lördag 27 april 2013

Cause of the injustices in Bangladesh, e.g. in garment factories, and the solution to end poverty and starvation


The cause of injustices, poverty, suffering of animals and people and starvation in our world and how animal agriculture isn't sustainable:

Matt Vercoe wrote about a catastrophy in a garment factory in Bangladesh:
http://www.npr.org/2013/04/27/179251838/double-take-toons-deadly-work-places?utm_source=NPR&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=20130427
Thanks for sharing!
It inspired me to write this, together with what I have read in the World Peace Diet, the writing of Dr. Richard Oppenlander and other sources of inspiration:

Matt wrote: ":( The price they pay so we can have cheap clothes...... why is their life worth less than a few corporate dollars? We perpetuate this by insisting on buying the cheapest possible commodities so we may have new clothes, a new tv, a new phone, a new car.... "

Furthermore we are exploiting the workers and the animals by chemicals that are destructive for the environment. These are used in the process of manufacturing garments.

This is routine in our society. This is a disease in our society. We are making choices without either knowing about the exploitation involved or ignoring the exploitation involved. We are making the choices without reflecting on the individuals hurt in the manufacture process.

Cheap clothes are bought without thinking of the misery it causes the workers in poor countries with miserable working conditions in the factories, and the humans and other animals suffering by the environmental destruction.

Meat, milk, eggs and other animal products are consumed without thinking of the animals hurt, used, exploited and killed in the process; and the poverty and starvation that it causes in the world [2]

And why do people in Bangladesh and other countries have to work in the first place in a factory with miserable working conditions, instead of growing the fruits, vegetables and legumes and being completely self-sustained?

Bangladesh has a land area of 147,570 (km )² = 147 570 * 10^6 m^2 . This is 36 892 500 acres. Their population is 158,570,535

“Only 400-480 pounds of meat can be produced by one acre of land [Of an animal that has the right to live, and shouldn’t be killed for someone’s taste], compared to 20,000 pounds of plant foods that could be grown on the same slot.” [1]
Thus, one acre of land can feed about 10 adult humans per year.

70% of the 36 892 500 acres is arable, i.e it can feed about 36 892 500 acres * 0,7 * 10 adult humans = about 252 million adults.

Thus, if the land was used in a sustainable, effective and just way in Bangladesh, and the land was divided evenly, everyone could grow their own organic, vegan food (by growing using vegan permaculture) in good working and living conditions. No one would have to work in a factory destroying the workers and destroying the environment, and thus destroying for humans and other animals.

But we are culturally indoctrinated by our culture, daily learning to disconnect and exclude animals from our circle of compassion; and this also spreads to excluding or not caring enough/losing our capacity to be able to understand or think of what our choices are causing other individuals, like the individuals in poor countries. Now instead the population of “livestock” increases; and thus the food that poor people need for their survival are in a greater extend going to animals with the tragic misfortune to be bred and raised to become someone’s dinner.  [2b]

The solution is to start caring, and stop making choices that result in the exploitation of others. To always making vegan choices that are not hurting, exploiting, excluding or inflicting violence on any other being.

Here are some resources that will help you with this: Some informative websites [4,5,6].
Foot notes:

 1. http://www.belsandia.com/comfortably-unaware.html

2. http://www.drmcdougall.com/video/expert_testimonies_oppenlander.htm

2b. http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/resources/en/publications/sector_briefs/lsb_BGD.pdf

3. World Peace Diet by Will Tuttle

4.www.vegankit.com ; 5. http://www.facebook.com/abolitionistapproach; 6: http://bloganders.blogspot.com
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Comments:

  • Wendy Wendy I buy mostly from Goodwill, but sometimes I can't find what I need there. I understand what you're saying. I just think sometimes people forget that there are poor folks in the US, too. Unemployed (hello!), earning little above minimum wage, etc. And when you go into a store that sells fair trade clothes, or at least this is true for me, I can't afford them. I know the whole system is screwed. But not all of us who, from time to time, buy cheap clothes do it because we're unaware, you know? I'm not saying that I don't recognize still that I'm privileged. The fact that I live in the US and have access to things like computers and grad school and stuff I am very very grateful for. But maybe it's not always quite so black and white.
  • Anders Branderud Wendy Wendy,
    Thanks for your comment!
    I am aware of this. We can only do our best!
    It is great to buy at Goodwill instead of new things when possible as you are doing. Also Ebay may be an option, they sell alot of used clothes.
    I didn't mean to paint a
    black-and-white picture that is claiming that everyone who is buying cheap new clothes is not aware of what their choices are causing/or that everyone have can afford fair trade-clothing.
    I just wanted to paint a general picture of the mentality that our culture has created. Of course there are many people, like you, who are fighting against this mentality.

    Have a wonderful day!!




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