Vegetarian Myth Buster

As a vegan for 20 years, Lierre Kieth, experienced a wake up call, a call that she refers to as growing up into adulthood while she searched to live in peace with her natural surroundings. Kieth's investigates and challenges her own personal beliefs regarding vegetarians, agricultural practices, and ecological science in her new book, The Vegetarian Myth: Food Justice and Sustainability.

Referencing farmers who have put sustainable and ethical practices in place on their land, Kieth makes us question the accuracy of vegetarians touting the "wise" techniques of current agricultural systems and calls for a return to realism where observation of the natural world leads us to practices that would truly benefit the world and human health. Positing that vegetarianism is not a sustainable response to the food crisis and that current agricultural practices of raising animal based food products is not the answer either, The Vegetarian Myth raises awareness of the integral problem of modern civilization in which the food we eat and the way it is raised is a symptom of our lifestyle of disconnectedness from the natural world. Simply saving the lives of animals by not eating them will not save these species, the human race, or the planet as we know it.

Keith points to the cyclical nature of diet and the elimination of carnivores and herbivores in the natural environment. She uses the Serengeti, where grazing animals digest grasses and give back to the parched soil, as an example. The grazing animals are consumed by carnivores and omnivores, including humans. But with an overpopulation of grazing animals, the ecosystem would become unbalanced with every bit of green eaten. With an overpopulation of predatory animals, grasslands become piled with plant material that is slow to break down in the arid climate. Human intervention into this cycle, particularly vegetarianism, can upset the balance.

To approach sustainability, Keith urges a development in thought surrounding vegetarianism and lifestyle, relying on the wisdom of the Earth.

Comments

smells like someone doesn't know...again...and again...

Submitted by Lucient on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 11:27.

uh...that's because grocery stores are filled with ethical small farm production carne, right? factory farming is a thing of the past, right? Arizona beef cow ranching, which provides a drop in the bucket for beef eaters, hasn't trampled huge chunks of the fragile ecosystems out here for over a hundred years? there are no dietary problems among masses of people who primarily eat meat? none, none to be found, they are all so healthy. let me tell you a fact that you can shove up your kazoo...with out us vegetarians and vegans popping up by the thousands, you all won't be able to afford your cow, pig, or bird once my people make large agribusiness and factory farming, illegal. I could give a crap if you eat meat but don't be stupid.....vegetarians are honorable people for their beautiful sacrifice. We love our animals alive. We do, we prefer our meat to have a pulse and some light in there eyes. but whatever ps humans are only omnivores, unless you only eat meat and never eat anything from the plant kingdom...duh

interesting?

Submitted by positively perpetual on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 12:58.

guess the whole book might outline the ideas better, but... our food system is def broken, however there is not only one true solution that is going to fix it and work for everyone. to say that its a myth that vegetarianism is gonna fix the world is to miss qualify that vegetarianism is supposed to fix the world. it seems to me to be more of a reaction to the way we raise our meat rather than the wholey grail. in a perfect world i would live near to a self sufficient farm with permaculture ideals practiced and animals playing their ever important role where they are eventually eaten. as for now, in a city life, a vegetarian lifestyle seems like the best fit for my life...... and many others

Unconciousness Is The Enemy

Submitted by FractalTetractys on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 14:11.

I'm glad a book like this has been written, although it really shouldn't have to have been. It's yet another cry for people to just wake up and think about the things they are doing and their consequences, rather than go by someone else's advice or adhering to some kind of blind dogma. Consumerism is an ethical minefield, and choices are never black and white. While some choose never to educate themselves (out of fear, maybe apathy?) there are others who do only limited research and then insist that THEY have the answer and YOU should do what they say. Both extremes are dangerous. I used to call myself a vegan too. Now, if someone asks me if I am a vegan, I tell them I eat what I eat. I will eat non-vegan food that's about to be thrown away or wasted. I will not eat vegan cream cheese or veggie burgers because those tend to be heavily processed and, more likely than not, genetically modified. I will eat raw (that is to say, unpasteurized) goat cheese that comes from a local Amish farm. And yes, I have a veggie garden and I hard-boil local organic free-range eggs for my cat. No single dietary restriction is going to help make this world a better place. So in that sense, I agree with the author. Having read the link though, and been particularly struck by her statement that her first bite of meat post-veganism was a step into adulthood, I fear that she is still caught in the trap of self-assuredness that leads one to believe they can re-educate the masses. I hope that I'm just jumping to conclusions, with the rest of the book vindicating her, but that kind of thinking is what really needs to be avoided.

"All things are possible once enough human beings realize that everything is at stake." -Norman Cousins

It's complicated

Submitted by brint on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 16:55.

I've been nearly vegan for 13 years. I only stray with occasional casseinated soy cheese and fish oil pills. I've been in a similar place, feeling like a naive, idealistic child for eschewing meat and dairy. I always come back to a few basic arguments that I can't refute: 1.) you gotta kill an animal to eat it - I'm not a roaming hunter on the African plains, so my meat will be offed by some organic farmer locally. I like seeing the cows at the petting zoo and don't think it's right to kill them. 2.) eggs and dairy aren't really that good for you. I stopped having sinus infections when I stopped cheese. Lots of science saying eggs aren't that good for you. I don't miss them, so why bother? 3.) I belong to a local CSA and buy organic from small suppliers as much as I can afford. How can I improve on that?

So even with all the complicated questions about what humans are supposed to eat and how ethical is this or that, I can't come up with a better plan than avoiding animal products whenever I can. I'll never read the book for various reasons, but I wonder what arguments the author could make that would sway me away from the path I'm on.

Perhaps Misunderstanding

Submitted by masonic43 on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 17:30.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the point of this article (and the book it references), but it seems like it's missing the point of vegetarianism/veganism.

As a vegetarian/vegan I'm not trying to save any particular species, but rather reduce, in my own small way, the impact of humans on the earth.

There is no real need to turn large amounts of protein in the form of plant matter into small amounts of protein in the form of meat and dairy products.

There is no real need to literally torture millions of animals in the service of producing that same meat and dairy protein.

And lastly, there is no real need to pollute large swaths of the earth with agrichemicals and animal wastes.

This, to me, is what being a vegetarian/vegan is about.

www.flickr.com/photos/21366765@N03

...

Submitted by Lucient on Fri, 06/12/2009 - 00:01.

vegetarianism will save the world...it is a corner stone, a key stone without which meat eaters are screwed. but beyond that..if you can't empathize for the hellish existence of factory animal production than you are a little ignorant. the real myth is that meat eaters or self proclaimed carnivores need plant based foods in their diets or they would live short medically complicated lives. See, we vegetarians can exist without meat, but you all can't exist without the plant kingdom. or is this above your head?

Agreed with FractalTetractys

Submitted by cacaomonster on Fri, 06/12/2009 - 08:43.

I have been vegan too for 5+ years now myself...do I feel I am contributing to a better world>? Perhaps, perhaps not...it seems to many become self-righteous and believe they can "Change the World"...you know...if that is your calling go for it! Some of us just can't stand to eat meat and couldn't care less if others do...in fact...they should if they feel they should...but then again...are the choosing>? Most likely not consciously...but who am I to say>? I'm not...but far to many think they should...round and round...when are people going to live and let live...funny shit this world we live in today...

My response to this:

Submitted by cacaomonster on Fri, 06/12/2009 - 08:49.

My response to this: Perhaps MisunderstandingSubmitted by masonic43 on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 15:30.Maybe I'm misunderstanding the point of this article (and the book it references), but it seems like it's missing the point of vegetarianism/veganism.As a vegetarian/vegan I'm not trying to save any particular species, but rather reduce, in my own small way, the impact of humans on the earth.There is no real need to turn large amounts of protein in the form of plant matter into small amounts of protein in the form of meat and dairy products.There is no real need to literally torture millions of animals in the service of producing that same meat and dairy protein.And lastly, there is no real need to pollute large swaths of the earth with agrichemicals and animal wastes.This, to me, is what being a vegetarian/vegan is about.THE EARTH IS GOING NO WHERE...WE ARE GOING SOMEWHERE THOUGH...THE EARTH WILL OUT LIVE US...SO THE IDEA THAT WE ARE SCARRING THE EARTH LESS WITH VEGANISM (AND I AM VEGAN) IS REALLY A FARSE...I MEAN, SURE IT COULD BE...BUT THE POINT IS THAT ARE LIVES WILL SUCK IF WE DON'T LIVE SUSTAINABLY...LEAVE THE EARTH OUT OF THIS...IT HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH OUR STUPID ASSES...WE ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE RUINED OUR OWN LIVES...LIVE ON OH MIGHTY EARTH!

Why kill?

Submitted by John Topp on Fri, 06/12/2009 - 11:21.

I generally eat vegan. Same as FractalTetractys said above, I will eat meat or dairy if it's going to waste. I sometimes eat meat if I'm at someone else's house and there's nothing else but I may stop doing that.

My view is, why kill an animal if it's not necessary? Further, why make an animal suffer? Out of sight, out of mind, is all it is. There is nothing "grown up" about eating meat, unless you are killing it yourself.

Plants probably do have a form of consciousness, so why is it ok to kill them? Well, a fruit, vegetable or nut is the product of a plant. It falls off the plant after a certain point and is either eaten or decomposes into the ground. The plant lives on.

I suppose in the case of grains, the plant is being killed. I can live with that. But if you can show me that the grain is suffering a whole lot, I'll stop.

Response To CocoaMonster

Submitted by masonic43 on Fri, 06/12/2009 - 17:10.

OK.

;>)

www.flickr.com/photos/21366765@N03

It's NOT complicated

Submitted by satyagrahi on Sun, 06/14/2009 - 01:02.

This article and book are giving misinformation, another example of a violent practice (like war) being "justified" by lies. To say vegetarianism is not sustainable and is upsetting the natural balance is ludicrous, the obvious truth is the opposite: the livestock industry being the leading source of water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, along with all of the scientific data showing the direct correlation between the human consumption of meat and dairy and various chronic illnesses... The real "myth" is the Meat Myth:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/shattering-the-meat-myth_b_2...

Also see:

http://colindonoghue.wordpress.com/2008/10/16/mother-earth-meat/

After gathering the facts, Veganism is clearly the best diet for human health, the environment and of course animals, books like this spreading more bunk science and confusion only delays that realization for the masses who dont look deeper into issues of importance like this themselves. Those that are continually looking for excuses for their acts of violence against helpless creatures will of course approve of books like this that reassure them that their unethical and inhumane behavior is "normal" and "natural"... Veganic agriculture is the only sane answer for humanity, as the science and ethical superiority of nonviolence continually demonstrate. For example, vegan body builders and Olympic Athletes, along with the superior nutrition and ecological impact garnered by veganic agriculture show the simple truth that, for reasons I cant understand, so many still wish to try and believe is a "complicated" issue. Nonviolence and sustainability are not complicated; propaganda that supports violent practices muddies the waters of clarity, impeding the progress and further evolution of mankind. Stop believing the B.S. that says we must be cruel and unnecessarily violent, if you have any interest in enlightenment or a better world. Our treatment of animals is like a karmic test, and too many are still failing on a daily basis.

Not all environments can support farming...

Submitted by Oly on Sun, 06/14/2009 - 03:09.

I don't understand all those Vegans dissing the article, the author IS Vegan and I find her admirable to write such a book and shake a bit the foundation underneath their feet. Because, I find Vegans admirable for what they're trying to do, but I find their view a bit warped when they think that we can have a sustainable future without using any form of animal products. For example, I live in Australia at the moment, and the farming industry here is totally retarded to say the least, the farmers here are trying to grow food like Europeans in a climate that's just too different. The crops need too much water and the top soil is pretty much none existent with a lot of minerals missing, such as zinc and magnesium if I remember correctly. The meat industry here is even more retarded, hoofed animals are not designed for the soil here, they get infections if they don't get treated properly and they ruin the top soil even more. Now let's look at the main source of potential food, Kangaroos. The aborigines have been eating them for over 30 000 years, now that aborigines have been colonized and their hunting practices have declined drastically, kangaroos are spreading like wild fire to the point that the government has to cull them by helicopter. What's even more retarded, a Kangaroo shot on crown land is illegal to be eaten, so every year thousands of kagaroos end up slaughtered and BURIED ! That's how stupid we've manage to become, we slaughter thousands of Kangaroos with prime meat which is the healthiest meat in THE WORLD and put it to waste, and instead grow some foreign animal and vegetation and pump them full of crap so that they can survive in this land. Even the Dalai Lama, when he last visited here commented on how the land here can't support a purely vegetarian diet and ask Australians to reconsider the way they handle Kangaroos. What people have to start realizing, is that we humans have to live very differently according to where we live, we can't just expect every one to live the same any time any where, we have to live according to the land and our immediate environment, and most often then not, animal products will need to be used. I'm not saying that we should start building slaughter houses for kangaroos in Australia, but you know, stop thinking that there's a universal solution that is going to apply for every kind of environment without using any form of animal products.

stop thinking there's a solution? stop thinking there isnt one!

Submitted by satyagrahi on Mon, 06/15/2009 - 00:32.

The "you cant grow food everywhere" argument doesn't hold up either: a) there is currently enough land (without taking more wildlife areas) to grow food for the entire human population b) land being used to grow the food for the animals that you are going to eat could otherwise be used to grow food for humans c) living in a place that is not hospitable for human survival does not justify violence for food consumption in such an area. It's like saying "I was in a desert, so I had no choice but to kill every animal I saw to survive." Well it's your choice to be living in a desert, and others shouldn't have to suffer for your unintelligent choice. Besides food can actually be grown in deserts, as shown here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sohI6vnWZmk

Dear Satyagrahi

Submitted by Oly on Mon, 06/15/2009 - 20:57.

You obviously misunderstood my statement. I never said there isn't a solution, I'm just saying that being Vegan isn't one. And yes, I know you can grow stuff in the dessert with permaculture techniques,Bill Molisen and David Holmgren are the pioneers of such techniques and the fathers of permaculture, and trust me, they are very far from being vegan.And I'm not saying that we should kill every animal on sight, quite the contrary, I'm saying that we should be more conscious about the animals we kill, because even if we all become vegan, animals are going to have to die whether you like it or not, it just needs to happen to have balance in nature. Because that's the imbalance it creates when you start turning deserts into lush food crops, the native animal population tends to multiply uncontrollably too. The problem right now is that we're killing billions of animals in slaughter houses and by culling, and we're only using slaughtered meat. I'm saying stop animal husbandry and slaughter houses and only consume animals that need to be culled, because as a meat eater myself, I barely eat meat. I'm mostly vegetarian and eat meat only on very special occasions, it is so high in nutrients you should really only eat it once a month.The problem I have with a lot of vegans is that they're too purist, which leads to narrow minds. Because the problem here is not what we eat but the relationship we have to nature, and I don't know if you noticed the trend of evolution, but the shamanic vibe is very popular in the new evolved networks, and shamanic practices are very far from being vegan. I'm not telling you to have meat you know, I'm just telling you to chill out on yourself a bit and it's okay to have some honey ;).

???

Submitted by shantialma on Tue, 06/16/2009 - 01:48.

Did anyone passionately arguing against the book, actually read it? . . .

TAKE A BREATH CHRIS THEY ARE JUST HUMAN

Submitted by Lucient on Fri, 06/19/2009 - 11:30.

food can't grow everywhere?..is that your arguments? as for the book: why would I read such trash, I just read the idiot who blogged it and thought it was good...I'll read people magazine in line at the grocery store before wasting my time with dumb stuff. If you would like a book list on the subject just ask..ok numb nuts I believe the vegetarian argument started long before this book and involves greater minds than the author..sorry. I know you all think any asshole who publishes something must be special...but I don't nor do well read people, nor do intellectuals. If you all don't want to see food..plant based or flesh based in a larger light than I can't help you think it through. grow up first and then the big bad vegans and vegetarians of the planet will spell it out if you still need assistance...otherwise I hope you choke to death on a chicken bone and your beef, bacon, and goose livers break you heart..but not kill you just leave you half stroked.... Oh I apologize.. because of my diet I'm supposed to be friendly, submissive, and docile..ok...you all got a hard lesson to learn and I won't teach it to you...because I don't teach monkeys. Evolved people enjoy an omnivorous existence... little douche bag meat cheerleaders like you are this annoying pest that stays around because they think they belong or will convince us that one day we'll see it there way....so funny so sad....and still the animals scream out and blood drains from there innocent corpses to feed another disgusting piece of shit human. I pray that the forms and types of ignorance presented by the finger pointing idiots here will die out and take a hike far away from this planet..there is simply not the room. What I like knowing is gnosis is a matter of time and when you all climb down off the thrones and realize the thrones are for enlightened minds only and you are just a piece of meat who accidentally thought you deserved a throne you are going to know just how dumb you are. We are laughing at you out of hatred for your existence. swallow that cum you filthy wannabe know it all meat eaters. It has the antidote or just wait until we metaphorically stone you to death with baseball sized rocks in all intellectual arenas.

Wow...

Submitted by Oly on Sun, 06/21/2009 - 21:58.

So much anger... You see, the anger you just portrayed in your post is actually the real problem here... The Kymatica doco sheds a lot a light on such behavior, I highly advise it for you. Hopefully one day you will understand that death is not the problem, but suffering and anger. Life has always and always will be consumed by life, this is the oroborus, DNA, the cosmic serpent eating itself, this is the true state of harmony. I'de like to see you tell a native american indian that he's a peice of shit human being for killing buffaloes, bears and dears. Until you've done that, come back and talk to me.Have fun. xoxo ;).

A Biodynamic Perspective

Submitted by Christy Korrow on Sun, 06/28/2009 - 10:19.

I do believe we will eventually evolve out of the need to eat meat, I was once told by Hugh Courtney, who runs the Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics that “biodynamic farmers will be the last people to stop eating meat,” because their lives are so intertwined with the cow. But, our soils are now so depleted of both nutrients and life forces that it is utterly impossible to rebuild them without animal manures, therefore it seems natural that a sector of our population will continue to eat meat. Making an immediate conversion to widespread vegetarianism is unlikely and also not yet sustainable. (Building soil through only cover-cropping would take 15 -20 years). <p>

But, ostensibly, as people evolve, we will eat less and less meat, and more of that meat will be raised on small scale farms, where animals and vegetable crops are once again integrated, so that there are only enough animals raised needed to produce compost to raise the vegetables on that farm/ In time, more and more people will decrease their meat consumption, and perhaps eat only eggs and raw milk, still maintaining a domestic animal population. <p>

My own experience is that when we were farming full time for over 15 years, I expended a lot of energy, and ate a lot more meat. Now that I am in publishing full-time, I notice my body does not require as much meat, and I am eating a much lighter, raw food based diet. So, there is ot only the environmental impacts to keep in mind, but we can also ask how what we eat affect our consciousness, and does it support what are we trying to create in the world?

<p>

And also, in the realm of consciousness studies, there is much judgment, Rudolf Steiner, emphasized that is was important not to become fanatical when it came to diet. He said that he was a vegetarian, that indeed he needed to be in order to do the spiritual research, but was once reputed to order a steak in a restaurant to make this point. He gave many teachings on the results of dietary choices, but was clear that it was an individual choice, depending on where that person was in their own evolution and did not prescribe a “diet” that is right for everyone.

The World Peace Diet

Submitted by Breeze on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 23:38.

I work with Dr. Will Tuttle, the author of the book, The World Peace Diet, on his blog:

http://www.worldpeacediet.com

The book is available for free download pdf and/or audio. The message is quite contrary to the myth the author mentioned above tries to bring. Lots of truth in it.

Enjoy. http://www.worldpeacediet.com/book.html

myth of the vegetarian myth

Submitted by carolyn_z on Tue, 07/27/2010 - 15:56.

I want to point out that there is an abundance of misinformation and poor research in this book. If you are going to read this book, no matter what your food ideology is, please take it with a grain of salt. My friends and I were actually moved to create a whole blog about this because, upon looking into Keith's strange claims and examining her references and her interpretations of her references, we couldn't believe this book was even published. (And yes, we actually read it.) Then again, it was published by Derrick Jensen, Keith's guru, on his Flashpoint Press... and he has blurbed himself on the cover saying "This book saved my life." Keith is not a nutritionist, doctor, or scientist, yet this book makes sweeping claims on nutrition, health, and history. Less than 8 percent of her resources are first hand, peer-reviewed articles. Many of her resources are websites, including Wikipedia. Many of her resources-- 80 percent of them in the "health" section-- are third and fourth hand resources from fad diet books. Here's our blog if you want more info: http://www.vegetarianmythmyth.wordpress.com there's also and http://www.vegetarianmyth.com Do what you want, but please be critical thinkers!!!! Not everybody who published a book necessarily knows what they are talking about.

the vegetarian myth

Submitted by rawfoodbooks on Tue, 12/14/2010 - 08:03.

Sorry Jennifer, but I totally don't agree with this all. Personally I allways advice people to turn to a raw food diet to get more energy and fun in life. Raw food books can inspire people to start eating the healthy way.