PromesoBanko Ĉie
Mi tion faros, sed nur se vi helpos

Promeso “lessmeat”

"I will have at least one vegetarian meal each day for one week but only if 20 other Singaporeans will do the same."

— Agy, Green Issues Singapore writer (kontakti)

Findato por subskriboj: la 20-a de Julio 2008
8 personoj subskribintaj, ankoraŭ 12 estis bezonataj

Lando: Singapuro

Pli da detaloj
Have any of you been without meat for a whole day, or even for a whole week? When I had a vegetarian friend over for a visit in Singapore, our whole family went on a vegetarian diet for the whole week. My hubby and I felt better at the end of the week, but we went back to our old carnivorous ways, although we do have 4 servings of fruit and vegy a day. There are lots of reasons why folks turn to vegetarianism and I think there are a lot of moral issues that we should think about. Take a look at what we’ve found. I think it’s about time to turn to more vegetables. Besides, you’ll feel better.


It’s bad for the environment!
a) A UN report in 2006 Livestock's Long Shadow said that meat eating is "one of the ... most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global." The report states that eating meat causes almost 40 percent more greenhouse-gas emissions than all the cars, trucks, and planes in the world combined. It also recommended that animal agriculture "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." Serious stuff.

b) 760 million tons of grain is being fed to farmed animals so that people can eat meat. Shouldn’t this grain be used to feed the world’s poor? But can you imagine the amount of natural resources, water, grain and not to mention deforestation used just to get the farms running? If we can forgo using grain to provide biofuel then I think we can also think about the moral issues behind giving grain to animals for their meat.

c) Another study by Carnegie Mellon University in the scientific journal Environmental Science Technology Production, says that meat production is responsible for 83 per cent of greenhouse gases produced by the average American household's consumption of food. This is serious! I always thought that the gases came from transporting the food from country A to B.

The study says that raising animals for meat and dairy products is far more energy intensive than growing crops, and not to forget their methane and nitrous oxide emissions. That’s farts and manure to you and me! These account for two-thirds of the greenhouse gases emitted by cattle. Excuse me!

Well, according to the study, if we switch to vegetables for one day a week then we can cut emissions by equivalent of driving 1160 miles per year.

Even switching to chicken, fish or eggs rather than eating red meat is the equivalent or saving 760 miles per year. This, the authors say, is more than can be saved by eating only locally-sourced food.

For those who want more challenge, exempt breakfast (which is normally already vegetarian, as most people have bread/cereal and the like).

Meals should not include meat or seafood but can include eggs, dairy products, etc. However, for more challenge omit these as well.

If you want to vary the pledge, you can also choose to go vegetarian for 2-3 full days instead of one meal a day for one week.

For more information on this and other eco issues, visit our blog at http://greenissuessingapore.blogspot.com.

Our previous pledge was on plastic bags and can be found at http://www.pledgebank.com/noplasticbags

Send your questions, comments, feedback, contributions, experiences to us at greenissuessg@gmail.com.

Komentoj pri tiu ĉi promeso

• Hihi, ok, already got my first question - i.e. is chicken included? No and no and no. Vegetarianism means NO meat, and that includes any so called white, red, pink or what have you. So no fish (yes, fish are animals ;p) and prawns, squid, etc. and no beef, pork, chicken, etc.
  
  We did mention that eggs and dairy are in (they are not the animals themselves, although perhaps eggs are a bit iffy), but if you want to do things strictly leave them out too.
  
  Hope this helps...
  Sweeteepye, antaŭ 2 monatoj. Ĉu fia? Raportu ĝin!
• Day 1 - lunch - plain ol spaghetti aglio olio
  jntt, antaŭ 2 monatoj. Ĉu fia? Raportu ĝin!
• Jntt, that sounds lovely. I am having a spaghetti craving now as it is...;p
  
  Me, day one: veggie brown fried rice (a first for me for it done with brown rice), day two: fruits. But now I'm a HUNGRY HIPPO!
  Sweeteepye, antaŭ 2 monatoj. Ĉu fia? Raportu ĝin!
• See latest blog post for my vegy diet on Mon - Wed!
  agy, antaŭ 2 monatoj. Ĉu fia? Raportu ĝin!
• Hey all, to help us on this pledge, any recommendations on good vegetarian eating places, and recipes?
  Sweeteepye, antaŭ 2 monatoj. Ĉu fia? Raportu ĝin!
• It's really great that people such as yourself, Agy, are thinking about what they eat and doing something about it. If you are used to a meat and fish based diet, it's difficult to change old habits. I often suggest to people that they could consider eating vegetarian sometimes, not commit to an entirely veggie diet overnight.
  Debbie Jones, antaŭ 2 monatoj. Ĉu fia? Raportu ĝin!
• Thanks Debbie.
  See the latest blog post for the yummy vegy bake recipe.
  agy, antaŭ 2 monatoj. Ĉu fia? Raportu ĝin!
• Day 2 - unfortunately breakfast: tea & digestives
  Day 3 - dinner: vegeterian fan cai
  jntt, antaŭ 2 monatoj. Ĉu fia? Raportu ĝin!
• Have finished the pledge! Although there were a few days I had to rely on breakfast. However, I will still make an effort to reduce meat consumption whenever I can and try to improve on my efforts of this week. :)
  sweeteepye, antaŭ 2 monatoj. Ĉu fia? Raportu ĝin!
• Been eating a lot more meals predominantly veggie. Some easy veggie sides I've recently had are kimchi (just buy ready made at the supermarket), Taiwanese toufu (same, at the supermarket and you add cut chilli and soya sauce as seasoning) and mushrooms (grill with garlic, basil and olive oil, yummy!).
  Sweeteepye, antaŭ 2 monatoj. Ĉu fia? Raportu ĝin!