So You Call Yourself an Environmentalist, huh?
Well, do you? What constitutes having that coveted, sought-after title? Is it recycling every week? Driving a hybrid? Unplugging all your appliances when not in use? Being a vegan? Many people believe that being a vegan is a prerequisite–World Watch did after all, conclude last year, that meat and dairy production contributes to 51% of the earth’s greenhouse gases.
Al Gore, isn’t a vegan. He’s not a vegetarian. But he is considered an environmentalist. Hell, he pretty much single-handedly got “global warming” on the map with his documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. He publicly acknowledged that being a vegetarian helps the environment, but he himself has not made that leap.
Any why stop with vegetarianism? Dairy production has its own impact on the environment, too, right? Some celebs touts themselves as environmentalists because they drive a Prius (or a hybrid Hummer) and are vegetarians…why not go the whole nine? Why doesn’t dairy get the same silent treatment from them?
Perhaps the term, environmentalist is just overused. Maybe we’re all environmentalists on some level because we each try to do something—recycle, carpool and use “green” light bulbs. I always bring my reusable grocery bags when I shop anywhere. Does that make me an environmentalist? (They sure make me look cool). Might I suggest changing the term to something more general like, earth friendly, environmentally aware, or earth conscious?
So what do you think? What makes an environmentalist? Is going vegan a must?
Soy Good News!
Is the soy debate finally settled? According to acclaimed author, researcher and physician, Dr. Neal Barnard, it is. Barnard concluded that not only is soy safe for men (prostate cancer) and women (breast cancer), but it may also reduce the risk of osteoporosis-related bone fractures and fibroids. In another study by the Journal for the American Medical Association, it was shown that 11 grams of soy protein reduced the the chances of breast cancer recurrence in women.
Source: VegNews
“The greatness of a nation. . . can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
-Mahatma Gandhi
