vegan arguments are they unsubstantiated...?

[RAINRA]

if you have time listen to this podcast. It says in the middle of the podcast that we vegans should be more critical about what we believe to be true.

 

Leaving aside the argument that animals are mistreated which there is plenty of evidence. On the environmental and health side of things... what is known to be true. We all have pretty much the same arguments. According to this podcast many are just either untrue or unsubstantiated. I know that the global warming and factory farming from cattle is a worse green house gas than cars. This is stated by the United Nations... How about the amount of water use in factory farming, how about vegans and vegetarians live longer... and so on? What arguments do we truly have the facts for? Which ones are legitimate to use with out being stumped

 

Please listen if you have the time.

(40 min)

http://www.vegan.com/podcast/2008/08/21/vegtalk-podcast-featuring-megan-mcardle/

[beforewisdom]

That is all spot on. I've heard Erik Markus's views on this before. No offense to anybody here, but think about applying the same critical thinking to the idea that all raw food diets are the logical end for health nut vegans.

[Im Your Man]

if you have time listen to this podcast. It says in the middle of the podcast that we vegans should be more critical about what we believe to be true.

 

Leaving aside the argument that animals are mistreated which there is plenty of evidence. On the environmental and health side of things... what is known to be true. We all have pretty much the same arguments. According to this podcast many are just either untrue or unsubstantiated. I know that the global warming and factory farming from cattle is a worse green house gas than cars. This is stated by the United Nations... How about the amount of water use in factory farming, how about vegans and vegetarians live longer... and so on? What arguments do we truly have the facts for? Which ones are legitimate to use with out being stumped

 

Please listen if you have the time.

(40 min)

http://www.vegan.com/podcast/2008/08/21/vegtalk-podcast-featuring-megan-mcardle/

I'm gonna listen to it, just curious to hear his arguments. But it's like that about everything, not just veganism. Many people take something for granted while it's not true. But what's true for us isn't true for the person talking in this podcast, according to who, him, or God ? -- who really know what's true ?

 

Concerning the pollution due to livestock, United Nation said that it's not only worse than all cars, but worse than all the transport industry (boats, airplanes, etc)... 40% worse... because methane is much more powerful pollutant than Co2.

[CollegeB]

I certainly wouldn't take something as fact just because the UN said so.

[Spine]

I certainly wouldn't take something as fact just because the UN said so.

 

Is there any reason to reflexively doubt the UN on this issue?

[pelicanAndrew]

I certainly wouldn't take something as fact just because the UN said so.

 

Is there any reason to reflexively doubt the UN on this issue?

 

Not but there is a reason to never use one source to back up your arguments. That's what he's saying.

[CollegeB]

Good point Pelican I also think that just as some reflexively accept what the UN says, some will reflexively question it. Thats the nature of the game.

[TravelingVeg]

There is a University of Chicago study that backs up the UN report, actually. Everyone uses the UN study, but there are definitely more out there.

[Spine]

I guess I don't see any reason to be skeptical of what the United Nations tells me about climate change.

 

In any case, the report in question is titled "Livestock's Long Shadow," and here's the Wikipedia description:

 

Livestock's Long Shadow - Environmental Issues and Options is a United Nations report, released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) on 29 November 2006, that "aims to assess the full impact of the livestock sector on environmental problems, along with potential technical and policy approaches to mitigation".

 

The assessment is based on the most recent and complete data available, taking into account direct impacts, along with the impacts of feed crop agriculture required for livestock production. The livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global. The findings of this report suggest that it should be a major policy focus when dealing with problems of land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity.

 

You can find the entire report here.