Veganism

1. Veganism Meghan Hass, Kristen Corbet, Laura Shelton

2. What is Veganism/Vegetarianism? A vegan is someone who avoids using or consuming animal products. While vegetarians avoid flesh food, vegans also avoid dairy and eggs, as well as fur, leather, wool, down, and products tested on animals.

3. “True human goodness, in all its purity and freedom, can come to the fore only when its recipient has no power. Humanities true moral test, its fundamental test (which lies deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect humankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it.” • Milan Kundera • The Unbearable Lightness of Being • 1984

4. Why Veganism? – Because We Are Moral… • The schools of thought which have greatly influenced the moral debate surrounding animals: • 1. Utilitarianism • 2. Contractarianism • 3. The Rights View • 4. Feminism

5. Utilitarianism • This school argues that “acts are right if they bring about the greatest possible balance of intrinsic good over intrinsic evil for everyone concerned; otherwise they are wrong.” (Matter of Life and Death) -the founder of modern Utilitarian Jeremy Bentham argued that if animals suffer we must take them into consideration.

6. Contractarianism • Deals with the concept that an individual has a good reason to favour what is in the individual's own self interest. • They believe we only have moral obligations towards someone when we have an agreement with them. • Hobbes, Kant

7. The Rights View • This theory is based on one’s claim to rights. • Moral rights are ascribed to certain beings and therefore should not be used as resources. • Kant argues we have no duties to animals because they are not rational creatures , but we should give them some sort of consideration because it can develop our human character. • Case studies to disprove: Chimp/Macaques.

8. Feminism • Feminists are spilt on animal liberation. • Majority of animal liberationists are female. • Eco-feminists argue that meat-eating is a symbol of male domination in human society along with non-human society. • Also feminists see a link between hierarchy and domination in society.

9. Other Major Influences • The Australian philosopher Peter Singer argues that animals and humans are equal and we should have the same equal consideration. • Tom Regan argues that every living thing has an inherent value and their lives have a meaning to it. Since all animals have an inherent value, they must never be treated merely as an instrument, means, or resources by others.

10. Should we exploit animals? • Descartes argues that animals are machines and have no souls • Peter Singer argues that since animals suffer we should take their interest into consideration. i.e suffering can be seen through moaning, facial contortions, writhing and attempting to avoid pain.

11. Should we eat animals? • 1. Singer does not hold his argument that the actually killing is wrong, but the grounds on which the animals are raised in which they are subjected to unbearable amounts of suffering. • 2. Morality of killing, McMahan argues that killing is wrong because you are denying that individuals future experience.

12. Religion and Vegetarianism • Buddhism, Hinduism, Christiany, Judaism • Jainism: • Eastern European Religion • Mainly originating in India • Based on the principle of Ahisma • Belief that you should try to minimize the amount of killing you do. • Vegetarianism is a natural consequence,

13. Why Veganism? – For Our Environment… • “North America’s meat addiction is steadily poisoning and depleting and our land, water, and air.”

14. Water Supply Exhaustion • A totally vegetarian diet requires 300 gallons of water per day, while a meat-eating requires more than 4,200 gallons of water per day.

15. Land Devestation • “Each vegetarian saves one acre of trees every year.” • Fifty-five square feet of rain forest may be leveled to produce just one quarter-pound burger.

16. Excessive Fossil Fuel Consumption • Producing just one hamburger uses enough fossil fuel to drive a small car 20 miles.

17. “If you follow the corn… back to the fields where it grows, you will find an 80 million acre monoculture that consumes more chemical and fertilizer than any other crop. Keep on going and you can trace the nitrogen runoff from that crop all the way down the Mississippi into the Gulf of Mexico, where it has created (if that is the right word) a 12,000-square mile “dead zone”. But you can go further still, and follow the fertilizer needed to grow that corn all the way to the oil fields of the Persian Gulf… Assuming [a steer] continues to eat twenty-five pounds of corn each day and reaches a weight of 1,250 pounds, he will have consumed in his lifetime roughly 284 gallons of oil. We have succeeded in industrializing the beef calf, transforming what was once a solar powered ruminant into the very last thing we need: another fossil fuel machine.” - New York Times Magazine, “Power Steer” by Michael Pollan, 3/31/02

18. Pollution “It’s untreated and unsanitary, bubbling with chemicals and disease-bearing organisms… It goes onto the soil and into the water that many people will ultimately, bathe in, wash their clothes with, and drink. It is poisoning rivers and killing fish and sickening people… Catastrophic cases of pollution, sickness, and death and occurring in areas where livestock operations are concentrated… Every place where the animal factories have located, neighbours have complained of falling sick.” [Referring to excrement of animals raised for food production] - Scripps Howard synopsis of the Dec. 1997 Senate Agricultural Committee Report (April 24, 1998)

19. “[T]hose who claim to care about the well-being of human beings and the preservation of our environment should become vegetarians for that reason alone. They would thereby increase the amount of grain available to feed people elsewhere, reduce pollution, save water and energy, and cease contributing to the clearing of forests… [W]hen nonvegetarians say that “human problems come first” I cannot help wondering what exactly they are doing for the human beings that compels them to continue to support wasteful, ruthless exploitation of farm animals.” - Peter Singer, Animal Liberation, 1990.

20. Why Veganism? – For Your Health… “Numerous studies on vegetarianism in general, have shown that it is not the longevity of life that is extended in vegetarians, but that the quality of life is also improved. This is because many of the common diseases that plague mankind are less prevalent among vegetarians than their omnivorous counterparts.” - Walker J. Veith, author of ‘Diet and Health: Scientific Perspectives.”

21. Protein and Your Health • Meat and protein • The incredible, edible egg • But fish are healthy, right?

22. Dairy and Your Health “There’s no reason to drink cow’s milk at any time in your life. It was designed for calves, it was not designed for humans, and we should stop drinking it today, this afternoon.” - Dr. Frank A. Oski, former director of Pediatrics, John Hopkins University

24. Hormones, Antibiotics, and ‘Super-bugs’.

25. Where DO I Begin? • Being vegan is not simply avoiding a list of products. • We seek to maximize the good we accomplish with our decisions. • What we do is as important as what we do not do.

26. Commonly Heard Misconceptions • Vegetarianism is a personal choice…don’t try to force it on everyone else. • If everyone turned vegetarian, would there be enough vegetables and grains to eat? • Eating meat is natural. It’s been going on for thousands of years. Our bodies are designed that way.

27. Curious Questions • If you were starving out at sea on a boat, and there was an animal on the boat, would you eat the animal? • Why should I concern myself with animal suffering when there are so many people suffering in the world? • Why do vegans oppose free-range animal products?

28. Activism and Veganism • Questioning Authority • Focus: Limited Resources • The Media Circus • The vegan example • Practical and symbolic vegans • The future: a new vision

29. Breakfast Ideas Cereal/granola with soy/rice milk Oatmeal or other hot cereal Pancakes Soy yogurt Fruit smoothie Fruit cup Bagel/toast with jelly

30. Snacks and Desserts Pretzels, popcorn Peanuts, almonds, walnuts Chips and salsa Pie, cookies, cake Raisins, figs, dried apricots

31. Lunch and Dinner Options Pasta with tomato sauce Bean burrito French fries, baked/mashed potatoes Tofu or veggie stirfry Veggie lunch meat sandwich Grain/soy burger

32. “The vegan lifestyle is an ongoing progression. Everyone should go at their own pace and remember that all steps towards veganism are positive. It is most important to focus on avoiding the products for which animals are bred and slaughtered. Animal by-products will exist as long as there is a demand for primary meat and dairy products.”