Vegucated is a documentary about a six-week experiment in veganism by former carnivores. Well worth watching even for the lacto-ovo vegetarian.
Warning: Meat-eaters and even milk drinkers will find Vegucated to be quite unsettling.
Trailer:
There are several dimensions to veganism, perhaps the top three (in no particular order) are:
1. Personal health
2. The environment
3. Ethical considerations
I'm sure that a healthy meat-diet is possible, just as unhealthy vegan diets are also possible. Still, most health experts recommend that Americans eat less, not more, meat.
It turns out that the average American will reduce his/her carbon footprint more by giving up meat than by stopping driving. The deforestation of the Amazon, shortages and decline in water quality, depletion of ocean life, are all related to meat production.
The modern factory farm is a place of extreme cruelty and suffering for animals. This is true even for just dairy and egg production. It doesn't matter whether it is regular or "organic" farming. Perhaps in the farms of an older time, the ethical case against eating any animal products was much weaker.
As the documentary says, veganism is not a religion. One should consciously weigh the considerations discussed here against one's personal considerations and make an informed choice.
Warning: Meat-eaters and even milk drinkers will find Vegucated to be quite unsettling.
Trailer:
There are several dimensions to veganism, perhaps the top three (in no particular order) are:
1. Personal health
2. The environment
3. Ethical considerations
I'm sure that a healthy meat-diet is possible, just as unhealthy vegan diets are also possible. Still, most health experts recommend that Americans eat less, not more, meat.
It turns out that the average American will reduce his/her carbon footprint more by giving up meat than by stopping driving. The deforestation of the Amazon, shortages and decline in water quality, depletion of ocean life, are all related to meat production.
The modern factory farm is a place of extreme cruelty and suffering for animals. This is true even for just dairy and egg production. It doesn't matter whether it is regular or "organic" farming. Perhaps in the farms of an older time, the ethical case against eating any animal products was much weaker.
As the documentary says, veganism is not a religion. One should consciously weigh the considerations discussed here against one's personal considerations and make an informed choice.
