One for the vegans
I'd like to address a couple of the points made by those critical of the recent letters advocating veganism. Firstly, if we were to wake tomorrow to find the country had gone vegan then yes, there would be a logistical problem with the millions of animals used by meat, dairy and egg industries. Having lost their economic value they would, as Sharon Coggan (April 19) says, no longer receive any support and care from their owners. But there will not be a sudden, mass change to a plant-based diet. It will be a gradual change. These animals are killed at a very young age so there is a rapid turnover. Farmers will respond to the reduced demand by breeding fewer animals. And I agree with Bryan Pomeroy (April 21) when he says, "When you have to go, let’s hope it is as painless as possible". But Bryan, farmed animals do not “need” to go - there is absolutely no need for us to eat meat, dairy or eggs so, therefore, no need to be breeding, using and killing these sentient beings. There's a big difference between need and taste preference.
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Mike O'Shaughnessy
ACT
Had enough
At my local watering hole last night I was being encouraged to keep writing but I have sort of had enough. You shouldn’t argue with someone sillier than yourself. Although one question that kept being brought up was the torture being done to animals. None of us liked the idea of that happening but we couldn’t quite understand the turkey one. Being hung up in stirrups and milked seemed odd. Maybe the stirrups were to tight.
Bryan Pomeroy
Wagga
Leave animals alone
Bryan Pomeroy says he does not condone cruelty to animals, yet robbing intelligent, sensitive animals of their precious lives for something as trivial and unnecessary as momentary taste bud pleasure is undoubtedly cruel. It's true that we think of meat-eating as "normal" because we have been conditioned to think this way but would any of us like to be treated the way we treat “food" animals? The animals we so mercilessly and casually kill are not ferocious man-eaters. They are the most gentle animals on Earth who would never ever harm us. Consequently, isn't it mean of us to hurt them?
Lawrence Gregan says people have eaten animals for more than 10,000 years. They've also murdered humans for more than 10,000 years. Does that make murder OK? Sharon says if the world went vegan farmers would not take care of animals that were of no use to them. As I said previously, a switch to veganism would not happen overnight. Farmers would simply breed fewer animals according to demand so there would be no unwanted animals to be abandoned by farmers.
Jenny Moxham
Victoria
Fact check
Sadly two of your correspondents on April 30 accuse me for their lack of research and understanding. For example Paul Brosnan needs to get his facts straight, as principal scientist from the CSIRO, John Kirkegaard, talks about the farming conservation revolution from tillage agriculture, to more effective and efficient machinery to sew through mulch residue from previous crops, into undisturbed soil.
Lawrence Gregan it is not me, but scientists and doctors giving advise about healthy eating, I am just the messenger attempting to help people, our planet and the animals sadly involved in our food chain. Mr Gregan, I care too much about the cruelty caused by these industries to take up your invitation to eat steak or fish just for taste bud satisfaction. If animal food production continues unabated, three planets will be required to feed the burgeoning human population.