhood before. She told me she thought the animal walked into the store while customers were shopping and the clerk quickly evacuated and called the police. Midway through my conversation with the woman from my neighborhood I heard two gun shots and nearly jumped out of my skin. I think a few people in the parking lot dropped down to the ground. The police officer emerged from the store and proudly announced that he took care of it. A few of us went and peaked into the store and saw the ground covered in blood. I couldn't quite make out what kind of animal it was until it was removed from the store. Before the animal was taken out, a journalist from the inquirer took a picture of the scene and asked me if I could share my experience this morning. Needless to say, I didn't get my milk and eggs. It's a bummer that cow got shot. Some woman said it sniffed her arm and was a "real threat to everyone in the store". The same woman had two packages of ground beef sitting in her paper grocery bags. I wonder if she realized the irony of the situation.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition, a dystopia is an imaginary place where people are unhappy and usually afraid because they are not treated fairly. Another definition categorized a dystopia as an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one. In the case of the meat industry, for the animals, everything is unpleasant and they live under the totalitarian power of humans. Our environment is certainly degrading, in part due to factory farming of animals in mass quantities.
It is genuinely confusing that people have so much available information on the negative impact eating meat has on the environment but they choose to remain ignorant. In George Orwell's 1984, Winston risks his life to educate himself on the injustices of his society. It was illegal and he still sought it out. There is a plethora of information on the internet that anyone can access at any point regarding the meat industry's tactics. The environmental impacts tab on this website provides quick and easy facts about the amount of water and land used for farming. It does not take a long time to educate oneself and make easy adjustments to help the big picture. I am not saying that everyone should become a vegan and drastically alter their lifestyle, but there are simple steps people can take to do their part in protecting our environment.
It is genuinely confusing that people have so much available information on the negative impact eating meat has on the environment but they choose to remain ignorant. In George Orwell's 1984, Winston risks his life to educate himself on the injustices of his society. It was illegal and he still sought it out. There is a plethora of information on the internet that anyone can access at any point regarding the meat industry's tactics. The environmental impacts tab on this website provides quick and easy facts about the amount of water and land used for farming. It does not take a long time to educate oneself and make easy adjustments to help the big picture. I am not saying that everyone should become a vegan and drastically alter their lifestyle, but there are simple steps people can take to do their part in protecting our environment.
24-year-old Jacqueline Traide attempted to create awareness around animal testing by getting injected with cosmetics and being force fed against her will. She remained silent throughout the entire process to represent the animals who do not have a voice to say when something hurts. More information about Traide's experience can found at the link below.
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/10/01/artist-gets-tortured-like-an-animal-to-raise-awareness-about-animal-testing/
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/10/01/artist-gets-tortured-like-an-animal-to-raise-awareness-about-animal-testing/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edeIt16VfGw
Tell Us Why It's Ethical To Eat Meat Contest (NY Times)
This video is a response to the New York Times contest asking people why it's ethical to eat meat. Several people sent in responses explaining that they liked eating meat because it tastes good or that eating meat was their right as an American living in a free country. The man in the video picked apart each response saying that none of them were legitimate answers to the question. People explained why they wanted to eat meat and why personally it was better for them but none of them acknowledged the question of whether or not it was ethical. The video took an interesting turn at the end. The man picked apart the language of the New York Times article saying that asking why eating meat is ethical implies that there is an answer to that question. I thought this was interesting because I do not know if I could answer why eating meat is ethical. Some might make the argument that because humans are moral agents who contribute to society, they have a right life and to be well nourished. While I agree with this argument, I do not see why humans need to eat animals in order be well nourished. As we have been told by our doctors and parents since we were young, it is important to eat a balanced diet. The best way to do that is to get a variety of grains, proteins, fruits and vegetables. Many automatically assume that protein implies meat. There are so many alternative proteins that are incredibly affordable and have the ability to properly nourish humans. I would be interesting to challenge friends and peers to answer the question, Is eating meat ethical? and see if anyone can come up with a legitimate argument. Yes humans need to eat and yes humans are best off having a variety of foods, but there is no reason that both of these tasks cannot be accomplished without killing animals.
Tell Us Why It's Ethical To Eat Meat Contest (NY Times)
This video is a response to the New York Times contest asking people why it's ethical to eat meat. Several people sent in responses explaining that they liked eating meat because it tastes good or that eating meat was their right as an American living in a free country. The man in the video picked apart each response saying that none of them were legitimate answers to the question. People explained why they wanted to eat meat and why personally it was better for them but none of them acknowledged the question of whether or not it was ethical. The video took an interesting turn at the end. The man picked apart the language of the New York Times article saying that asking why eating meat is ethical implies that there is an answer to that question. I thought this was interesting because I do not know if I could answer why eating meat is ethical. Some might make the argument that because humans are moral agents who contribute to society, they have a right life and to be well nourished. While I agree with this argument, I do not see why humans need to eat animals in order be well nourished. As we have been told by our doctors and parents since we were young, it is important to eat a balanced diet. The best way to do that is to get a variety of grains, proteins, fruits and vegetables. Many automatically assume that protein implies meat. There are so many alternative proteins that are incredibly affordable and have the ability to properly nourish humans. I would be interesting to challenge friends and peers to answer the question, Is eating meat ethical? and see if anyone can come up with a legitimate argument. Yes humans need to eat and yes humans are best off having a variety of foods, but there is no reason that both of these tasks cannot be accomplished without killing animals.
Below NPR explains that humans are not designed to eat meat.
http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2016/05/19/478645426/humans-are-meathooked-but-not-designed-for-meat-eating?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social
http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2016/05/19/478645426/humans-are-meathooked-but-not-designed-for-meat-eating?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social