Please Share These Facts

Hello friends :). I have been trying to raise consciousness of veganism by posting facts on facebook. The downside is that all of my friends on facebook are pretty much people that I went to high school with or family members and they aren't so enthusiastic of the facts I share and the posts are left to stagnate. So! I am hoping that I can get like minded people to copy + paste my entries into their own facebooks, twitters and whatever else is out there! I don't want/ need credit all I want is to get this stuff circulating. Here is the one I did this morning:

--Good morning! Before deciding what breakfast will consist of, you will want to consider the origin of your options. If you are thinking eggs or any product involving eggs, here is what such a decision looks like: there are more than 280 million chickens inside what are called 'battery cages.' The cages, which are comprised of four chickens, measure 1' x 1' 6'' to allow for the USDA regulations of four inches of feeding space. With such a restriction to space, the chickens can not turn nor stretch their wings; furthermore, being as these cages are made of wire and tilted (so that the eggs roll out onto a conveyor belt) the chickens' feet are covered with blisters and sores. Living in a cage with a tilt yields deformities in the chickens' legs to such an extent that if they were to be put on solid, level ground they would not even be able to stand properly. Because of the anxiety and frustration of a near-constant struggle for space, these chickens must be debeaked. Yet even with these precausions, bloody and defeathered chickens are commonplace.

After a year of laying eggs, these up to 15 year-lived creatures are gassed, ground up to be fed back to the chickens or put on the market as food (if they can even survive the first year). The healthy survivors are starved for as long as 15 days to shorten the time between laying cycles; nearly a third of these chickens will die of starvation or stress. If they can survive this shock to their body, they will attempt another year in a battery cage.

Knowledge is empowering. Action is power. Know the consequences of your actions. Much love friends- please share.

Sources: "Slaughterhouse" by Gail Eisnitz and farmsanctuary.org.--

Again, I am simply asking for a copy+paste bit. I'll add new posts to this forum discussion as I write them. :)

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Permalink Reply by pradtf on March 23, 2012 at 10:42am

updated:

http://yourcybercourt.info/arveg/miscfacts.html

in friendship,

prad

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Permalink Reply by Rudy on March 26, 2012 at 5:49am

World Hunger And Meat Consumption

*1/3 of children in developing countries are chronically hungry

*15 million children die every year from starvation

*1 lb of beef = 16 lbs of grains

*1 lb of beef = approx. 621 calories

*16 lbs of corn (cooked!) = approx. 6,241 calories

*16 lbs of rice (cooked!) = approx. 9,362 calories

*16 lbs of uncooked wheat germ = approx. 13, 608 calories

*America feeds its livestock over 70% of total grain grown

*40% of world grain production goes to livestock

*Per-Capita grain production peaked in 1984

*Per-Capita grain production has been falling ever since (soil erosion, aquifers / water supply diminishing)

*1961 world total meat supply = 71 million tons

*2007 world total meat supply = 284 million tons

*Per-Capita consumption more than doubled during those years

*In developing countries, it has doubled in the past 20 years

*Expected to double again by 2050

*Grain demand for livestock consumption is rising world-wide which leads to food staples being depleted for the unwealthy (majority)

-Example: -Guatamala land is used for meat production (grazing, crop growth)

-75% of children under 5 are undernourished

-50% chance of reaching the age of 4 because of starvation

-Exports 40 million lbs of meat to the United States

-Remaining meat too expensive for vast majority

-3% owns 70% of agricultural land

-Example: -2/3rds of arable land in Central America used for livestock

*These are but a few of the numerous upon numerous of examples happening world wide.

*1.2 billion underfed and malnourished people in the world

*1.2 billion overfed and malnourished people in the world

*1/2 of Earth's total land mass is used as pastures for livestock

Sources:

google calculator

www.fatsecrets.com for calories

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/weekinreview/27bittman.html?pagew...

http://library.thinkquest.org/C002291/high/present/stats.htm

"The Food Revolution" John Robbins

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Permalink Reply by pradtf on March 26, 2012 at 7:51am

updated:

http://yourcybercourt.info/arveg/miscfacts.html

in friendship,

prad

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Permalink Reply by Trevor Gates on March 26, 2012 at 6:22am

This is all great but what about people who raise their own chickens and let them run around the farm as happy and healthy as can be, who name their chickens and love them very much, who feed them fresh coconuts everyday and let them live long lives. These people's chickens are like their beloved pets.

Or same with people who have one dairy cow or goat that they love and feed good food to. They let these animals have very good lives as well.

BUT animal products are still BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH no matter how nice you are to them.

Your posts are great but only including the factory farm nightmare and not considering more humane animal raising is going to make people who practice the later think they are excluded from your point.

There are many reasons to be vegan one of which is less animal torture, another is better health..

Thanks for the thread..

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Permalink Reply by matea on March 26, 2012 at 6:15pm

I wrote this in a previous post. There's nothing wrong with having a chicken and loving it and living aside it, and having it a pet. But why kill it while it is at its prime, when it is just mature? Let it live a long life like humans do - or at least have the chance to. Then all those people can still have their goats and cows and love them too!

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Permalink Reply by Trevor Gates on March 26, 2012 at 6:36pm

I was not talking about killing anything.

What about the eggs that come from loved/long lived chickens? Or milk from pet cows and goats?

Many people I know(me not being one) eat this stuff. I'm just saying we need to give them facts about how unhealthy this is and not just how cruel people can be to animals, as reasons to become vegan.

These animals are great for overall farm health as they eat bugs, weeds, and other "waste" while returning nutrients to the soil. I just don't think people should eat eggs or drink milk of these animals regardless of how kind they are to them.

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Permalink Reply by matea on April 19, 2012 at 4:56pm

I hear you... I feel like cruelty is a pretty compelling reason too. But yes health is a strong point.

But there are things people never question when making that argument...

For example, I wouldn't want anyone eating any of my eggs so why should I eat theirs?

Animals don't lactate more than they need to. I don't think its fair to be stimulating them unnaturally so they can produce milk for us. If we want them to be happy cows and goats, perhaps we can give their bodies a rest and let them do other things with their lives.

Again -- I'm not too keen on anyone milking my breasts for life. And yes, you can do it with humans too.

: )

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Permalink Reply by Rudy on March 26, 2012 at 10:18pm

Trevor, feel free to add your own write-ups to this thread with sources my friend. I, for now, avoid health articles and discussions because of all the contrary scientific data that is available. Most people that eat meat, eggs and drink milk already know that they are bad for them because of fat, cholesterol etc. Self harm can be put aside for the instant "gratification" and "pleasure" that is derived from consuming those animal products. However, if you show them the bigger picture it seems to move the misinformed more.

The people that you describe are few and far between. If they have been doing it for generations, I feel that it is doubtful that anything below a serious ailment will make them change their ways. Short-sighted? Most likely. I simply chose to focus on the majority for now.

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Permalink Reply by Fiona on March 26, 2012 at 8:43pm

Rudy, thank you for information such as this. I'm a newbie to this lifestyle and it has only been almost 4 months since I quit eating meat, chicken and eggs. There has been the occassional seafood + dairy (via cakes, icecreams etc) but aim to cut out even that from April.

My point being, having eaten a certain way for 30 years of my life, the change is not easy and on occassion, with the amazing home cooks around me, I am still tempted. Information like this reminds me to use my head, connect with suffering and resist temptation. So I just wanted to say thank you for the stats :)

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Permalink Reply by Rudy on March 26, 2012 at 10:22pm

Fiona I am thrilled that these small write-ups have assisted you on your journey. If you haven't read it yet, I did do a small piece on eggs that is posted in this thread. I'll do something on fish today or tomorrow and post it ;). Keep learning, the more you know the easier it becomes.