Latest comments posted about Debate: should we stop eating meat to help the planet? on ChinaDialogue en-gb http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/2062-Debate-should-we-stop-eating-meat-to-help-the-planet- http://staging.chinadialogue.net/images/cdlogo.gif http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/2062-Debate-should-we-stop-eating-meat-to-help-the-planet- We should stop eating animals and help save our planet. We don't get another one if we ruin this one. It would deeply affect the rain forests and kill endangered species if we tear it down to build some godforsaken slaughter house to abuse animals. I have been a vegetarian since 3rd grade not only for the environment but for the animals themselves. They do not deserve to die being tortured in a slaughter house or let alone die due to human choice. They are equal to humans. Not by intelligence though so we control the earth and we have to make it right. Animals know the basic idea and some more: don't kill your brethren(yes I am talking about animals as our brethren because we are all animals we are just the most dominant) unless you have to and get it done as quickly as possible. We don't have to because we can and will live off of plant based resources someday. animals do it because of instinct. If that was the same for us, we'd be chasing our "prey". but you don't see anyone doing that. We were just taught that and we need to change. For our animals. For our environment. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:13:44 -0400 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7631 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7631 Ok, I understand that you like eating meat. But the fact is that global meat eating causes more global warming than global transport, including driving, flying, shipping. There are documented health benefits from the plant-based diet. Why not try? It's really easy. Change is the only constant! Thu, 12 Jun 2008 03:37:50 -0400 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7489 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7489 Two relevant websites A - Health perspective 50 GOOD REASONS TO BECOME A VEGETARIAN http://philipngcc.homestead.com/ B - Environmental perspective Becoming VEGETARIAN now in a warming climate http://askmorenow.com.au/ Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:39:14 -0400 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7486 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7486 If we wanted to help the food supply in the world, we should bar countries from sending food subsidies to third world countries. Those subsidies make it impossible for a farmer to make any money producing food in those countries when people can get free food from governments. Getting rid of the United Nations would be the first step to solving the world food shortage issues. Second, the United States needs to quit sending subsidies to third world puppet dictators, keeping those dictators in power. By making those dictators face their own citizens and having to directly tax them to maintain their power, they would overthrow them and set up a new republic government that would function to allow property rights. Then they would have no problem producing the food needed for their own country. Fri, 06 Jun 2008 23:16:28 -0400 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7478 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7478 I would like to recommend a site, that systematically discourses the interests of vegetarian: http://www.ivu.org/ivcb/gb/why/index.html http://www.ivu.org/ivcb/gb/index.html In order to keep fit, in order to save the Earth, in order to remove the suffering of animals, please choose vegetarian! Comment translated by Yuexia Guo. Fri, 06 Jun 2008 21:26:06 -0400 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7476 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7476 Vegetarianism is widespread across the world, except in China; the Chinese people who have recently achieved so much improvement in their standard of life are still ignorant of the concept. As vegetarianism is a relatively specialist topic, any debater must have certain foundations (at the very least an understanding of vegetarian minimal nutrition theory, scientific knowledge relating to the link between vegetarian diets and global economics and the environment, as well as a humanitarian spirit) in order to avoid the suspicions over irrelevant commenting. In China there are other aspects to the vegetarianism debate, some of which frequently appear to be fairly sensitive! In order to come into contact, make peace with and research vegetarianism in China, one certainly must have both courage and foresight. In taking a broader view of the world as whole, more and more scientists, organisations and important figures in political circles are taking vegetarianism seriously and promoting it as a means of saving the planet. The main reason behind this is probably the increasing number of authoritative scientific reports being released concerning the link between vegetarian diets and the environment, including: The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's report on research carried out between the breeding of animals, fish and poultry and Carbon Dioxide emissions. This report pointed out that the livestock industry generates 20% of global total Carbon Dioxide emissions, surpassing the total emissions of the transportation and vehicular industries! Pa Zhuoli, the leader of the UN Intergovernmental Climate Change Committee (IPCC) stated: not eating meat, riding bicycles and having fewer expenses can all help suppress global warming. Vegetarianism is not only an issue concerned with human health and humaneness to animals, but is also, due to the rise of resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, now closely related to the fate of the world! I hope that more and more authority figures will start taking an interest in or researching this topic in a serious and specialised way. You will perhaps obtain an unprecedented level of awareness and shock! (Comment translated by Chris Humphrey.) Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:21:12 -0400 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7470 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7470 There are millions of people who are vegetarians and living healthier and longer lives as a result. I do not believe vegetarianism is for everyone, but with a little dedication, knowledge of vegetarian recipes, you can make a step towards a diet that is better for you and for the environment. For more information, read a book by John Robbins, or read about the "China Study", which shows the link between longevity and a diet with little or no meat. There are also studies showing how vegans who drive SUVs (sport utility vehicles) have a smaller carbon footprint than a non-vegan who drives a regular car. I know it's not easy being a vegetarian overnight. I recommend trying a vegetarian recipe twice a week to begin. Or try to gradually stop eating pork or beef. Michael Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:54:13 -0400 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7468 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7468 Without sounding rude or lowering the tone of debate, can I note that the person who posted comment number 2 has obviously never actually been to a farm of any description. The implication that cows evolved only with human assistance - 'heifers need to be milked regularly or die' - is clearly nonsensical. Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:48:37 -0400 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7460 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7460 Cows now need humans to survive and heifers must be milked regularly or die. We were created to eat meat, and none of these extremes should be done to stop global warming or its other natural partner, global cooling. It is coming! Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:29:44 -0400 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7458 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7458 perhaps meat rationing is the answer. every meat-eater gets a small allowance each week; vegetarians get tax breaks Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:57:31 -0400 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7461 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/2062#comment-7461