vshearer
Contributor
I hear they are going up the Potomac this season. Just scheduled.
Paul Watson (Sea Shepherd) needs to man up!!!!
- Thread starter on_two_wheels
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Sas
Contributor
Seeing footage of factory farms turned me into a vegetarian. I'm not vegan
yet. Still working on finding decent replacements for dairy and protein. It's hard
finding stuff that is good. No more seafood either.
Fair enough.
Basically, I will never be vegetarian as I like the taste of meat too much and I am too lazy to find substitutes that are acceptable. I know my actions support an industry that is based around cruelty to animals (including really smart animals like pigs), I have no illusions about that. I know a lot of what I do is not environmentally friendly, I have a car and drive 500km+ a week (90% of this is to my leisure activity which is diving), own lots of electrical appliances, I fly to vacation places, I have many things in my house I don't need, and so on. I do some things like catch PT to and from work, I walk over an hour each day rather than drive, I don't eat seafood, use well under the expected amount of water in my household (years of water restrictions have shaped this habit), recycle and so on, but it is still not great.
That's why I don't like to judge others... I don't think many people in the West can say anything about a. cruelty to animals and b. environmental damage.
OP
on_two_wheels
Contributor
Now that this thread is WAY off topic......
Arguing that Minke whales aren't endangered is a bit silly. To make that statement fully, you must state "Minke whales aren't endangered YET." So there's almost 18000 now and they're taking 500 per year from the ocean. Are we positive the whales are reproducing 500 per year AND that those 500 are reaching adulthood? If not, then that justification is highly uneducated and dangerous. I will be shocked if these whales are sustainable at a 500 per year loss rate.
Arguing that Minke whales aren't endangered is a bit silly. To make that statement fully, you must state "Minke whales aren't endangered YET." So there's almost 18000 now and they're taking 500 per year from the ocean. Are we positive the whales are reproducing 500 per year AND that those 500 are reaching adulthood? If not, then that justification is highly uneducated and dangerous. I will be shocked if these whales are sustainable at a 500 per year loss rate.
Sas
Contributor
There are more than 18000 Antarctic minke whales, few species ya know...
DennisS
Contributor
OP
on_two_wheels
Contributor
Okay....that doesn't change my point. I bet at some time in history, there were thousands of just about every species of whale. Now there are several that are endangered or even on the brink of extinction. That's why I say the "there's plenty" argument is not a strong one. Unless someone can prove (not guess) that there are more being produced and surviving to adulthood than are being killed, then it will reduce the numbers. If we tolerate it now, we won't know they're taking too many until they're endangered or worse. If there are more being born & surviving to adulthood than are being killed, then that is a sustainable rate. However, even so, I think a more humane way of doing it is possible.
Sas
Contributor
You can apply the same principle to many forms of seafood though... And I bet many people who are anti whaling still eat seafood. I just hate the hypocrisy, no wonder Japan doesn't take the complaints seriously...
The majority of the Sea Shepherd crew are vegan and certainly they are whilst they're aboard the Steve Irwin. Sea Shepherd certainly isn't the hypocrite here, and if a few of their supporters are, I'm sure they'll be happy to take the money anyway.
I haven't yet worked out whether I'm a hypocrite or not. I eat cows, chickens, turkeys and pigs. Actually, last week I ate a duck. I felt quite guilty until I noticed how nice it tasted. However, all of the food I eat comes from renewable sources, whereas sea food does not. I don't eat anything that comes from the sea. If I'm a hypocrite then I don't much care... it works for me!
I haven't yet worked out whether I'm a hypocrite or not. I eat cows, chickens, turkeys and pigs. Actually, last week I ate a duck. I felt quite guilty until I noticed how nice it tasted. However, all of the food I eat comes from renewable sources, whereas sea food does not. I don't eat anything that comes from the sea. If I'm a hypocrite then I don't much care... it works for me!
Sas
Contributor
Renewable sources? Sure, but think how much the waste products damage the environment. Farming has a big impact on the environment ya know.
And I don't know why you would not consider 'seafood' renewable. If it is harvested sustainably it is.
Don't worry, we're all hypocrites... but it is important to know this
I am a hypocrite because of how poorly I think of eating seafood yet how delicious I find bacon.
Renewable sources? Sure, but think how much the waste products damage the environment. Farming has a big impact on the environment ya know.
And I don't know why you would not consider 'seafood' renewable. If it is harvested sustainably it is.
Don't worry, we're all hypocrites... but it is important to know this
I'm well aware of the damage that farming does to the environment. Well... I say well aware, I believe the figure is something huge like 70% of carbon emissions. I guess I enjoy eating meat and am therefore too stubborn to change. Perhaps some day I'll sit down to one of these documentaries about animal farming as it seems to put people off. My brother had to pull off a chicken's head and cook it on a course he did in the Army, and that's put him off chicken for the past two years!
I have to admit though, I can't understand how you are arguing in favour of sustainably harvested sea food one minute, and then arguing in favour of the Japanese hunting in a protected area the next!
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