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
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