[376] in Vegetarian_Support_Group
recent topics
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (LEWIS.J.HADDOW)
Tue Feb 21 07:46:45 1995
From: "LEWIS.J.HADDOW" <9235367@arran.sms.edinburgh.ac.uk>
To: vsg@MIT.EDU
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 10:32:29 +0000
Just thought I'd have to add my ha'pen'orth to recent discussions.
I don't know if I like this "evolution screwed up" thing - it
suggests there is a "higher purpose" of some sort. Evolution always
screws up in the end - all species become extinct when their
environment gets the better of them. Vertebrates tend to last for
about 5 M years.
As to the question of whether we're physically made for a meat or
vegetable diet, I still think that all the evidence points to the
fact that we are the most omnivorous species ever, able to use our
brains to consume anything we feel suited to.
One point about the link between good health and vegetarianism: in
many cases, it may not be causal. As vegetarianism has experienced a
rise in popularity only recently, changes in death statistics will
only show up in older generations. Statistics also suggest that
older vegetarians have chosen a meat-free diet for health reasons,
not ethical concerns. So they are likely to indulge in all sorts of
other healthy activities (not smoking, less drinking, exercise, etc)
and so it is hard to say exactly what is the cause of their good
health. I can say that recent evidence suggests that too much
protein overloads the liver's urea cycle, allowing build-up of toxic
and carcinogenic substances. The message, as usual, seems to be
moderation in everything.
The question about the difference between plants and animals is a
good one. At first it seems obvious - plants have no nervous system
and cannot perceive. Certainly they react to stimuli - but so do
photocells and crystals and bacteria. It's all a question of where
you draw the line. I'd like to ask people what they think. Perhaps
it is okay for veggies to eat invertebrates (shellfish, insects,
worms, etc) as they are very low down to food chain (ie very
efficient) and their capacity for feeling pain is doubtful. But then
again, if one holds the deontological view that all living things
have a right to live, guilt has to set in somewhere or else one dies.
Finally, I read an article in the Scotland on Sunday newspaper about
meat-eating trends in the UK since 1958. Apparently the UK has the
fastest growing vegetarian population of any first world country.
All types of meat consumption have halved, except for poultry which
has risen sharply. If the present trend continues, Britain will be
totally veggie by 2039. Statistics, aren't they great?
Love
Lewis
PS It also mentioned in the article that Hitler was a veggie.
