I came across an article by way of Motherjones.com, an award-winning activist blog that covers an array of social justice oriented topics, whether political, environmental or cultural. The article, a piece by Kiera Butler, "Steak or Veggie Burger: Which Is Greener?" caught me a bit off guard, understandably -- vegetarians are a rarely studied population. My shock stemmed from finally finding a balanced, citation-laden, investigative piece about some of the lesser-known ails of vegetarianism, written by a vegetarian.
Too often, the lifestyle itself seems by way of the enactor a fad, something picked up, tried on, yet ultimately left behind once the actor figures out that eating large quantities of chickpeas doesn’t, in fact, increase one’s dating prospects.
The subject line isn't meant to charge up the amygdalas and adrenaline of vegetarians or vegans -- the reference, though, is that vegetarian diets aren't always enacted based on informed modalities.
But the diet itself: To strip the fat from soy entails utilizing a chemical called hexane, a chemical that's considered a neurotoxin in most circles, including the EPA, in addition to being an air pollutant. The problem being, of course, that vegetarians and vegans are supposed to be hip to caring for animals, the environment, and their very own bodies. Butler goes on to write that the farming and marketing of fake meat ultimately entails the same carbon footprint as beef; her comparison, specifically, notes that certain vegetable purees actually end up costing the same as a steak, hence the cited article’s headline.
The piece proposed an interesting lesson, which I'll summarize as: We must strive to examine the total carbon, caloric and health costs of our foodstuffs, with my personal addendum to this call to arms being that just 'cause something's hip doesn't mean we're entirely hip to explicating its ramifications and cautions as fully as we might think, or, in the case of our social circles, hope. That is, as lifelong learners we can't simply choose a side of the aisle and call things square, say we've learned enough, slather on labels to our in-crowd members and out-crowds, only to subsequently assail meat-eaters as the remaining, singular source of inanity and pollution in the world. I consider it a boon that vegetarians and vegans have established their lifestyles with such prominence in recent years – perchance their habits will continue to spur advancements in fake-meat production. After all, even Butler notes the pure taste appeal of even a grass-fed burger, but once we can emulate that taste, I imagine quite a few die-hard carnivores will give up the meat in favor of something that’s healthier (assuming that little toxic rub hovering over Morningstar Farms goes away, too) and great tasting.
Let me say: I'm a pescatarian. I dabble in crab, shrimp, certain breeds of fish, and the occasional sword fish (blackened, which is – by my appraisal – the only way to enjoy swordfish). Other than that, I'm down with salads, nuts, etc. And I tend to buy local for reasons reflecting my ultimate frugality, yet I tend to also buy mindfully, if only for my sordidly assembled moral reasons. So I'm not 100-percent vegetarian, but I'm certainly not Fred Flinstone. I rarely examine where my fish come from unless I catch 'em -- nor do I inquire too heavily as to the processes involved in their storage, transportation or preparation.
Until now, that is.
By Jason White
By Jason White
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