This semester I am choosing to go vegetarian.
Currently, I already tend to avoid most meat, so this is not a far-fetched change.
I'm going vegetarian, not vegan, so things like cheese and honey are still good.
I am also considering eggs in things ok (not great, but ok). Again, I already don't eat too many things that have egg in them, aside from noodles and baked things.
So technically, the PC term would be a lacto-ovo vegetarian.
There is a gray area though, and that will be on a case-by-case basis. I will most likely still eat marshmallows, I will keep and wear the things I have that are leather, but I would not have a meat-based broth, unless it was the only option.
Reasons for this change:
Cost. Meat is expensive.
Health. Fruit and Vegetables are Good. I will also be more apt to eat in season produce.
Carbon Footprint. It takes a lot more energy to produce 1 kg of meat than it does 1 kg of plant matter. (The numbers for this are actually scary - if there is 100kg of plants, it produces 10kg of herbivores, which would feed 1kg of a carnivore. Rule of 10. Eat on the second level, 10x more effective use of energy and land)
Morals. The meat I would be purchasing, as a college student, would likely be of questionable quality and made of factory animals. Small cages, no room to move - I am not really ok with that.
(Also, just to put this out there, I do not care if you eat meat.)
I realized I have actually been debating this for a while - I was never much of a red-meat person, and even chicken has started to lose its appeal. Many of my favorite meals and cuisines are already vegetarian or vegetarian friendly. I will be forced to cook creatively. And why not? It will be an experiment - my initial goal will be going vegetarian for the semester. By that point, I will decide if this is something I want to continue.
I am trying to increase my consciousness of my actions and their impact on the world.
<3
Currently, I already tend to avoid most meat, so this is not a far-fetched change.
I'm going vegetarian, not vegan, so things like cheese and honey are still good.
I am also considering eggs in things ok (not great, but ok). Again, I already don't eat too many things that have egg in them, aside from noodles and baked things.
So technically, the PC term would be a lacto-ovo vegetarian.
There is a gray area though, and that will be on a case-by-case basis. I will most likely still eat marshmallows, I will keep and wear the things I have that are leather, but I would not have a meat-based broth, unless it was the only option.
Reasons for this change:
Cost. Meat is expensive.
Health. Fruit and Vegetables are Good. I will also be more apt to eat in season produce.
Convenience. There is a Trader Joe's on the ground floor of my dorm, and the NYU dining halls are very vegetarian friendly.
Carbon Footprint. It takes a lot more energy to produce 1 kg of meat than it does 1 kg of plant matter. (The numbers for this are actually scary - if there is 100kg of plants, it produces 10kg of herbivores, which would feed 1kg of a carnivore. Rule of 10. Eat on the second level, 10x more effective use of energy and land)
Morals. The meat I would be purchasing, as a college student, would likely be of questionable quality and made of factory animals. Small cages, no room to move - I am not really ok with that.
(Also, just to put this out there, I do not care if you eat meat.)
(What about protein? I already get so little of my protein from actual meat that I don't envision this to be a problem)
I realized I have actually been debating this for a while - I was never much of a red-meat person, and even chicken has started to lose its appeal. Many of my favorite meals and cuisines are already vegetarian or vegetarian friendly. I will be forced to cook creatively. And why not? It will be an experiment - my initial goal will be going vegetarian for the semester. By that point, I will decide if this is something I want to continue.
I am trying to increase my consciousness of my actions and their impact on the world.
<3
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