Submitted by Lady of Mirth (not verified) on 7 March, 2008 - 23:13.
Aloha!
Don't forget about our teeth! Human teeth are not designed the same way as the carnivores teeth. Nor, exactly like herbivores teeth, although it is closer. Our teeth are built like apes teeth, designed to eat mostly vegetables with an occasional foray into small meats (insects and rodents).
Our digestive tract also is not built the way a carnivores digestive tract either. Their colon is short, to get the nutrients out of the food quickly, and then pass it out before it rots inside the body. Our digestive tract is much too long to eat meat. Herbivores, however, have longer digestive tracts (and sometimes several stomachs) allowing the time to take all the nutrients out of the vegetables without having to worry about the contamination of the rotting meat.
So, I am mostly vegan, although I sometimes eat eggs and fish, and I do eat homemade yogurt.
However, I still don't see anything wrong with people having a couple of chickens and a pig in their backyard for meat. I think it would improve many aspects of the "typical" American diet, without much hardship on the planet. What would need to change, however, would be a mindset. That these animals only belong on a farm.
Currently, I live in a converted barn in a small town. When renovating, we found old birds nests in the walls, and hay was under the floor. However, with the current town laws it is illegal for me to have a couple of chickens because I am in town. If we can change simple laws like that, there would be less packaging, less transport, less whatever-you-can-think-of-to-name, and I think, better soil.
Again, I don't eat pig meat, but I really don't see anything wrong with having one in the backyard to eat "slops." Personally, I think there is so much restaurant food waste, that every restaurant should have at least one pig to feed.
Aloha! Don't forget about
Aloha!
Don't forget about our teeth! Human teeth are not designed the same way as the carnivores teeth. Nor, exactly like herbivores teeth, although it is closer. Our teeth are built like apes teeth, designed to eat mostly vegetables with an occasional foray into small meats (insects and rodents).
Our digestive tract also is not built the way a carnivores digestive tract either. Their colon is short, to get the nutrients out of the food quickly, and then pass it out before it rots inside the body. Our digestive tract is much too long to eat meat. Herbivores, however, have longer digestive tracts (and sometimes several stomachs) allowing the time to take all the nutrients out of the vegetables without having to worry about the contamination of the rotting meat.
So, I am mostly vegan, although I sometimes eat eggs and fish, and I do eat homemade yogurt.
However, I still don't see anything wrong with people having a couple of chickens and a pig in their backyard for meat. I think it would improve many aspects of the "typical" American diet, without much hardship on the planet. What would need to change, however, would be a mindset. That these animals only belong on a farm.
Currently, I live in a converted barn in a small town. When renovating, we found old birds nests in the walls, and hay was under the floor. However, with the current town laws it is illegal for me to have a couple of chickens because I am in town. If we can change simple laws like that, there would be less packaging, less transport, less whatever-you-can-think-of-to-name, and I think, better soil.
Again, I don't eat pig meat, but I really don't see anything wrong with having one in the backyard to eat "slops." Personally, I think there is so much restaurant food waste, that every restaurant should have at least one pig to feed.