Alright folks, I'm ready to do something drastic here. I'm ready to make big changes.
Well... mentally I'm ready. Perhaps not in any other regard yet. Let me 'splain.
This drastic change has to do with food. Read my previous post about my moral dilemma and you'll understand more.
Food is a big deal. It's a big deal to the environment. The question I've been pondering lately is what is the best choice for me to make with my food that does the least impact to the environment, while still supplementing my diet and energy in the way my body needs.
There is, of course, vegan-ism or vegetarianism. I used to think they were a little extreme to go all that way for animal rights, but honestly, I'm feeling it. I see it. And just because the animal is not slaughtered for meat, but is used for it's byproducts, doesn't necessarily mean it's treated any better. So if I would go vegetarian for creation care reasons, then I would really just need to go all the way vegan for my own personal understanding of the way this whole animals business works.
But then what? A vegan diet would consist (for me) of a lot of nuts, and seeds, and beans because I need quite a bit of protein. Of course I'd have my fill of leafy greens and fruits and veggies. I already do, as I love these foods. But how far do those seeds travel to get to me? The almonds were grown in California, and then shipped to Somewhere to be pulverized and made into almond milk and then gets put in containers made in Nebraska (I'm halfway making these places up, I don't know where it all happens but I know it's far away). All of these things have to be shipped DAILY from one place to another in MASS amounts to feed us. Now that's not good for the environment either. Mass slaughterhouses are terrible for the environment and they treat animals horribly. Almond farms come from far, far away and must be shipped and driven, and that's not a very friendly carbon footprint either.
The other option I contemplate is going local. Honestly, that's the top choice in my book. I buy local and I can see the hands of the farmer that butchered the cow I eat and raises the chickens whose eggs I have for breakfast. I can know what he does to them and what he puts in them. I can look into the eyes of the fellow who grew my tomatoes and planted the lettuce for my salad. That seems exactly like how it's supposed to happen. AND that means I wouldn't have to give up meat and cheese and eggs and all those yummy things. But local eating isn't that easy year-round here in the Chicago. Local eating can be done, albeit expensively, in the summer and spring time. After the harvest is over the farmers markets are few and far between, and then what?
I then think of all of the difficulties and lengths I would have to go to for something like that. That would mean no more things that only grow in far away places such as almonds, and bananas, kiwi, pineapple, and a LOT of other things. At least two of those things are a current staple in my diet. I couldn't get fruits in the winter time unless I canned them or froze them.
I'm sure you're all thinking I'm a bit extreme here. I should go local when I can, and then once I can't I've done my duty, right? I just can't see it that way. I want to do all that I can, and I want to start now. I want to choose what is best for myself and for this planet that the Lord has gifted us with.
So what do you think? Vegan or local? I don't care if vegan-ism seems totally outrageous to you. Strictly on an environmental level, what's better?
