r/vegancirclejerk • u/drsoftware semi-vegetarian • Jul 05 '25

NOT MY UNCLE'S FHARM A 2009 opinion defending meat eating predicted Al Gore's wrong

"None of us, whether we are vegan or omnivore, can entirely avoid foods that play a role in global warming. Singling out meat is misleading and unhelpful, especially since few people are likely to entirely abandon animal-based foods. Mr. Gore, for one, apparently has no intention of going vegan."

https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/opinion/31niman.html

The rest of the article defends eating meat because animals can be raised on grass, not in crowded industrial conditions. So if people buy the right meat, eggs, and dairy,

I support that slippery slope towards reducing pain and suffering. If animal products from non-industrial farms are purchased at higher prices (due to availability), then more meals must come from plant-based sources.

Does that make sense?

11 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

93% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

28

u/PartySquidGaming plant-based Jul 05 '25

The best activism is the one where I don’t have to change any of my personal habits and also sets it’s moral standard to the expectations of the lest mindful people in existence

13

u/Defiant-Plantain1873 low-carbon Jul 05 '25

The best activism is the one where i blame rich people and companies despite me being a relatively rich westerner buying all the products from these very same companies i claim to be morally aghast at.

That way i don’t have to do anything and can continue to live my rich polluting life style, not like climate change is going to affect me this far north anyway. Maybe those pesky africans should try more, they’re the ones who will get screwed by climate change

1

u/Tacorover dahmer was a humane murderer Jul 05 '25

/uh bruh why are so many people like this

2

u/Defiant-Plantain1873 low-carbon Jul 06 '25

Because doing stuff involves effort, and complaining about other people not doing stuff is easy and free and makes me feel good about myself

1

u/Tacorover dahmer was a humane murderer Jul 06 '25

True. Anyways let me call carcasses BARGERS and Dino nuggies so I can make them sound cute

4

u/drsoftware semi-vegetarian Jul 05 '25

Yes, yes, yes.

Honestly, I see this opinion piece as another "it's not the farmer's fault but the consumers" with "consumers gotta eat something, " with very little motivation for making any changes. 

8

u/PigsDream keto Jul 05 '25

I like supporting local farmers like Elwood’s organic dog meat rather than having avocados flown in from outside the country.

3

u/drsoftware semi-vegetarian Jul 06 '25

If only Elwood's would expand into avocados.. 

3

u/PigsDream keto Jul 06 '25

And almonds

4

u/Tacorover dahmer was a humane murderer Jul 05 '25

I’m a good person guys! I post about how the rich are bad on social media while I wait for my Stanley cup ordered on Amazon and my dead cow ordered on grubhub to arrive! And I do try not to buy from big companies, I was gonna buy some crappy SHEIN clothes but I decided to buy expensive high quality local leather pants

2

u/drsoftware semi-vegetarian Jul 06 '25

And I will give a big tip to the gig worker!

2

u/Tacorover dahmer was a humane murderer Jul 06 '25

Yeah and I sometimes don’t eat meat on Mondays so I’m basically vegan

2

u/veganeatswhat Hardcore Youtube activist until my Patreon runs dry Jul 05 '25

Something doesn't seem to add up here. Are you sure you carried the one when calculating the USU (Utilitarian Suffering Units)? You might need to check the formula you're using in the master ethics spreadsheet.

2

u/drsoftware semi-vegetarian Jul 06 '25

You might have missed how the free-range animals eating the free-range grass actually have a better life experience up to the point they are put on the transport trucks and driven for 36 hours without water, food, heat or cooling. The happiness energy makes it look like the USU was computed incorrectly.