Comments on: In Memory of Dorothy Stang http://permaculture.org.au/2009/03/21/in-memory-of-dorothy-stang/ Permaculture News, Commentary and Worldwide Projects. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:36:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Craig Mackintosh http://permaculture.org.au/2009/03/21/in-memory-of-dorothy-stang/#comment-30194 Craig Mackintosh Sun, 22 Mar 2009 01:07:48 +0000 http://permaculture.org.au/?p=1220#comment-30194 Hi Bob - Thanks for taking the time to comment. I don't disagree with you at all. Animals are of course an indispensable part of Permaculture systems - indeed, they do for free what we spend exhorbitant amounts of money and energy on, just to do a similar, but inferior work. At the same time, our western culture has grown to perceive of eating meat, and other animal products once or even three times a day as completely normal. We walk down supermarket aisles, throwing steaks into our shopping carts with no concept of <a href="http://www.celsias.com/article/our-food-our-world-choices-for-a-healthy-environme/" rel="nofollow">the energy and water</a> it takes to create that meal. I can't expect an Inuit in Canada or Alaska to become a vegetarian, but at the same time it's true that the unbalanced (and historically unheard of) consumption rates in countries like the USA, UK, Australia, NZ, etc., are a big part of the reason those same countries have the highest rates of heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, osteoporosis, etc., as opposed to nations like India, Japan, etc., where those diseases are (at least were until they've recently starting chasing the western dietary dream) almost unheard of. The reality I see is that countries like China, for example, are now seeing McDonalds billboards going up all over, and the energy conversion ratio means they will feed significantly less people with the same amount of land with a high-meat diet than they would if that same land were used to provide food that's closer to the sun (lower on the food chain). I'll take a look through your link on the morrow. Thanks again Bob. Hi Bob – Thanks for taking the time to comment.

I don’t disagree with you at all. Animals are of course an indispensable part of Permaculture systems – indeed, they do for free what we spend exhorbitant amounts of money and energy on, just to do a similar, but inferior work.

At the same time, our western culture has grown to perceive of eating meat, and other animal products once or even three times a day as completely normal. We walk down supermarket aisles, throwing steaks into our shopping carts with no concept of the energy and water it takes to create that meal. I can’t expect an Inuit in Canada or Alaska to become a vegetarian, but at the same time it’s true that the unbalanced (and historically unheard of) consumption rates in countries like the USA, UK, Australia, NZ, etc., are a big part of the reason those same countries have the highest rates of heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, osteoporosis, etc., as opposed to nations like India, Japan, etc., where those diseases are (at least were until they’ve recently starting chasing the western dietary dream) almost unheard of.

The reality I see is that countries like China, for example, are now seeing McDonalds billboards going up all over, and the energy conversion ratio means they will feed significantly less people with the same amount of land with a high-meat diet than they would if that same land were used to provide food that’s closer to the sun (lower on the food chain).

I’ll take a look through your link on the morrow. Thanks again Bob.

]]> By: Bob Corker http://permaculture.org.au/2009/03/21/in-memory-of-dorothy-stang/#comment-30188 Bob Corker Sat, 21 Mar 2009 19:10:09 +0000 http://permaculture.org.au/?p=1220#comment-30188 Hi Craig, dont mean to detract from the main message, however I am moved to comment on your comment 'All this so we can, in turn, kill ourselves with heart disease, diabetes and cancer from excessive amounts of meat.' I've come across similar 'anti meat' comments in your articles before, and would like to register my thoughts with you and others. I would contend that meat per see is not the issue but how the meat is produced and what we eat in general. So I am concerned to see anti-meat arguments being used to attack industrial farming. Industrial farming and living is the problem we have as a species - not meat eating. I would even contend that it is difficult to envision permaculture without some meat eating. Animals are an important part of the storing of energy and yield. I'd like to encourage you to check out the Weston A Price foundation website. www.westonaprice.org which gives a good outline of how meat is used to support a healthy diet and support the environment Thanks for all the time and energy you put into your articles regards Bob Corker Hi Craig, dont mean to detract from the main message, however I am moved to comment on your comment ‘All this so we can, in turn, kill ourselves with heart disease, diabetes and cancer from excessive amounts of meat.’
I’ve come across similar ‘anti meat’ comments in your articles before, and would like to register my thoughts with you and others.
I would contend that meat per see is not the issue but how the meat is produced and what we eat in general. So I am concerned to see anti-meat arguments being used to attack industrial farming. Industrial farming and living is the problem we have as a species – not meat eating. I would even contend that it is difficult to envision permaculture without some meat eating. Animals are an important part of the storing of energy and yield.

I’d like to encourage you to check out the Weston A Price foundation website. http://www.westonaprice.org which gives a good outline of how meat is used to support a healthy diet and support the environment

Thanks for all the time and energy you put into your articles

regards

Bob Corker

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