Pesco-vegetarianism

I've been presented with a lot of questions since I became a "pescetarian" (I eat fish, but no other animals) in October. Namely, why? I've explained here the basics, but let's go into a little detail, shall we?

1. They're animals. You wouldn't eat a cat or dog, so why a cow? Because it's not as cute? Society tells you it's okay to eat a cow, so you do. Yes, nutritionally there is some value (though red meat does more harm than good), but if you were a good source of nutrients (which you probably are), I still wouldn't eat you. I promise. I don't think killing one being to feed another is right. I hear the argument often that we have canine teeth, and eating animals is natural. First of all, I don't think that everything that occurs in nature is right. Second, there's a difference between killing animals to eat them, and raising animals specifically to feed your hunger. If I were going to eat meat again, it would be minimal, and free-range only.

2. They're treated horribly, even before we slaughter them. Look into how chickens are treated on farms. If it doesn't make you sick, you're probably not really thinking about it. To answer inevitable questions, I only eat free-range eggs.

3. Global warming. If you're going to try to tell me it's a hoax, stop reading and punch yourself in the face for me. We know that our transportation contributes greatly. Raising cows contributes more. Roughly 18% of the global warming effect comes from the methane and nitrous oxides emitted by manure. In other words, one way to help stop global warming is to never go anywhere unless you're walking, skateboarding, biking, etc. An easier and more effective way is to cut meat from your diet.

4. Here's the biggest one for me. Meat is an extremely inefficient food source. Animals raised for food do not graze on grass, they are given feed: grains grown specifically for these cows, pigs, etc. The amount of calories in the grain used to feed these animals greatly exceeds the value of their meat. In other words, if we used all of the grain we grow for farm animals to feed humans, we could feed tons more people. In addition, these grains are less expensive than meat, so even more people could afford to eat. I hear the argument frequently that there are a million farms in the Midwest; that there can't be a shortage of land and resources. Many of the crops you seen grown in Iowa are not for you to eat: they're animal feed. All of that land is dedicated to feeding an animal you're just going to slaughter and eat later. Feed, kill, eat, repeat.

I'm frequently asked why I still eat fish. Honestly, part if it is because when I first gave up meat I gave up fish as well, and got pretty sick because I wasn't getting a lot of the nutrients I need. Here's why I think it's okay to eat fish (though if I thought I could give it up I would, and still might someday):

- One argument is that fish can't feel pain. I don't believe this, but I do think that they way fish are caught (and sometimes raised) is more ethical than the way other animals are treated.

-Many fish are not farm-raised, and those that are must be treated fairly well or else they would not be safe to eat.

-Raising fish does not contribute to global warming, nor does it require the use of nearly as many resources as raising cows and pigs.

I'm sure there's more to say here, but that's all I've got for today. Peace, love, and harmony.