But I'm not convinced that vegetarian evangelists do, either. Not really. Consider the effect of selective breeding on the animals that we consume for meat, dairy, and other uses. It has been estimated that a mere 10,000 years ago, human beings, our pets, and our livestock accounted for about one tenth of one percent of the terrestrial vertebrate biomass. If it had a spine and lived on land, the odds were better than 99.9% that it was NOT an animal attended by us. Add up the humans living today with animals under our care and that share of the TVB is upwards of 98%. And most of it is bovine.
What is to account for this tremendous evolutionary success? Shepherds! Domesticating cattle, swine, poultry and the rest conferred huge benefits on ourselves, to be sure. But what a deal for the critters! They were able to outsource their most strenuous activities to us, such as acquiring food and mates. Consequently, their brains---no longer taxed by these biologically pressing demands---have shrunk. These animals are not their wild ancestors. They are not cut out for the world at large.
So what to do with them? As romantic as some may consider it to let them loose, that's obviously not an option. The environmental impact would be deep and far-reaching. Mother Nature is not nearly as compassionate as the (largely) well-intentioned folks who'd like to see done. In fact, she is a cruel bitch. There is no Eden waiting for ol' Bessie beyond those barnyard doors.
So what to do? I say we ponder the philosophical issues at hand, raise consciousness about the excesses of the livestock industry, and keep the hamburgers coming. I'll take mine with extra pickles.
I'm pretty sure there are cheaper ways to grow meat than on an animal. Pretty soon, life stock will become obsolete. That will end the moral dilemma.
ReplyDeleteSee also: http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/4212533.html
Right. As I suggest, there IS a moral dilemma, and it falls on us alone to sort it out. Whatever the solution, it will be ushered in by new technology.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting that link. I always ask vegetarians, as a hypothetical, would they object to eating a side of beef that was never attached to a cow? If it was grown in a test tube? Then comes the Frankenstein fallacy, and the sinking feeling that the future holds some grave threat to their moral vanity.