Five Skinny Bitch reasons to go vegan today

Joaquin Phoenix's Earthlings... worth a watch

Scientific American tackles the meat/global warming connection

In December I blogged about a lengthy story in The New York Times that examined the startling connection between cattle rearing and global warming.  And now Scientific American has addressed the topic in its February issue with a probing feature detailing the disastrous environmental impact of raising cattle for beef.

The inefficiencies of raising cattle for food are shameful.  According to the article, producing a pound of beef in a feedlot generates the equivalent of 14.8 pounds of C02, more than 36 times the C02 equivalent of producing the same amount of asparagus.  

It takes 10 pounds of plant protein to produce 1 pound of beef protein.  The grains used to feed cattle that will ultimately be slaughtered for their meat can feed billions of people who are starving to death in developing countries.

These numbers are startling and give more credence to scientific conclusions that raising animals for food produces far more greenhouse gasses than buildings, cars and factories.  

The article touches on solutions, from improving waste management and farming practices to consuming more locally grown food (which significantly lessens the impact on the environment).

It's disappointing that the word "vegan" appears nowhere in the story.  Veganism is the fastest and healthiest way to lessen our individual impact on the planet.  And when you factor in the horrible conditions that animals suffer through on feed lots, the karmic benefits of veganism come into stark relief.

Yes, we should be looking for ways to make factory farming less damaging to the environment.  Yes, we should seek out locally grown food.  But we should also promote and encourage veganism as the most ethical personal choice - for animals, for people and for the environment.  Go vegan!

Quick movie review: Revolutionary Road

I went to see Revolutionary Road yesterday with my friend Peter at the great Landmark Cinema in Kendall Square, Cambridge.  

I loved this movie.  

Wonderful, brilliant exchanges between Dicaprio and Winslet, and the movie is so beautifully shot.  For those that loved Todd Haynes' "Far from Heaven" you'll get a kick out of the film's lighter moments spotlighting the rigid (and oft-awkward) social mores that dictated behavior in the 1950s.

And the simple score is beautiful and is expertly up/down tempo'd to perfectly fit the mood of each scene.  Go see it!

A wonderful assessment of vegan character

From the December 2008 McDougall Newsletter post, "The Fat Vegan":

Vegans Are Ripe For Change

Being vegan says to me this is a person with outstanding character. Vegans are self-sacrificing and committed to making a difference. When everyone else is certain that it is our God-given right to mistreat and kill cows, pigs, chickens, and fishes in order to be properly nourished; a vegan would rather risk protein and calcium deficiency than to harm these beautiful creatures. Of course, this deep sacrifice ends with the discovery that plants provide all needed proteins, amino acids, essential fats, vitamins, and minerals (including calcium) without the inherent risks of flesh and dairy. Vegans are self-confident. They remain steadfast even when mom, dad, dietitian, and doctor are visibly angered by their religion of “veganism.” Vegans are industrious. To avoid eating animals in a world where beef, chicken, and cheese are mixed in with everything in the market and on the menu is a daily struggle. Reading labels, turning down invitations to dinner, and occasionally, going hungry, require more effort than the average person is willing to muster.

Obviously vegans are exceptional people. With this one simple shift to a starch-based diet the word “vegan” will become synonymous with terms like healthy, trim, active, young, strong, and energetic, and finally the most important adjective, earth-changing.