from Joey
Week 3

The Italian meal that we ate was the best food I have ever eaten. I have never tasted something with SO much flavor. It is unreal how ignorant people can be in thinking that you can only get that much flavor from meat. There is a lot of flavor in what you put on meat, but the only meat that I think actually has its own flavor is bacon. I have not eaten a whole meal since that one because the nutrients in it have kept me so full! I never miss meals, so this is a rare and odd occurrence for me to not be starving come dinnertime. I absolutely loved how the taco salad made me feel. It was so light and filling. The flavor was really unique in it too. The thousand island dressing didn’t make me feel as guilty as normal thousand island. I liked that.

I wanted to listen to my body last night. I was craving a burger, and after not eating meat for a very long time, I decided I would give my body what it wanted. The burger itself did not make me sick, which is what I thought would happen like the typical reaction of a vegan to a meat product. I felt so heavy. I felt like shit. I had been eating like a king of vegetables, and feeling so healthy and young. I couldn’t move, I lay down on my boyfriends gross and dirty wood floor and felt defeated. I gave my body its’ craving, only to find out, that was not what it wanted at all. 

I thought our discussion about rights went really well. I found so much horrific stuff about agent orange that I was repulsed and so upset that we were putting people through such cruelty. The other presentations were really interesting within this topic too. Workers harsh conditions, and the contradictory facts were so terrible to listen to. How can we not listen to the 99%? How are their voices so muted? Just liked the Diet for a Dead Planet is saying, we are eating labor. We are depending on half the world in just our breakfast. These are such weird and revolutionary thoughts, I love it. 

from Ali

 Over the past two weeks, I feel like I've been so informed with all of the problems that we have today due to the meat and dairy industries that staying vegan for me is inevitable. Over the past week that I've been vegan, I have noticed that I no longer feel sick after eating. Surprisingly, I think I recently became lactose intolerant and so being aware of what I've been eating has really affected the way that I've been feeling after meals. This class has really benefitted me so far because I've become not only more health concious, but I've also become much more environmentally friendly in all of my decisions. 

The reading that affected me the most this week was the Rolling Stone's article on Boss Hogs. To read information like that is so depressing and it's so difficult to believe that our government is allowing this to go on. Pig shit so poisonous that it takes the lives of those working with it is nearly unbelieveable. Yet it's continuing to go on regardless of all of the problems coming out of it. Not only is it bad for our environment, but it is also disgusting that the pigs so pumped with hormones and anti-biotics are allowed to be sold to the public for food. To think that our country is putting something so toxic in their body without being well aware is not fair. Plus, with the laws that our country has, it's now illegal to speak about what actually goes on. This article was so intriguing, yet so disturbing. I'm just thankful that other governments are refusing to allow Smithfield into their states.

from Jack
Week Two

Watching my room mates gobble down mcdoubles and mcchicken sandwhiches turned my stomach as well as my mind after our converstaions this week in class. The idea that what we consume has been turned into an industry and is so far away from the natural processes of the world is mind boggling- how can we as humans believe that we can sustain ourselves on these things?  This food  is as much of crap as the plastic garbage we buy to please ourselves.  it is empty and disconnected, but most of all for me, it is killing the planet we inhabit.  To imagine that the spill from the pig waste polluted far more than the exxon valdez and no one heard about it is appaling.  I ponder these facts we are presented with and wonder how we have let ourselves get to a place where what we put into our bodies is so ... fake.  It seems that much of our society is developed around a premise that the cheapest, fastest, and most individualistic method is the best.  In America it is all about effeciency and because of that health, environment, and ethics is tossed out the window.  And this is not just in the realm of food, we let these rules govern all whole culture.  In order to get to the point of it and understand our place in the world we must slow our consupmtion rates and educate our selves on how to live simply and conciously. 

One afternoon this week when I cut out of class I went and was able to sit at a table with congressmen Matheson.  To hear what he thought about the current state of a couple issues in Utah was interesting, and yet it felt fairly scripted.  He said what we thought he would say as the cameras rolled.  But it was nice to meet with someone who makes the decisions in the place we live, and to see that we do see eye to eye on some things.  But in order to make a real change, we need a radicle candidate who will not buy into the coperate lobby but be able to understand what the people and their land need.  This person will be able to call out companies like smithfeild farms on their malpractice.  Maybe they will start to put sustainable, local business back on top and we can once again be connected with our bodies and our environment. 

from Nate
Week Three

I have a shirt my best friend gave me for Christmas that says "Bacon Strips and Bacon Strips and Bacon Strips and Bacon Strips, EPIC MEAL TIME." As funny as I thought it would be to wear it to class during Boss Hog, I did not. Oh well.

Again I am greeted with the question of whether I am happy I took this class or would have rather remained ignorant, a bit of blue-pill-red-pill dilemma. This week of class made me want to cry because bacon is awesome. Fact. And it makes me sad that now I get to feel that America-corporate-exploitation feeling that I associate with superstores like Walmart and other companies that slice their profits out of the souls of their employees and customers. I’m not sure whether I would have rather lived in the reality created for me, that I was born into, or whether I’m glad I took the red pill and realized that I haven’t been fed the full story. 

from Amanda
Week Three
Doing research on the impact of meat and dairy on the environment has been very interesting.  The statistics that my group presented were absolutely astounding.  For example, going vegan saves more energy and causes less pollution than switching to a hybrid car!  I never really thought about the fact that producing meat released greenhouse gases, other than the fact that cows release a lot of methane.  It's not something that one usually associates with meat production!  However, a simple google search of "meat and the environment" returns hundreds if not thousands of results about the negative impacts of producing meat on the environment.  More and more, people are beginning to open their eyes and want to bring about change through their diet.  One great website that I found was the Veganic Agriculture Network.  (http://www.goveganic.net/spip.php?article68).  This website discusses how sustainable agriculture and a vegan diet go hand in hand.

from Amanda
Week Four Blog
This last week's class was probably the most difficult and interesting for me.  I have always been upset by the treatment of the animals in the meat industry, but talking about it was intense for me.  The video that we watched in class was especially difficult!  Actually seeing what happens to the animals that we eat made me more sure than ever that I want to not be a part of the consumption of meat. I was shocked and appalled at the way the workers treated the animals as if they were not living beings.  They were so cold and withdrawn from the entire process, as if in their minds they were not registering what they were doing.  I think that if our society actually knew what was going on behind the closed doors of the slaughterhouses, if we actually saw videos like the one that we watched in class and everybody knew what happened to the animals, there would be a whole lot les meat consumption in the United States.  I think it would also cause the meat industry to be re-evaluated, replanned, and rebuilt.  

From Ali
Week Four

 As I read Into the Fire, it really got me thinking about Westminster's Campus. We're a little bit smaller than the 4,500 students at Yale University, but if their students had such a large impact on their campus, why can't we? We don't need Sodexo to provide us with their disgusting, fake food when we can eat organically and locally from farmers around the Salt Lake Valley. If we began to purchase large amounts of local food, we would see a different in the demand of the food, but also in the health of our students. We could also provide more vegan and vegetarian options, and food that would be preferred by most. It was really neat to read that just by purchasing apples, they were able to also get local meat in their school as well that was treated humanely and without hormones. If more universities began to do this, the demand for organics and local would sky-rocket, and the prices would decline, as well as the health problems in our country. 

This week, the presentation was on ethics. I've seen videos before, read books, and I'm very well aware of the things that go on in slaughterhouses, however, each and every single time I watch a video, I can't help but burst into tears. It really bothers me the things that they do the animals. It is so cruel and if we were to do something like that to any domesticated animal, it would be and is illegal. Hearing stories like Michael Vick with the dog fighting comes out in the news everywhere, but slaughterhouses are rarely heard of and when they are, people think it's just the radical, hippie point of view making up things. If people actually knew what went on in slaughterhouses, they would greatly reconsider what they ate...

I loved the last day of class, the meal was fantastic, and I'm so excited to embark on this journey of veganism! 

from Michael Fluharty
Last Week
well what can I say after a month of being almost completely vegan it feels pretty good. Its still hard to try to make the right choices every single day, but I think its part of the process of learning to make the right choices every single day and not just once every week. I have learned  a lot from this class, but the most important thing that I learned from this class is that this is a process that takes time and patience. Making the right choices maybe hard but it becomes easier and easier as the time goes on. 

from Ali
Week Three

On Monday, my group presented on the Effects of Meat and Dairy Production, and the information I came across, I found to be extremely disturbing because in such simple ways, we could easily change how much energy, waste, and problems we produce. The article that I found to be the most interesting was in the New York Times called Re-Thinking the Meat Guzzler. It actually compares oil and meat and here is the direct quote where it does:

"The two commodities share a great deal: Like oil, meat is subsidized by the federal government. Like oil, meat is subject to accelerating demand as nations become wealthier, and this, in turn, sends prices higher. Finally — like oil — meat is something people are encouraged to consume less of, as the toll exacted by industrial production increases, and becomes increasingly visible."

It was so interesting to see the two compared side-by-side because normally, you'd think there would be no comparison. Not true. The two are actually becoming more and more alike. The article went on to reveal that other countries are noticing that meat production today is a problem and are actually halting the deforestation of land for livestock and dairy. They referred to factory farms as "growing meat" rather than raising it, because the cows are just growing with no end. It also discussed that if every American were to just skip one meal of chicken a week, and substitute it with vegetarian products, it would be the equivalent of taking over a half million cars off of US roads. Crazy, right?

My favourite foods this week were the desserts... The raw lemon meringue and the raw peach pie were out of this world. I was so astonished that something could taste so good. The crust was amazing, the filling was amazing, the topping was amazing, and the peaches were amazing. It was so good! I also loved the taco salad, because I loved the crunchiness of the chips mixed with the freshness of the vegetables. It was a great, easy meal to make and to eat, and it was just simple. I also really loved the pesto sauce on the pasta, as well as the zuccini noodles! That was so cool, and it made them so much better. Vegan cuisine is so suprisingly delicious that everyone should be able to have some. I love that not only does it taste good, but it feels good when eating it and it gives me energy and leaves me feeing refreshed. 

week 4 ( as written right after week 1)

As stated in week one I was not sure coming into this class whether it would be awesome or really awkward with me being "that guy." To be honest it was, surprisingly, both. I was happy to be there but at the same time it was somewhat awkward playing devils advocate at every turn. However I enjoy playing devils advocate, just because it is so much more fun to poke holes in other peoples arguments than forming them myself.

This was true for everything except this week (I actually tied it in, see?)... playing devils advocate made people pretty unhappy with me because it was obvious who was right in the discussion, and it wasn't the omnivore.

week 1 (I know right?)

so I was going back and realized a never did the week 1 blog. I was kind of busy planning for the nutrition presentation >.<

so anyway, the first week of class I was not sure what to think, I had begun the journey into very very unexplored territory and I thought "this could be really awesome or four weeks of me feeling awkward in a class full of the already converted... not much in between" and I was right... kind of. I will get to that in my week 4 blog. anyhow, the backing for this idea was mostly the first readings and the first day of class. on the one hand the food and teachers were incredible. on the other, I was one of the few people win the class who was on "the other" side of the fence and the readings were certainly written to a vegan audience.

I saw a bumper sticker on the way to work the other day. It said "Don't judge me because I sin differently than you."

I was inspired by the way we chose to end the final class of the semester. Although to us, the facts may seem clear- others may be on a different point within the journey of this life. To make loving choices, in regards to our food, and our relation to others regarding our food habits, is the best advice Michael could give us for both our happiness and the spread of conscious choices regarding food.

The horrors we faced in the reading and ever so bluntly in the videos we presented inspire us to change- and inspire us to, in turn inspire others. I believe through the example of action, the example of love, is the best and only sustainable way to inspire those to observe more closely their food choices.

We can make a difference

Ethics. It is probably the hardest subject to talk about because we all have different opinions. In my Ethics class we talked about vegetarianism and we brought it down to sentience. Sentience is the ability to feel pain. If animals have sentience then it is wrong to kill them but if they don’t them it doesn’t matter. That’s what the class decided, what we couldn’t decide is if animals had sentience or not. I thought that the video that we watched in class was tough. It is a mild version to other videos out there but it was hurtful. I’m not sure how we got to the point where we treat animals like this but we got there. In the readings there was the story of the one-hundredth pencil. I really enjoyed it. I think that is what we are doing. We are all making a choice and change will be seen. One city chose to change and it made a difference. We can make a difference too buy the choices that we make when we go to the store. I think that is what I learned most out of the class. I learned that we can make a difference.  

Last Week

I am really sad class is over. May went by really quickly. I learned a ton of information about food, and nutrition but ethics and the environment too.

I think this is a class that everyone should take, even if being Vegan isn's something you are interested in the food is delicious and the atmosphere is great, but there is a lot of information to learn.

This last class was certainly the hardest one for me, seeing animals abused was extremely difficult. It is certainly one thing to talk about it in class and know that it goes on but being confronted with the imagery was challenging.

I want to say thank you to Nina and Michael for giving us all this opportunity and allowing us to spend time with you in your home (and for cooking for us)!

Last Week! Adi Braun

I'm so sad this class is coming to a close, I wish it could continue on for a whole semester. I feel like over the past month I have greatly matured just due to being more conscious about what I eat. It's been such a big learning curve in only a few short weeks. I really enjoyed our meals this week. Who would've known that I actually enjoyed a meal that was relatively similar to Thanksgiving dinner. My mom would be so proud! I loved the idea of just baking up some vegetables and serving them over grains, it's such simple preparation and still such a hearty meal. Talking about the ethics this weak really was getting people riled up. It's such an intense topic and so personal. I thought the video that we watched was very intense but also something good to see, sometimes the message doesn't really hit home until you see something like that. From what we've learned in this class I can easily say that I am going to be so much more conscious of what I eat. I don't know if I'll be able to jump into being vegan right away but every time I go to the grocery store I'm really going to think about the food I'm buying and where it's coming from. Even if it's a little more expensive that extra dollar is so worth it if it means I'm making a difference in our environment. Even though I'm just one person I think every little thing counts. Eventually more will follow and it will become a common thing for people to cut out animal products from their diets. I can't wait for this day to come, it will be so revolutionary. I've really enjoyed my experience in this class and want to say thanks for the amazing teachers and peers. It was so encouraging to be surrounded by a group full of people all wanting to make a difference.

Week 4 :/

Today I was thinking that after all these wonderful meals, informative and eye-opening readings, great class discussions, and fun in the kitchen, I wish that this class wasn't over...but then I realized that everything from this class isn't over! I can still invite friends and family over to enjoy a great meal, I can continue to educate myself on these various issues, and unfortunately the majority of the world will continue to follow the industrys lead. However, it's always great to see how much more awareness is being built about veganism and how unsustainable the industry currently is. It's encouraging to know that eventually this is the route that a lot of people will choose but it'd be nice to have it become mainstream sooner (to save animal and human lives and the environment). Although I don't come from a wealthy family and I will begin working on Sunday after being unemployed for three months (with super little money) I will continue each and every day to vote with my dollar and make my voice heard.

As far as the food this week...we didn't have class on Monday but for anyone who went to the Memorial Day gathering, you would have known how awesome (and filling!) the various fieldroast burgers were, flavorful the roasted potatoes were, soft and earthy the rosemary bread was, and how sweet and refreshing the watermelon-lime slushy was...I was also reintroduced to my old coconut almond-butter frozen cookies. I am a bit disappointed that I couldn't taste Nina's raw banana ice-cream that the other class had on Tuesday however I'm actually making a version of that this afternoon with a friend. Here's the link to the recipe that we're using.. http://natureinsider.com/2011/05/the-best-ice-cream-ever-its-raw-too/ As far as yesterday's meal, oh man that was amazing! The quinoa, roasted vegetables, miso sauce, and field roast went absolutely perfect with each other. And that CAKE...I can't get over how delicious that was haha

I also really enjoyed the readings for yesterdays class. In the Reap As You Sow chapter, the author made such profound analogies to the meat industry and our everyday lives that really could have crossed the "sane border" but truly made you pause and think about what he said and how in actuality how evident it is but how much we don't acknowledge it because we don't make connections like those in day-to-day activities. I will be sure to read a World Peace Diet over the summer. In the Grub Kitchen reading, I thought it was great that the author compared our diet to the "wrong bus syndrome". She asked questions like what would you do if you were on the wrong bus (you would get off)..but then she asked what would make you stay on the wrong bus (examples include not knowing that you were on the wrong bus, being misinformed, not knowing that there was another bus, etc). She also addressed some of the possible obstacles that people encounter on their way to going on the "right bus". I also like how she provided and outlined pretty easy ways to make it on the "right bus" and how to remain on the right bus (veganism). All three of the readings were actually some of my favorites in this class because they truly made you think outside of what you normally consider. Those different neuro-thought paths were also made in the ethics presentation yesterday. Health and ethical treatment of animals were the two original reasons why I went vegan, so I was pretty aware about the issues in this topic. However, I didn't know that glycerin was made from animal product and I found it so interesting how this topic spurred by far the most discussion in class (and very insiteful and interesting at that). I will definitely watch the End of the Line this summer as well. And by the way, for those of us who purchase things that don't explicity label them "vegan", I've been meaning to purchase this book called Animal Ingredients A to Z that should enable us to be more aware of animal by products.

As a human, I know that I will be continually learning and changing but I will always keep in mind to make the most loving choice possible. That statement really spoke to me because it applies to every aspect of our life. To live by loving. How wonderful a place the world would be if everyone could do that.

Thank you so much for this course Nina and Michael. It was truly amazing and tasty! Expect me to be around in mid-August ready with some new recipes that I would have tried over the summer :)

P.S. Here's the link to the recipe for the watermelon-lime slushy but Jordan and I did things a little differently. http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/07/10/lime-watermelon-frosty-how-to-video/ Instead of adding water to the blender, when we cut the watermelon to place in the freezer overnight, we also included all of the watermelon juice. When we actually made the slushies, the watermelon was unintentionally a little thawed so instead of adding the water, there was excess watermelon juice that worked wonderfully in the drink. Also we used more than 1 teaspoon (probably the zest of two limes) of lime zest because it was soooo yummy!

week 4

Well, I can't even begin to tell you how much this class has changed, and will continue to change, not only my eating habits, but my life. I am not going to become full on vegan, or even vegetarian, however I have, and will continue to keep changing my eating habbits until hopefully one day I can become vegan. Let me list the things that I did this month that I haven't ever done before taking this class:

-Shopped at Whole Foods
-Discovered where the organic section is at Smiths
-Bought only organic fruits and vegetables
-Bought kale, sprouts, and quinoa
-Went to the grocery store and didn't buy any meat (that's not to say I didn't have any stored in the freezer, but still this was a HUGE step for me.)

Although I am far from vegan, even doing what little I did to change my diet was a huge leap in the right direction for me. Originally, the only valid argument in my mind to go vegan was for health reasons, however, after all our class sessions and all the readings, you convinced me that health is not the only reason, and that the other four reasons are just as valid.

It took me up until today when we watched the movie in class about the slaughter houses to be convinced that social justice is a reason to go vegan. That movie clip was appalling, but it got the point across and I'm glad we watched it. It sickens me at how manipulative the meat industry is. Something that really struck my attention was that it's acceptable to kill pigs, but not dogs, even though pigs are just as intelligent and "personable". It doesn't make sense.

As always, the food today was delicious. The combination of the quinoa, sweet onions, and fake meat (I forget the real name of it) was to die for. And the chocolate cake made me speechless.

Again, thank you for amazing class. You literally changed my life.

Week 3

THis weeks classes and presentations really opened my eyes as to what goes on "behind the scenes" in the meat industry. It sickens me! I'm from Montana and when I think of eating beef, I think (well... thought) of the truly free range cattle that live in the pasteur behind my house. After reading this weeks readings, I realized that I was not the small percentage of humanely raised cattle, I am eating cattle that grow up in 6 x 6 pens, that are drugged and slaughtered inhumanely. Then placed on a conveyer belt and chopped up by "butchers" - unskilled labor workers -  piece by piece. One thing that someone mentioned in class was that the workers on the assembly line check for  flaws in the meat, but that the workers get paid only when the assembly line is running... so how likely is it that a worker will stop the entire conveyor belt to point out flawed meat? Very unlikely, thus we eat flawed meat. It's an atrocious system.

As for the food... AMAZING. THe veggie pasta was incredible. I thought I was eating noodles until half way through the meal someone said "I can't believe there are no noodles in here!" That dish had more flavors and taste than any other dish I have ever eaten. The desserts have also been amazing. My favorite dessert is still the peach pie we had week 2. I am looking forward to week 4's meals!

Week 3- Frustrations and somewhat alleviations

this week really hit me hard, not because the material was shocking, that is pretty consistent class to class, but with how much of it I didn't already know and how good of a job the media does with the slight of hand play, keeping these facts hidden from the public (seriously, AGENT ORANGE? how does this crap NOT make national headlines). However, immediately after I got home I was thrown a bone when talking to my younger sister about Monsanto and she actually knew what I was talking about and said they learned about it in school (maybe public schooling isn't as derelict as I previously though.

Week 3....You are what you eat

First of all, I am so sad that I missed the Social Justice class, allergies will probably kill me. Amanda tells me that the Raw meal was amazing and so I am going to have to make it.

Talking about the horrors of the meat industry and reading about how unfair it is to animals and us is hard stuff to read. However it is so exciting to see how much just one person can REALLY make a difference. Whether it's by cutting back or going vegan it is actually really possible to do a lot of good.

The labor you eat and boss hog are just these hugely eye opening reads, i think if this is the kind of stuff that made the news (instead of Lindsay Lohan's 93rd arrest) that people would really take into account the  true reach of the decisions (or lack thereof) they make about food.

Excited for Monday's class! See everyone there!

Week 2 (Again...from Angel, because I'm silly)

Ok, I feel dumb because I can't get this thing to upload after I save....maybe the thirtieth time is the charm haha. This week the food was SO delicious. I don't think I have stopped thinking about the moose since we had it. Yummy. Other than the food, the readings were intense this week. I thought the first group that went did a really great job of presenting the information in a way that was conducive of group discussion. I thought Ideana did a great job of putting everything into perspective. I am excited for our group to go on Monday, after doing all the research and reading I'm so excited to share it with the class....and of course, excited to eat.

Also, I hope you had a wonderful anniversary Nina and Michael!

Week 1 (Copied from Angel)

The first week of class was really delicious, but it was also fun to meet everyone and hear everyones reasons for taking the class. I think that our discussions have been really interesting and in depth, which is always my favorite part of any class. The readings are also crazy interesting, the are certainly making me think outside the box. I don't think I will ever get over the i am the apple eating the apple thing. What a concept.

From Ali Grow:

 On Monday, my group presented on the Effects of Meat and Dairy Production, and the information I came across, I found to be extremely disturbing because in such simple ways, we could easily change how much energy, waste, and problems we produce. The article that I found to be the most interesting was in the New York Times called Re-Thinking the Meat Guzzler. It actually compares oil and meat and here is the direct quote where it does:

"The two commodities share a great deal: Like oil, meat is subsidized by the federal government. Like oil, meat is subject to accelerating demand as nations become wealthier, and this, in turn, sends prices higher. Finally — like oil — meat is something people are encouraged to consume less of, as the toll exacted by industrial production increases, and becomes increasingly visible."

It was so interesting to see the two compared side-by-side because normally, you'd think there would be no comparison. Not true. The two are actually becoming more and more alike. The article went on to reveal that other countries are noticing that meat production today is a problem and are actually halting the deforestation of land for livestock and dairy. They referred to factory farms as "growing meat" rather than raising it, because the cows are just growing with no end. It also discussed that if every American were to just skip one meal of chicken a week, and substitute it with vegetarian products, it would be the equivalent of taking over a half million cars off of US roads. Crazy, right?

My favourite foods this week were the desserts... The raw lemon meringue and the raw peach pie were out of this world. I was so astonished that something could taste so good. The crust was amazing, the filling was amazing, the topping was amazing, and the peaches were amazing. It was so good! I also loved the taco salad, because I loved the crunchiness of the chips mixed with the freshness of the vegetables. It was a great, easy meal to make and to eat, and it was just simple. I also really loved the pesto sauce on the pasta, as well as the zuccini noodles! That was so cool, and it made them so much better. Vegan cuisine is so suprisingly delicious that everyone should be able to have some. I love that not only does it taste good, but it feels good when eating it and it gives me energy and leaves me feeing refreshed. 

Here's a link to the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/weekinreview/27bittman.html?pagewanted=all

We can do so much.

This week we had two great meals. I love taco salad. It is what I eat all of the time but this is the first I have ever had that was vegan and it was still amazing. The all raw meal was to die for. It was a blast of flavor and I never thought of eating all raw. I do not like Italian food as much as Mexican but the raw pasta I enjoyed. That night I tried the French Toast recipe at home. It was not as good as when we had it in class but it was still tasty. I had a friend over and it was a fun reaction when she tried to think of how French toast could be made without eggs but she enjoyed the toast too.

The presentations this week were very interesting. This week was on environmental issues and social justice. I was part of the social justice group and the article that we read for class really hit me. The conditions that the workers were in were disgusting and I almost couldn’t keep on reading. I love animals and the environment but I hate when other human beings are being hurt.  I found that Food Deserts are an interesting issue. I had never thought before this year about cities and real food. I always had a grocery store close to me and thought that everyone had one. The realization that this isn’t true is shocking. I could never live on fast food or 7-11s. I love gardening and nature. And the environment is very important to me because it is our life. We need the planet and so I feel like we should keep it safe. The presentation had a lot of facts on the environmental impacted of the meat industry. If we could do one thing to help lowering meat intake isn’t that hard to do. We can make a difference in the environment by little things that we do and buy.

Aimee Green

Week 3: Adi Braun

This week brought to my attention several new facts that I had never known before. First, I had no idea that workers in the meat and dairy industry are treated so bad. I guess I started to get an idea when we read about the pig lagoons but never imagined a factory line of people just chopping up dead animals. It's such a horrible image. I also had no idea about the illegal immigrants they hire from Mexico. How can they get away with such crimes? From the first reading on public land and animal grazing I was shocked. To me, public land is awesome, it's a free place to camp and do whatever I want on it, but I never really thought about everyone else who can do the same thing. Especially not ranchers, I had no idea cattle grazing is so detrimental to biodiversity in our nation. As for the presentations, the one thing that really stuck in  my head was the myths sheet on the meat industry's website. I can't believe they're not only siting themselves but releasing false information to the public. Talk about a bad argument.
As for the food I'm still really enjoying it. The raw pasta was a little strange to me, but the crackers were awesome. I've noticed that after every meal I come home and feel so light. It doesn't feel like I had a huge meal and I don't feel hungry. I love it. I'm really exciting to bring something for the class on Monday. I've been so busy all May term I haven't had the time to sit down and plan a meal, grocery shop and enjoy it. So this is my chance and I can't wait!

Week 3

Wow. I've always known that vegan food, when prepared correctly, can be the most delicious cuisine there is. This week's meals were just a fine example of that. We had taco salad, iced tea, and raw peaches and cream pie (amaaazing). On Wednesday we shared an entire raw meal consisting of tossed raw spaghetti with three sauces (all fantastic), with crackers, melon milk, and lemon meringue pie (holy moly soo good). I seriously cannot get over how awesome these desserts have been. I can't wait for what's in store for the final class (I'm sure it's something outstanding!). I was joking around with someone yesterday during class and I said, "If I could live here and eat Nina's food all the time, I would be the happiest person ever"...but seriously haha. Anyway, this week we spoke about the animal welfare and social justice. Both of these issues are interesting because we realize that whether it's the animals or the workers, the factory farming meat/dairy industry are ruthless and are sincerely and solely profit-driven. That's a pattern that I've noticed from the four tiers we've spoken about so far; these industries could absolutely not care less about how their practices are negatively impacting our health, the planets health, animal welfare, or their employees. I not only want to adopt a vegan diet to reduce these various impacts but also because I don't want to support a conglomerate that continues these behaviors with no remorse because it's what keeps their pockets filled with polluted money. It isn't right that 30% of our non-land ice is used by the meat/dairy industry, millions of people are still starving and injured slaughter house employees are denied treatment. But none of that matters to the industry that literally has their hands, money, and power controlling (or at least heavily influencing) so much of what informs America and ensures that none of these negative impacts will be public...and if the news of their dirty business leaks, they are sure to debunk those immediately with a nice, fluffy, vague statements. I don't get mad about many things, but learning about this really does frustrate me; I don't understand how enough money can motivate even the government to deny what the people are clearly asking for. There was a great point made in the last class that the only way that organic food (and hopefully the local/sustainable movement) will be favored over conventional factory farming is by making it profitable (unfortunately). However, I know that I haven't been around for long but even in my short life it seems like organic produce and foods have become more accepted and prevalent which hopefully is an indicator that with enough public education and government pressure, organic food will establish itself as the norm and some of those government subsidies can be applied to organic food and not producers such as Smithfields. It's awful that this industry is able to get away with so much and at this point I feel completely responsible for trying to change that. Like we discussed in class, the best way that I'm able to do that is write to my Congressman and to continue to purchase organic/local/vegan over other options. One thing that frustrates me though is that even "voting with your dollar" has set-backs. For instance, because I am a resident on campus I'm required to purchase a meal plan although if I had the choice I wouldn't support what Sodexo provides us but there's no way to get around that other than trying to alter what Sodexo serves us (which I am) or move off campus (which I will be doing my Junior year). But anyway, this is a side track but yesterday I was on happycow.net (where they provide lists of vegan/vegan-friendly restaurants) to see if there are new vegan options near where I live and google redirected me to meetup.com where there's a NH vegan/animal rights group that meets up once a month at a new location in NH to talk about being vegan and awesome haha :) I instantly joined it and I am so excited for the June get-together! I started doing so more research and it looks like NH has actually improved in the availability in vegan options (a local pizza shop now does vegan calzones and pizza) and a local bar/night restaurant serves a vegan banana&strawberry vegan chocolate cake! I'm excited to see what else is now being offered that's not advertised online and it'd be cool for everyone else to check out what's available near your home towns. If you want to stay engaged with veganism maybe try out some of the places near you over the summer. :)

Week 2 bloggin'

    Originally, the main reason I took this class was to help myself eat more nutritiously, and after the first week, nutrition was still really the only reason I even considered going vegan. After the recent readings on climate change, I now have another HUGE reason to go vegan. The statistics are astounding. When arguing with my room mates about the affect meat eating has on the climate, it is hard to get through to them using complicated statistics. That is why I really enjoyed the stats that put meat eating in simple  perspective. Such as, eating one 1/4 pounder from McDonalds is the equivalent of cutting down 55 acres in the Rain Forest, and 26 cals of plants makes 1 cal of beef. Statistics like these really put things in perspective and help when making an argument to an ignorant friend.


   As far as the food goes...PHENOMENAL! My favorite dish so far was the vegan taco salad and peach pie (as shown by the two heaping plate fulls I ate, along with two slices of peach pie). I am generally not a dessert fan, however the peach pie was to die for. I know that you have been preaching this since day one of the class, but it didn't really click to me until last class period at just how delicious the food really is. I've been forwarding all the recipes to my family so they can try them at home too.

Matt Hargis week 2

The reports we read this week paint a clear picture: our current livestock situation, globally is wholly unsustainable.

Within a capitalist society, a vote is made with your dollars. If someone were to define me as a 'consumer' they would look to the goods of which i consume far more than any other- food. The three meals I eat per day cast a vote. The veil was removed, through our readings, on how my consumption choices affect the environment. The was made iron cast by the declaration from the United Nations that we discussed in class, of which clearly states: if the demand for factory farmed meat would fall, so as well, would emissions for CO2, which would lower the effect of climate change.

Through this education I am able to make an evaluated choice on who- and what- I vote for every single day.

The meals we ate this week also painted a clear picture. Eating in a vegan manner, which is factually less of a footprint on the environment- is easy, nutritious, and delicious, the holy trinity of food. While no one is perfect, I wish to define my legacy, and the expression of my own life as one that outwardly makes an effort to care and steward our environment.  While it seems that the transport marginal cost in eating a plant based diet is still significant, with fuel emissions, ect, it is a lower impact choice. A local plant based diet that does not promote pesticides seems as one that would fully express myself through the food I eat.

However, living in Utah, I am not sure how feasible such a diet would be. Perhaps in class we could discuss this proposition, and if possible, try to create a largely locally sourced meal for one of our in class meals.

From Joey:
Week 2

This week I met another vegan eater that gave me a lot of strength and support in caring so much about what is going into my body. I was starving coming back from a climbing trip, and I didn’t want to eat Chipolte because I knew it wouldn’t make me feel good. I stayed in the car and didn’t say anything either way. Julia spoke up and said that she wanted to go to Whole Foods and wanted to get some rice and beans and veggies, rather than going to Chipolte. Despite my extreme hunger, that is ultimately what I wanted to do too. Slowly, everyone in the car actually said that that’s what they would rather do. I had a dinner that I had already cooked at home, but I was simply going to wash with the way that everyone else was moving in order to avoid conflict. What if Julia hadn’t spoken up? We would all be eating something that we actually didn’t want to. It made me realize I need to speak up when it comes to what I want in my body. This is important; I can be picky.

It is so easy for me to cut out meat because of this class; It is so easy for me to cut out GMO’s. They now make me nauseous. I realize the limits of their nutritional values. What I am having a hard time with is cheese. I understand its ecological effects, and that my body cant digest it, but it just tastes so good! And I don’t especially love the alternatives. I am going to need to work on this.

My week consisted of a lot of less super organized meals because I realized that I was eating a ton by planning out carefully all of my meals. I made guacamole for dinner one night, veggie sandwiches, and had a lot of fruit in the mornings from my new tip from Nina. I made an acorn squash too! It is an awesome feeling to care about what you are putting into your body.

I liked the food that we ate in class this week. The French toast was creative! It tasted so much better than real French toast, but I don’t know that I would be able to whip that up in my kitchen every once in a while. It seemed super gourmet and complicated. I am very busy and while I am cutting more time in for food, I am not making landslides of changes. I really liked the teriyaki, but eating it two days in a row made me sick of quinoa. I decided it was something that I am not super into, which is a good thing to know! But I love its nutritional value!

This week, I was really affected by the Boss Hog reading. This is probably why I am so turned off from meat this week. I felt so much compassion for the people within the town that was destroyed by the feces of our destruction. Fainting when they walk outside, because of stench! It is horrible. It made me clearly relate destruction to meat, and meat to disgusting. The other reading that shocked me was the China Study. The serious health consequences were appalling and easy to see. When you guys revealed your age, it made me realize that this was more than a fad. 

From Alec
May 11: It is easy to get into this class because from the start most of the other students have strong ideas on they way they eat. I took this class because I enjoy food, before I started at westminster for business I was studying culinary arts. I enjoy food and the preparation of food so that is why I took this class. 

From Ali Grow
May 11: Being raised without red meat, I always questioned why I was the outcast for never eating a cow or a pig. My parents had raised me to love and care for all animals, which is why it seemed so absurd that all the kids at lunch could eat hamburgers, hot dogs, and Lunchables with meat. My mom always told me to tell people that I was a "selective vegetarian" because I ate poultry and fish. However, when I finally got to high school, I made the transition to a full vegetarian. My grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer, and had been reading up on how her diet should be because the doctors were of no assistance when it came to nutrition. I decided that I wanted to read up on nutrition as well, seeing that I had always been questioned as to why I was a vegetarian. Health reasons? Ethical reasons? Before I went full vegetarian, I never really had a purpose. It was just that I had been raised that way. I began my research, and here I am, ready to learn more than before.
The readings so far have been quite interesting. I really loved the reading on Vegan Diplomacy because it was so great to find different ways to approach others about the path to becoming a vegan. I loved when it discussed that rather than telling someone what they are doing is wrong or immoral, congratulate them on their improvements. I could take this and use it in all aspects of my life. Rather than being so cynical of people for not doing what I think to be the right way, I could congratulate them and recognize that they are striving to be better, just as I am. 
As I've been noticing what I have been eating, I have recently become vegan, yet again. But this time, I plan to do it the healthy way, rather than substituting processed foods for raw foods. I used to love cheeses of all kinds, and lately, they have seemed to make me sick after eating them. I also noticed that the other night, I ate a great amount of foods for my cousins birthday party. Cake, ice cream, and a vegetarian Café Rio salad. I was so full that I felt sick to my stomach. When I ate during class the next day though, I was able to eat a smaller amount and feel full much quicker. However, when I felt full, it wasn't a sick full. I was full for much longer, and I didn't crave foods throughout the day. I'm very excited to see what else this class brings, and what a difference transitioning my diet can do.

From Amanda:
May 13: The first week of class really started out with a bang. I was compelled to take this class because of Ecological Eating, which I took last May term. Throughout that course, Vegan revolution was referenced and it peaked my interest. Growing up with a vegetarian mother and grandmother, I have always leaned towards vegetarianism. However, the vegetarians in my family are not the healthiest vegetarians- they eat the same as the rest of the family but simply cut meat out of their diet. I am interested in being a healthy vegetarian, and if vegan is the way to go for me, then this course is the way that I will figure that out. The readings for this week were very interesting. The first days' reading kind of surprised me- we were reading about how to form an effective argument. I understand now that the point of the reading was to help us with our final paper for the class, but before we discussed the reading, I was thinking we were reading about how to argue because most vegans are argumentative and in-your-face about their dietary choices. I hope that this class helps expel stereotypes and prejudices I have about vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters alike. I am very excited to learn more about the Five Pillars for becoming Vegan throughout the rest of this semester.

From Corinda:
May 8: The first day of class was a lot of fun. I loved hearing everyone's reasons for joining the class. I was nervous going in, thinking I might be the only person there for the reasons I was, but after yesterday all my reservations are gone. I think the readings were helpful especially since we were just getting to know each other and discussing where we are each at. I like that the readings weren't just explaining Veganism or eating choices but discussing how to respectively discuss your personal choices. Super relevant and helpful reading assignment.
May 12: The first week of class was really delicious, but it was also fun to meet everyone and hear everyones reasons for taking the class. I think that our discussions have been really interesting and in depth, which is always my favorite part of any class. The readings are also crazy interesting, the are certainly making me think outside the box. I don't think I will ever get over the i am the apple eating the apple thing. What a concept.

From Michael: (May 11)
For me food has been something that I never really gave a deep thought about. For me at least for most of my life it has been something that I get when I feel hungry and that is about it. I never thought about the way it was prepared, never thought about what it was made of and what effect it all has on my health. From the last couple of reading it has been pretty eye opening. Vegan to me has been a pretty radical idea to think about because like everyone else in this country that is how I was raised and never really gave it a deep thought, to me it is simply food, something that I take in and it keeps me going. Since these last few classes i have been able to talk to my friends, do research and really think about what I can do to make my food mean something to me. I know that it has been only two classes, but these two classes have been more than I have ever thought about food or being vegan and making the healthy choice. 

From Joey: (May 9)
When I became a vegan in high school, I faced judgments and animosity. I had little support, especially from my close friends. I was frustrated, and I projected my frustrations towards others. I judged them back for eating animal products. I thought that I was doing something better than them. I did not do anything right. This may have been one of the reasons why my attempts were failed, among many others, but it was interesting to learn new ways. These tools will help me effectively communicate, something I felt that I consistently did not achieve every time I talked to someone about my choices. Although learning, such as these skills, in this class is important to me, I feel that the network of people who will support me will be even more beneficial. People who are supportive of a non-mainstream eater? Never have I encountered so many! It was interesting to hear why others enrolled in this class, and I found that I could relate to a lot of their reasons, as well as my own. This is because our diets, our choices are always evolving. This concept was cool. I feel each meal is planned out more thoughtfully already, and it's only the first day of class. I cooked my dinner last night for three hours!

You are what you eat (Blog number two)

Oh the food this week was amazing. It normally is when you are eating healthy and right. For me, Nutrition is probably the reason why I would switch to a vegetarian diet. Nutrition has always been important to me and it is the main reason why I choose a lot of my meals. The presentation this week was about nutrition and I thought that is was very insightful. I had always herd that vegetarians miss out on many essential vitamins and proteins for daily life. It was nice to know that all of the worries are not worries at all. I like how in all of the meals that we share the nutritional elements are said so that we know the benefits of eating this meal. I don’t think we get that a whole lot. We normally just eat. Growing up I hardly new what I was eating at all. It is nice to be aware of food and ourselves. 

            There were a few things that really stood out to me in the readings. Health jumped out from the readings, both for your body of the earth. First, your body’s health is directly linked to what you eat. I found that this was really seen in the China Study. “I’m about to tell you that is you eat animal foods instead of plant foods, you just might go blind.” This is a bold statement and I loved that there was prove to back it up. To realize that what you put in your body has an affect on your body. You would think that it is common knowledge but I feel like it is something that we don’t talk about enough in society. The other article about nutrition was great because of a common thing that I have heard all of my life, “Drinking milk will give you strong bones.” Well in the article Fast for Health, “Osteoporosis should be seen as just another one of the diseases that is linked to our rich, highly refined, high-protein, high-fat, modern diet.” In our society we have just been use to diseases and how there is nothing we can do about it. We are already doing what we can to fight bone diseases by drinking lots of milk so bone diseases are just part of who we are. However, that is just not true. We have an affect on our health and there are thing we can do to help us live a healthy life. The body is great to know how you can be healthy by the choices you make. The other health factor it the health of our planet. “Hog farms in North Carolina also emit some 300 tons of nitrogen into the air every day as ammonia gas, much of which falls back to earth and deprives lakes and streams of oxygen, stimulating algal blooms and killing fish.” (Boos Hog) “The livestock sector is…responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO₂ equivalent. This is a higher share than transit.” (Long Shadow) This was all really interesting because we can help our planet to most by simple closing factory farms. I say simply because that is assuming everyone cared about the planets health. I was always under the impression that this was our home and we needed to take care of it so it can take care of us. I feel like there is a disconnection in our society when it comes to nature. We need our planet just like we need our family or friends. They are there to help us and we should help them. I never really thought about what I can do to help but like we said in class, “We are all political; if you eat you are political.” We show who we are by what we do and what do we do three times a day?

Week 2

Week 2

French Toast, Vegan Sausage, Fruit Salad with toppings and soy yogurt, and Strawberry Banana Milkshake

- Tuesday’s meal was, of course, awesome.  Using cashew batter instead of the conventional egg wash was a great substitute for the French toast.  My favorite part of the actual meal, not counting the shake, was the vegan sausage.  As Michael said in the discussion, regular sausage is just bad cuts of meat heavily seasoned to make tasty.  Combing soy protein and sausage seasonings made for a really sausage-like tasting patty, one that you actually feel good eating.  The fruit salad buffet of toppings was an awesome idea and made the salad even better.  I’ve never tried soy yogurt before this class but found that it’s not too bad. 

Quinoa, Stir Fry Veggies, Teriyaki Tofu, Blood, Chocolate Mousse

I finally found out the secret to tofu—wrapping it in a towel to suck out moisture before cooking.  My tofu always turned out soft and mushy before.  This was one of my favorite meals we’ve eaten since I love tofu.  Desert was really good, I love the idea of using avocados and dates to make a healthy mousse. 

The readings and presentation really sparked my thoughts on the consequences of eating processed and unhealthy foods.  Those with vegan diets avoid many health concerns that relate to the kinds of foods people choose to eat: diabetes, high blood pressure/cholesterol, etc.  Many people do not realize the magnitude of health risks relating to food choices, but based on the way certain foods make you feel, it should be obvious.  Since the beginning of this course, my diet has changed a great deal.  I took Eco-eating last May term, so I’ve been aware of many topics discussed in class.  But after May term was long and passed my daily consciousness of health and nutrition went with.  After starting to make conscious efforts to eat healthy foods again, I’ve notice how much better I feel and the amount of energy I have.  The other day, I was curious to see if eating something super unhealthy would make me feel differently, and of course it did.  I was sold after that.  If some bad foods can make me feel like crap after eating it just once, the consequences of eating bad foods daily will only lead to disease and illnesses.  Not wanting to feel crappy after eating is good enough incentive to keep choosing good foods.

Reading “Bosshog” for the second time had the same effects on me as when I read it the first time, and I was definitely thoroughly disgusted.  The meat and livestock industries in the U.S. are terrifying to me, but being aware of such practices is essential to good health, both for us and for the environment.  I hate knowing that the quality of American meat and dairy are extremely poor due to the immoral practices of industry corporations, to the point that other countries like Europe won’t eat our meat and hate the taste of our milk.  On the point of milk: when people think of tofu, they always connect it to estrogen.  But the same people do not realize that milk, something that they probably all drink, is a natural hub for lots and lots of estrogen.  That was a good point made in our discussion. It was shocking to learn about the environmental consequences of conventional farming and feedlots.  The fact that the Smithfield Farms produces as much waste as LA blows my mind, and its all toxic pink sludge!  It also surprised me that the cost for Smithfield to mitigate their pollution equals their total annual profits of $11 billion.  There are absolutely no incentives for them to do anything about their waste--paying fines would most definitely be a lot cheaper than applying any cleanup strategy.  I wonder if the pink ponds can be deemed super funds....

Ideana Carrasco- Week 2

This weeks readings, discussions, and meals truly confirmed my choice for being vegan...I'm so excited that I have two more weeks of learning more about the impacts our food choices make and why veganism can be viewed as the best solution to various problems. Already, I have greatly expanded my list of supportive data in my argument for veganism and have gained many more details than I was aware of before. But I guess I'll start this off with the food we had this week. I loved that we had a breakfast meal with yummy french toast (and organic vermont maple syrup..seriously my favorite!), a fruit salad where we had the opportunity to sample all sorts of seeds (including chia :)) as well as the sausage patties which were very flavorful! I also realllly enjoyed the almond milkshake. Then we shared a quinoa dish with baked terriaki tofu and vegetable stir fry ending with chocolate mousse for the dessert...all delicious! I have been really trying to stay aware of my body and I feel so great after eating those meals. Even though I've been vegan in total for about 4 years, I am continually impressed with how foods can be prepared and what they can be used for (cashew cream for french toast dip, and avocado for chocolate mousse!). I also love all of the things you can learn from this class outside of the content in the readings, such as different opinions on topics as well as cooking experiences such as actually making almond milk and learning that freezing the bananas for the milkshake is what differentiates it from a smoothie.

Moving on to the readings. I never knew how many health benefits I was gaining and health issues I was avoiding by switching to a vegan diet. The list is virtually endless IF you consume a varied and balanced vegan diet, of course. I definitely look forward to doing some more personal research on nutrition, food preparation, health implications from different foods, and recipes (especially raw desserts). I was also really pleased with our presentation. I think we worked really well with each other and were able to easily generate discussion among the class. Plus I learned so fricken much!

For the second class, the first reading made a good point that many people are supporting the "Green Revolution" where they are becoming more aware of environmental issues and how they can be mitigated; many people would like to reduce their ecological footprint, but few realize that among the "eco-friendly" things you can do or products you can buy, there is no choice that benefits the environment more than becoming vegan. Not only is vegan food good for your health and tasty, but it also plays a huge role in how the earth system functions. There are more than 20 billion livestock animals on earth, more than triple the amount of humans ...why the hell are there more livestock than humans this number seems so wrong in countless ways. The first reading described the factory food production system as a "trilogy of evil" that's harmful to our health, cruel to animals, and is tremendously stressing the earth. Among those stressors is the pollution produced from the livestock. The reading states that there is no economically feasible way to return the animals waste to the land; if this is true and if you could think outside of selfish monetary gains, then maybe you shouldn't be making a business out of this if properly handling the waste earns you little profit. I knew that a shift towards a plant-based diet would result with fewer animals in factory farms, but prior to this reading I didn't realize that it would also mean less manure/waste, and cleaner water. In respect to waste, the boss hog reading was such an eye-opener. Not only do hogs excrete three times as much waste as humans, but as the paper states "a lot of highly toxic pig shit is another" (thing). The Smithfield farms have large vital ventilators that if they break down for even a short amount of time, pigs start dying due to the lethal gases and chemicals from the pink lagoon waste. I can't even imagine how it would feel to live in an area where a pig factory farm was being produced and having to smell it, know the atrocities that are occurring, not being able to trust the local water, and knowing that you probably can't afford to move someplace else. One interesting thing I learned from the discussion was that slaughterhouses are the most dangerous places to work in the US on top of all of the other injustices they resemble.

Also I knew that forests (especially tropical rain forests) are being cleared at an alarming rate but I guess I just assumed it was solely for lumber...I had no idea that a huge portion of it was being cleared for growing feed and cattle grazing. Losing tropical rainforests are so important because of there many benefits such as species richness, medicial remedies in which less than 1% have been tested, their vital source of oxygen and them being a substantial carbon sink; more reasons to support vegetariasm/veganism. Also, this is random, I had no idea that the IPCC had so much crediability; their data is reviewed by hundreds of scientists from all over the world and then reviewed some more. Another interesting thing I learned in class was that the beef from the US (that is pressumably used for public school lunches and fastfood restaurants) was rejected for quality and is used for pet food in Europe!

The last reading sort of fustrated me; I would have gone about presenting the topic in a lot less opiniated manner. Some of the claims made provided no evidence. Furthermore, as I will point out, some of the things said are inaccurate according to the climate-focused environmental earth science course I took last semester. In the reading they present artifical meat cultivated in laboratories from livestock cells (in vitro meat) as an alternative to meat substitutes and real meat. I don't really understand or agree with this. This is an unnatural as artifically inseminating the sows in the factory farms. Apparently they may be cheaper in cost than meat substitutes but none of the health or environmental impacts are known and solely hearing this argument would not convince me to go vegetarian/vegan. This reading also points out that labeling meat substitues with certified claims of the amount of GHG reductions compared with the GHG emmissions caused by the real meat might give the products an edge however for folks who don't believe that climate change exists, this could cause the complete opposite effect in which they are offended from the claims and they won't purchase the product. Additionally, if there were financial and political support to reconstruct the feul infrastructure the amount of time required for that to be implemented could take over a decade however the reading claims that the tipping point for irreversible climate disruption may have been passed at that point but there's no definitive data on that nor does the author provide any. Also, I don't agree that the author proceeded to make calculations of methane emmissions using the "72 times GWP" of CO2 because I spent an entire semester reading and learning about GWP and every literature I read referred to methane's GWPH as being between 23-25...not 72 (even if his timescales were different). However I do enjoy the last paragraph which could serve as a good alternative argument to the nutrition/health, environmental, and animal compassion arguments that are so commonly used for veganism. The author states that "The risks of business as usual outweigh the risks of change" thus the best available business case is to change their business practices such that climate change can be reduced or even reversed.