I've been watching a number of documentaries lately about food, climate change, and chemicals--and the way people--particularly in the United States, view those things. I've been more surprised than anything. Especially when it comes to cattle.
Red meat has never really been super important to me. I've practiced haphazard off and on stints of vegetarianism and even small stints of veganism over the course of the past 10 years or so, and very seldom do I find myself actually craving red meat the way I hear some of my friends talk about a dripping, bloody steak. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate a perfectly prepared filet mignon, however, I think I'd be totally okay without it.
So what's the issue?
First of all, I learned that cows produce a massive amount of methane due to their ruminant stomachs...methane is a postulated contributor to environmental warming and overall climate change, and cows are everywhere, so this is obviously potentially and incredibly problematic.
Secondly, the amount of literal land area it takes to produce food to feed the cows is also incredibly significant. I want to look into this more, but it sounds like we are using a major portion of our land, even on a global scale, to feed the cows which we ultimately eat at fast food places and processed to high hell which also isn't good for us.
Then there's the sub issue of the pesticides and other chemicals found in meat as a result of commercially raised cattle and feed also produced with these chemicals. Considering how many people like their steaks rare, you have to know those chemicals don't just cook out or disappear magically from that meat.
Milk doesn't do a body good?
Okay, so why do we even like to drink the milk of another animal? Why are we the only known mammals to drink the milk of another mammal, and do so long past child developmental phases?
Drinking cow's milk didn't seem odd to me until I realized we were the only mammals who do this.
I had never contemplated the thought that we could reduce our emissions and footprint just by consuming less beef.
Information & Inspiration
Food Choices was really an eye-opening documentary for me, as was The Human Experiment, as well as the beautifully shot and incredibly informative Before The Flood.
