I desided to read Eating Animals, by Jonathan Safran Foer, because it is a non-fiction book that is all about where our meat comes from. So far, its no simple case for vegetarianism as one might think. This book brings up controversial and somewhat hippocratic issues in our society. Foer brought up a simple point about the way we treat dogs. Why don't we treat other animals with the same level of decency? "Pigs are every bit as intelligent and feeling, by any sensible definition of the words. They can't hop into the back of a Volvo, but they can fetch, run and play, be mischievous, and reciprocate affection. So why dont they get to curl up next to the fire?" (Foer 25) This is an interesting and thought provoking quote. it made me understand how different cultures favor certain animals over others. All animals are equal, just some are more equal than others. Its something to think about when eating meat. What makes us decide what to eat? As Americans, we most likely eat things that taste good or they are easy to obtain. We hardly think about what exactly we are eating or where it came from. "Food choices are determined by many factors, but reason (even consciousness) is not generally high on the list." (Foer 32) We should be more aware of these things.
Looking at the inside cover of the book there’s a quote that reads, “anyone who, after reading Foer’s book, continues to consume the industry’s products must be without a heart, or impervious to reason, or both.” (J.M. Coetzee) Now I’m not vegetarian and I’m not looking for a reason to become one, but that seems like a pretty powerful statement. However, I’m still an omnivore and I sure hope I’m none of the things Coetzee said. I’ve learned a lot about factory farms and I’d say it’s important to learn because 99% of all animals eaten in this country come from factory farms. Perhaps some people don't even know what exactly a factory farm is or does. This is one reason I'm doing my project on factory farms. Also I learned that the once reassuring words, organic and cage-free, mean very little when it comes to the treatment of animals. Chickens are crammed in tight cages their entire short life of less than a year (any time after they don’t lay as much eggs) or in a broiler chicken’s case only 40 days. They are also genetically altered so that they produce more meat or lay more eggs. Turkeys are so genetically modified that they can’t even walk. That can’t be healthy to eat. "For thousands of years, farmers took their cues from natural processes. Factory farming considers nature an obstacle to overcome." (Foer 34) As crazy as it seems, this quote perfectly describes the new style of farming, factory farming. Farmers used to use nature to help them raise animals. Now they try to find new ways to include the least amount of nature as possible like keeping them alive indoors their entire life. Or making them grow at an unnatural rate so that their organs and bones cant catch up causing much pain. Not only this, but “animal agriculture makes a 40% greater contribution to global warming than all transportation in the world combined.” (Foer 43) This is a direction I’m drawn to because I think what we eat and the environment have a lot to do with each other and they are both very important for living happy and healthy lives. Factory farming isn't the only thing humans are using to produce massive amounts of food for people. Fishing is also used to catch many fish at a time. We catch so much fish they cannot replenish themselves at a fast enough rate, thus affecting the food chain and the ocean as a whole. The techneques we have for fishing also catch or kill many other fish. This is called bycatch. "Imagine being served a plate of sushi. But this plate also holds all of the animals that were killed for your serving of sushi. The plate might have to be five feet across" (Foer 50) Our mass fishing kills many other unintended fish. So many species of sea animals are killed just for that little role on your plate.
Looking at the inside cover of the book there’s a quote that reads, “anyone who, after reading Foer’s book, continues to consume the industry’s products must be without a heart, or impervious to reason, or both.” (J.M. Coetzee) Now I’m not vegetarian and I’m not looking for a reason to become one, but that seems like a pretty powerful statement. However, I’m still an omnivore and I sure hope I’m none of the things Coetzee said. I’ve learned a lot about factory farms and I’d say it’s important to learn because 99% of all animals eaten in this country come from factory farms. Perhaps some people don't even know what exactly a factory farm is or does. This is one reason I'm doing my project on factory farms. Also I learned that the once reassuring words, organic and cage-free, mean very little when it comes to the treatment of animals. Chickens are crammed in tight cages their entire short life of less than a year (any time after they don’t lay as much eggs) or in a broiler chicken’s case only 40 days. They are also genetically altered so that they produce more meat or lay more eggs. Turkeys are so genetically modified that they can’t even walk. That can’t be healthy to eat. "For thousands of years, farmers took their cues from natural processes. Factory farming considers nature an obstacle to overcome." (Foer 34) As crazy as it seems, this quote perfectly describes the new style of farming, factory farming. Farmers used to use nature to help them raise animals. Now they try to find new ways to include the least amount of nature as possible like keeping them alive indoors their entire life. Or making them grow at an unnatural rate so that their organs and bones cant catch up causing much pain. Not only this, but “animal agriculture makes a 40% greater contribution to global warming than all transportation in the world combined.” (Foer 43) This is a direction I’m drawn to because I think what we eat and the environment have a lot to do with each other and they are both very important for living happy and healthy lives. Factory farming isn't the only thing humans are using to produce massive amounts of food for people. Fishing is also used to catch many fish at a time. We catch so much fish they cannot replenish themselves at a fast enough rate, thus affecting the food chain and the ocean as a whole. The techneques we have for fishing also catch or kill many other fish. This is called bycatch. "Imagine being served a plate of sushi. But this plate also holds all of the animals that were killed for your serving of sushi. The plate might have to be five feet across" (Foer 50) Our mass fishing kills many other unintended fish. So many species of sea animals are killed just for that little role on your plate.
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