EnviroLink Forum

It was Donald Watson who first coined the word 'vegan' and who founded the Vegan Movement.

He talked the talk and he walked the walk - and he left a golden path behind him.

Be inspired!

http://www.foodsforlife.org.uk/people/D ... atson.html

_________________
It is our deeds, the accumulated acts of goodness and kindness, that define us and ultimately are the true measure of our worth. Service is the coin of the spirit.

http://holy-lance.blogspot.com

some interesting quotes from that interview:

Some theologians think that Christ was an Essene. If he was, he was a vegan
...and believing that scientists must now accept conscience as part of the scientific equation.
By the way, all my digging is done with a fork - not a spade - to preserve earthworms.
Q: What are your views on genetically modified organisms? A: [if it] seems too good to be true, it probably is
Most orthodox medicines are tested on animals... [vegans taking them commit] a more serious inconsistency even than wearing leather
we must always remember: is it just possible that our ["direct action"] act could be counterproductive?

All new medicines and many procedures are tested on animals as part of the safety determination.



Very true.

_________________
With friends like Guido, you will not have enemies for long.

“Intellect is invisible to the man who has none”
Arthur Schopenhauer

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."
Albert Einstein

And Donald Watson is suggesting it is a worse offense to the vegan ideology to use these modern medicines that involve animal testing then using the by-products of animals already slated to die (meat industry). Note that I am not a vegan but respect the movement and it's goals. This just stood out as an interesting thing many people don't think about when they think they are being vegans.

I agree, I was just pointing out that ALL new medications were tested on animals so there is very little chance of not having an animal test involved with a medicine. Something like aspirin, for example could predate that requirement although the coated version is another story.

http://voices.yahoo.com/vegan-beware-an ... 25615.html

That was a point of discussion here at one time when there were some ethical vegans making claims they did not use animal products. Another aspect was steel production which I believe also uses animal products.

http://www.rense.com/general39/animal.htm

_________________
With friends like Guido, you will not have enemies for long.

“Intellect is invisible to the man who has none”
Arthur Schopenhauer

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."
Albert Einstein

I have worked on grain farms long enough to know that all crops involve the death of countless rodents. Many larger animals also get killed. It is not the fault of the farmer but rather the low price of grain and high price of labor that is forcing the farmer to use bigger and faster equipment that is more and more likely to kill wildlife hiding in the crops or underground. There is a new grain harvesting method that looks promising to be lower in fuel use and allows much of the energy used to be electric. It gathers the whole heads of grain and as such reduces animal kills (the blades are higher). The test results had the surprising number in one research I read on the method - about 10-15% of the non-grain stuff sifted out of the grain (done in stationary harvesters that could be electric) was animal bodies. Now a good portion of that could be grasshoppers and midge but they did list rodents in the list of possible contaminants (for those who may want to use this waste as animal feed). I would estimate at least 1 hare would be killed per field (square mile) every year and good chance to kill big birds and deer. My point is if you truly want to go vegan, you have to grow your food by hand at home. Part of that reality was brought home as I try to raise rodents for pets and have them getting epidemics from the rodents I see being sifted out by the thousands per square mile in combines (when the plug up, I crawl inside to pull out weeds and there they are in large numbers... dead voles and deermice). How do I get uncontaminated food for my rodents? "Organic" is guaranteed to have more rodent contamination then the heavily pesticide-use mono-crops. No, I have to have a rodent-free greenhouse and make the food myself.

How do I get uncontaminated food for my rodents? "Organic" is guaranteed to have more rodent contamination then the heavily pesticide-use mono-crops. No, I have to have a rodent-free greenhouse and make the food myself.[/quote]

We all need to be growing food .... sharing our backyards, balconies, rooftops, planting where we can.

Agreed 100%! My secondary goal in life is to show people how to live independently via an energy-self-sufficient house and food-self-sufficient lifestyle using features of that house such as greenhouses and cold-storage rooms. (My primary goal in life is to make films and books with talking animals... one which I can do while also doing the secondary goal above and also be more accessible to people who do not know the language of the media... animals will show them rather then some white dude telling them)

the interview of the watson is very informative..i like him very much...he says correctly about the animals.

Vegans are aware of the problems surrounding animal tested products and campaign for change. Fortunately I have, as yet, not needed to take medication that has been tested on animals.

It's a vegans goal to avoid all animal tested products but when it come to the medical monopoly of animal tested medication we have no other choice.

Other than the vaccines when you were young or the OTC medications other than aspirin?



I can see where that is a difficult goal for medication, but still very much more difficult with the animal products used throughout our society.

_________________
With friends like Guido, you will not have enemies for long.

“Intellect is invisible to the man who has none”
Arthur Schopenhauer

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."
Albert Einstein

It's getting better.

We (I'm a vegan too) have the option of naturopathic medicine.

_________________
It is our deeds, the accumulated acts of goodness and kindness, that define us and ultimately are the true measure of our worth. Service is the coin of the spirit.

http://holy-lance.blogspot.com

No vaccines at all? You were home-schooled I suppose.



Not really if you actually look at what is involved with animal products. Few things are produced without steel which uses animal products in the production, for example.

_________________
With friends like Guido, you will not have enemies for long.

“Intellect is invisible to the man who has none”
Arthur Schopenhauer

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."
Albert Einstein

That's correct none at all. No I did go to private boarding school though.



Yes some steel production uses animal fats in the process but it's not needed and one thing that can be changed. Splitting hairs..

The idea of veganism in the modern world is to avoid animal products but we can't totally avoid them but campaign for change.

It's getting better.