So many thoughts bumping around in my head. They all vary too. From me needing a sewing machine "fix" to a much more important one, "How in the world am I going to stop the beef intake in our family?" Ya sure, we aren't eating beef and we drink organic milk. But to me, that isn't enough. Cheese, yogurt and butter all pose a problem. And organic isn't always the answer. How can I boycott these items and still know I am feeding my kids and husband everything we need to be healthy?
The whole reason we stopped eating beef is due to the disastrous effect they have on our public lands. Cattle grazing on OUR public lands is a HUGE problem many people are not aware of. I know I wasn't until my husband, Lance, started pointing out all the damage done to our precious streams and meadows. (Part of his job, at CSR, entails restoring these cattle grazed areas. Eye opening, to say the least) It doesn't help (meaning it does help- just not the fact that I can't fall asleep when these images are floating around in my head) that I go to bed with books like Welfare Ranching, the Subsidized Destruction of the American West . Check it out, then tell me your position. Can you really eat that burger and not feel the least bit guilty? Goes hand in hand with Dave Foreman's Rewilding Institute. Yet another book on my list. (How can you not love Dave Foreman?)
Beyond Beef is a great stop on the web. Lots of info to find and think about out there, and it is right at our finger tips. There are so many issues and topics to discuss. So many ways to change, where do we start? I think educating ourselves, not falling for the whole "We are the superior race" is a huge step.
I want a healthy family, I want my children to know why we live the way we do, I want to change the world. That is a lot of wants.....I think I need a good vegan cookbook. For another resource on vegan-ism, click into my new fav... Vegan Action
"Beef, it's whats for dinner" What a load of crap!!!
These photos, taken by Lance, clearly show what livestock grazing can do. For more on the topic of Degradation by Livestock, click here.
1 comment:
myshell,
the use of public lands for grazing opens up another big topic, and research for me. However, I enjoy the process.
Lance's photos reminded me of a field I passed recently while cycling, demonstrating damage left by continuous use from cattle. another ride for me before the bike is put away.
your family's process toward change, toward healthier living is making a positve difference already. well done.
ceeb
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