67:

The toxic human

Humans are the great poisoners; We poison the land, the water, the animals and plenty more. We take without constraint, and always by force. So what’s new?

I would like to see vegan principle applied to animal farming, to end it altogether. There’s food aplenty from plants. It’s what humans are doing to ‘food’ animals, and all the waste of energy in producing food from animals that is so tragic. It has been estimated that by efficient farming of crops we could feed twice the population of this planet, and with no animals involved at all. That’s the route, as far as I can see, to a happy planet.

By becoming vegan we harm no animals – that attracted me completely. I found that once a plant-based food-regime was up and running I could see more clearly what I’d been doing; I realised how I’d been poisoning myself and, by extension, the land; I ate poor food made with poor food-production methods. I was gung ho about it all, and eventually the animal cruelty thing got to me. I acted, as other vegans have done, and the older I get the more thankful I am, that I didn’t stay on the poisoned road.

Once upon a time, I couldn’t go past a cake shop. And so, hundreds of products which, as a cashed-up adult, I could now indulge in, all had to go. In consequence I hope I still enjoy relatively good health.

Epidemiological studies show that ill health is closely linked to animal-based diets, especially when animal protein is indulged in. Today, there’s a high incidence of deadly diseases. Obesity is rampant, as is loss of mobility and heart problems. In fact many people live in fear of illness linked with their poor diet.

The attraction or addiction to so many animal-based foods is a worry – we all worry about what we stuff into our mouths each day. Most of us think about early death, and we fret about our weight and wrinkles. On top of that, there’s that ‘other weight’ on our mind: fear that we aren’t in control of our lives. Perhaps I know I must “give up things”, but I’m afraid I can’t.

Vegans generally don’t have to worry about putting on weight or ingesting too much junk. Thank-god it’s all off limits – I always pass cake shops now - maybe with a slight nostalgic glance at the window?

Vegan food is far lighter than omnivore food, but so what? If I look chunky or thin it’s just body image. And who cares, relatively speaking? I suggest that the real killer isn’t body but conscience. With shaky ethics there’s stress and guilt, and worry about overall mental health.

We have this brilliant machine, complex, subtle, sturdy, made to last a hundred years, and we do our best to break it down.



To be continued … next blog