As some of you know I am a semi-vegan. I NEVER eat red meat. I do not eat eggs. On occasion I will eat pork. I will eat chicken, but only if it is white meat, no veins, no skin. I do eat fish. There are several reasons I abstain from red meat. For one, I think it is disgusting. Secondly, cows are cute. Thirdly, raising cattle is horrible for the environment. Which brings me to my thought:
The Norwegian group: The High North Alliance, which represents the interests of coastal communities in the Arctic(READ THIS AS LOBBYIST GROUP) recently became the first group to measure the carbon foot print of whaling. Norway and Japan (the two primary whale hunting nations) have long been seeking validation of their practices.
As you can imagine the environmental group Greenpeace dismissed the survey, saying almost every kind of food was more climate friendly than meat and that the threat of extinction was more important.The survey, focused on whale boats' fuel use, showed that a kilo (2.2 lbs) of whale meat represented just 1.9 kilo (4.2 lbs) of greenhouse gases against 15.8 for beef, 6.4 for pork and 4.6 for chicken."Greenhouse gas emissions caused by one meal of beef are the equivalent of eight meals of whale meat," the study said. (YIKES!)
"Basically it turns out that the best thing you can do for the planet is to eat whale meat compared to other types of meat," said Rune Froevik of the High North Alliance. (WTF?????? Talk about lobbyist propaganda!!!!)
Now I'm all for being green. I mean I don't eat meat anyway. But if you knew eating whale was better for the environment, better for our children's future, would you put down the steak and grub on some blubber? (BTW do you have any clue how they kill whales? If not then you REALLY don't want to know.)
Just curious. By the way if you are interested in knowing your role in climate change check out your carbon foot print here.
I'm not big on red meat, just because I know what they a pumping into those cows. I do buy the good stuff when avail or in the budget. I have never tried whale, but I do know how they kill them. It is almost getting to the point of damned if you do, damned if you don't. With fish you worry about mercury, and I read somewhere that tuna is about to be so overfished that it will hit the endangered species soon. I have a friend who likes to tell me all the bad stuff about our food, I almost feel guilty eating anything, let alone feeding it to my kid.
ReplyDeleteSo wouldn't it be even better for the environment if we gave up both beef AND whale meat? I just think since I've never had whale I can probably give that up really easily. ;)
ReplyDeleteI think I could go vegetarian ifn it weren't for that pesky bacon.
ReplyDeleteGets me every time.
Mmmmm. Bacon.
Ewwe!!
ReplyDeleteI don't know what else to say.
Just Ewwe!!
Couldn't imagine eating whale meat! But I am a big turkey and chicken eater, with some pork here and there ( Baco
ReplyDeleteI'm the same way. No red meat. Very little pork. Chicken - white meat only. But I do eat eggs.
ReplyDeletethat photo made my stomach turn... i've never even thought of eating whale meat...
ReplyDeleteI just this week read that a huge portion of our older horses are slaughtered and sent overseas as food. That makes me ill, and I'm a red meat eater.
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing to light a very important subject, Zoe! We all need to do our part to make sure the world as we know it keeps on going. Whale hunting is so sad. They're really such intelligent creatures, and the lobbyists are just rediculous! It's pretty scary the power these lobbyist groups wield in Washington.
ReplyDeleteLizzy
Based on that picture, I don't want to know how they kill them. I don't like that picture!
ReplyDeleteI'm a meat eater Zoe. I'm sorry :(
My parents are vegetarians, I was raised hippie. I've always loved meat however, but since becoming pregnant have not been able to eat any. Especially not chicken for some reason, it really grosses me out.
ReplyDeleteWell, that pic is horrible to begin with. I wouldn't eat whale meat. I do have to admit though, I like me a good steak. Yummy. I don't really love meat in general though. I usually can't stand chicken, I'll do turkey and some pork every once in a while. Overall, I just don't eat much of it.
ReplyDeletei am with you on this! i have been trying to lose weight too. i am a bit heavier than you and i am only 5'2". The health issues are adding up. One day I will post about it - you have inspired me but i need to lose something first. too many failed attempts!
ReplyDeleteComing from someone who has lived in a place where whale fat is consumed on a regular basis (Alaska), trust me...not only do you not want to know how they are killed, you don't want to know what that shit tastes like. Although, I have never eaten it personally, my step-dad worked as a good-will embassador to the Alaska native bush communities. In other words, he went as a rep for BP, and tried to convince the natives to let them drill for oil on their land. That's neither here nor there. But, as part of the idea of good manners, you have to eat the food they fix you while you are visiting. He HAS eaten whale blubber (along with other numerous disgusting things you would never even consider letting pass your lips), and can attest to its absolute nastiness. I don't eat red red meat either. But, like you, I consume only white meat, skinless chicken and fish (but not whale). LOL!
ReplyDeleteI just can't eat a whale. I just can't. It makes me sad.
ReplyDeleteYeah I do eat beef. But I don't eat it a lot.
So no whale meat for me.
man that pix was brutal. ok i dont know exactly how they do it but i know its pretty awful. and i'd never eat whale...i dont think it'd be yummy anyway.
ReplyDeletei do eat red meat...but more white meat chicken & fish. i thought about going vegetarian after seeing how skinny carrie underwood is..and cause of my love of animals..but honestly i'm too broke right now to eat anything other than $1 menu. and i dunno if i even could...sooo much work. but maybe when hubby gets a job i will try it. i could def. love parts of it.