Sunday, 15 May 2011
I find it both peculiar and disconcerting that a person can wander the outdoors, gazing at Mother Nature, remarking upon her wonders, standing stock still, awestruck, to admire a baby animal and it's mother, then casually sit down and eat a ham and cheese sandwich.
And even worse still are the abominable ways in which humans further disrespect the animals they eat, even after they've been tortured and slain. Just look at any delicatessen or supermarket, and note all the abominations purportedly to be "meat", but which contain those scraps which were left after all conventional cuts of meat, and all other desirable or usable portions removed, mixed with various chemicals, fillers, binders, starches, laboratary created flavours, colours, etc...Is this all an animals life is worth?
And what about our own lives? Those who willingly eat the flesh of an animal that has been raised, tortured and slain in the factory farms that are so common these days, have surely polluted their bodies, not only with the chemicals and drugs the animal has been subjected to, but also the tortured soul of the poor beast that has suffered so. But to then purchase the aforementioned abominations of processed meat products is an insult both to the animal that suffered, but to collective human intelligence, surely.
And even worse still are the abominable ways in which humans further disrespect the animals they eat, even after they've been tortured and slain. Just look at any delicatessen or supermarket, and note all the abominations purportedly to be "meat", but which contain those scraps which were left after all conventional cuts of meat, and all other desirable or usable portions removed, mixed with various chemicals, fillers, binders, starches, laboratary created flavours, colours, etc...Is this all an animals life is worth?
And what about our own lives? Those who willingly eat the flesh of an animal that has been raised, tortured and slain in the factory farms that are so common these days, have surely polluted their bodies, not only with the chemicals and drugs the animal has been subjected to, but also the tortured soul of the poor beast that has suffered so. But to then purchase the aforementioned abominations of processed meat products is an insult both to the animal that suffered, but to collective human intelligence, surely.
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Environmental Knitting Dilemma
So, I am trying to completely veganise my life. My diet is almost completely vegan, but I love to knit. And the most obvious medium is wool. Which comes from a sheep. Which is an animal. And a whole heap of vegans would have to exercise a whole heap of restraint to refrain from skinning me alive.
I always prefer to use natural yarns (cotton, linen, bamboo, and, yes, wool) over synthetics. Synthetics are not natural, require a lot of resources for processing, and create pollution. And while I am happy to use the plant originated yarns on the whole, none are as warm as wool. And synthetics are bad for the environment. And besides if sheep aren't shorn their fleece keeps growing and growing...and eventually they can't move, they become fly blown, harbour other pest or bacterial infestations. Yes they are bred specifically for excess fleece, and mass farming is not unlike any other farming. but I have been sourcing yarns from local growers and spinners that are hopefully not endorsing cruel practices, and also supporting local economy.
But there is still the dilemma of sheep being specifically bred for their fleece. They are not in their natural habitat, and we really have no proof that they are happy bouncy little bundles of fluff munching flower tops and snoozing in the sun. While the smaller growers do probably provide better conditions, shearers generally don't have a whole lot of compassion for the sheep - not when they are paid by weight rather than by the hour, and well when a bunch of men get together with tools, with their only goal being to have sheared the most sheep and then get tanked at the end of the night...I don't think the sheep are very happy...
And the same goes for goats. A whole heap of kids are killed just because they don't meet the standards. Angora rabbits are strapped inhumanely whilst being shorn and are often badly injured. Other animals used for fur are captured in the wild and killed, just for their fur.
So I guess I will start looking at other alternatives...for the animals sake
I always prefer to use natural yarns (cotton, linen, bamboo, and, yes, wool) over synthetics. Synthetics are not natural, require a lot of resources for processing, and create pollution. And while I am happy to use the plant originated yarns on the whole, none are as warm as wool. And synthetics are bad for the environment. And besides if sheep aren't shorn their fleece keeps growing and growing...and eventually they can't move, they become fly blown, harbour other pest or bacterial infestations. Yes they are bred specifically for excess fleece, and mass farming is not unlike any other farming. but I have been sourcing yarns from local growers and spinners that are hopefully not endorsing cruel practices, and also supporting local economy.
But there is still the dilemma of sheep being specifically bred for their fleece. They are not in their natural habitat, and we really have no proof that they are happy bouncy little bundles of fluff munching flower tops and snoozing in the sun. While the smaller growers do probably provide better conditions, shearers generally don't have a whole lot of compassion for the sheep - not when they are paid by weight rather than by the hour, and well when a bunch of men get together with tools, with their only goal being to have sheared the most sheep and then get tanked at the end of the night...I don't think the sheep are very happy...
And the same goes for goats. A whole heap of kids are killed just because they don't meet the standards. Angora rabbits are strapped inhumanely whilst being shorn and are often badly injured. Other animals used for fur are captured in the wild and killed, just for their fur.
So I guess I will start looking at other alternatives...for the animals sake
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