Guest guest Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 I have started my move to vegetarianism by recently eliminating mammals and mammal products from my diet. For health reasons I've also eliminated refined grains and sugar. This diet is much healthier than my previous eating habits, so I expect to be more fit, energetic and to save money on future health care costs. It is not the health benefits, or even the money I will save, that has led me to make this change. My reasons have to do with trees. Lester Brown in Plan B 3.0 reports: At the beginning of the twentieth century, the earth's forested area was estimated at 5 billion hectares. Since then it has shrunk to just under 4 billion hectares... net forest loss worldwide exceeds 7 million hectares per year. Considering the value of forests to our planet, this loss is horrifying. Trees are a wonderfully productive source of food (fruits, nuts, carob, edible leaves); much more productive per acre than livestock or grains. Trees help maintain freshwater supplies, control flooding, prevent soil erosion and can even help stop global warming by acting as carbon sinks. Much of the deforestation that has occurred, and continues to occur, is done for animal-based agriculture, for both grazing land and growing grain as animal feed. Eliminating animal-based agriculture would stop most deforestation and free up huge amounts of land for tree planting. After years of struggle, I finally came to the decision that trees for the planet were more important than steak for my dinner or a hamburger at lunch. Thank you for letting me join this group. I hope to gain inspiration, tips and tasty recipes on my journey to vegetarianism. Tim Gamble Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 Welcome to the group, Tim! Also thanks for the thought-inspiring message as well, as this just helps add to my many feel-good reasons for being a vegetarian/aspiring vegan! Timothy <croixian wrote: I have started my move to vegetarianism by recently eliminating mammals and mammal products from my diet. For health reasons I've also eliminated refined grains and sugar. This diet is much healthier than my previous eating habits, so I expect to be more fit, energetic and to save money on future health care costs. It is not the health benefits, or even the money I will save, that has led me to make this change. My reasons have to do with trees. Lester Brown in Plan B 3.0 reports: At the beginning of the twentieth century, the earth's forested area was estimated at 5 billion hectares. Since then it has shrunk to just under 4 billion hectares... net forest loss worldwide exceeds 7 million hectares per year. Considering the value of forests to our planet, this loss is horrifying. Trees are a wonderfully productive source of food (fruits, nuts, carob, edible leaves); much more productive per acre than livestock or grains. Trees help maintain freshwater supplies, control flooding, prevent soil erosion and can even help stop global warming by acting as carbon sinks. Much of the deforestation that has occurred, and continues to occur, is done for animal-based agriculture, for both grazing land and growing grain as animal feed. Eliminating animal-based agriculture would stop most deforestation and free up huge amounts of land for tree planting. After years of struggle, I finally came to the decision that trees for the planet were more important than steak for my dinner or a hamburger at lunch. Thank you for letting me join this group. I hope to gain inspiration, tips and tasty recipes on my journey to vegetarianism. Tim Gamble Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Welcome to the group, Tim. Your reason for becoming a vegetarian is a wonderful one. Nice to have a fellow tree-hugger on the list. There are many reasons for people to choose to become vegetarian, but no matter why they do, it does help the planet. ~ PT ~ I believe in God, only I spell it Nature. ~ Frank Lloyd Wright (1868-1959) ~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~> , " Timothy " <croixian wrote: > After years of struggle, I finally came to the decision that trees for > the planet were more important than steak for my dinner or a hamburger > at lunch. > Thank you for letting me join this group. I hope to gain inspiration, > tips and tasty recipes on my journey to vegetarianism. > > Tim Gamble Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 May I forward your excellent, thought-provoking and informative post, Timothy? I belong to some other groups and would like to share it with some. I'm happy to include this groups information and attribute to you -- or not, if preferred. I'm asking on the list in case anyone else wants to forward as well. - Joanna Harkin, Wash DC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Joanna Home wrote: > May I forward your excellent, thought-provoking and informative > post, Timothy? I belong to some other groups and would like to > share it with some. I'm happy to include this groups information > and attribute to you -- or not, if preferred. I'm asking on the list in > case anyone else wants to forward as well. - Joanna Harkin, Wash DC > > Hi Joanna, Please feel free to forward the post. Just give me due credit. :-) Thanks for the compliment! Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 12, 2008 Report Share Posted March 12, 2008 Hi Tim, Thanks for the inspiring words. As someone who has a bumper sticker that says " Tree Hugging Dirt Worshipper " I too feel that trees are worth more than a hamburger at lunch. Reading Diet for a Small Planet is what did it for me. Isn't it interesting how social justice issues coincide/intersect so nicely with animal justice and ecological justice issues? I once saw a T-shirt that read, " I think, therefor I do not eat meat " - I should have bought it! -K , " Timothy " <croixian wrote: > > > I have started my move to vegetarianism by recently eliminating mammals > and mammal products from my diet. For health reasons I've also > eliminated refined grains and sugar. This diet is much healthier than > my previous eating habits, so I expect to be more fit, energetic and to > save money on future health care costs. > > It is not the health benefits, or even the money I will save, that has > led me to make this change. My reasons have to do with trees. > > Lester Brown in Plan B 3.0 reports: > > At the beginning of the twentieth century, the earth's forested > area was estimated at 5 billion hectares. Since then it has > shrunk to just under 4 billion hectares... net forest loss worldwide > exceeds 7 million hectares per year. > > Considering the value of forests to our planet, this loss is horrifying. > Trees are a wonderfully productive source of food (fruits, nuts, carob, > edible leaves); much more productive per acre than livestock or grains. > Trees help maintain freshwater supplies, control flooding, prevent soil > erosion and can even help stop global warming by acting as carbon sinks. > > Much of the deforestation that has occurred, and continues to occur, is > done for animal-based agriculture, for both grazing land and growing > grain as animal feed. Eliminating animal-based agriculture would stop > most deforestation and free up huge amounts of land for tree planting. > > After years of struggle, I finally came to the decision that trees for > the planet were more important than steak for my dinner or a hamburger > at lunch. > Thank you for letting me join this group. I hope to gain inspiration, > tips and tasty recipes on my journey to vegetarianism. > > Tim Gamble > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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