Jonathan Safran Foer's Controversial New Book, "Eating Animals

[spiritual_gunfighter]

The Most Important Conversation in Our Lifetimes Might Just Begin with Jonathan Safran Foer's Latest Book



Over the next weeks Huffington Post will feature a diverse range of responses to Jonathan Safran Foer's controversial new work of non-fiction, Eating Animals. But these aren't your usual book reviews. They are the start of a conversation that some powerful people in agribusiness would rather we not have.

Imagine that tomorrow scientists report that a single action, something that most of us do every day, was discovered to be the leading human cause of global warming. And one of the top two or three causes of every other major environmental problem at the local and global level. Even more, this same action appears to have been a decisive factor in the development of the H1N1 "swine flu" and continues to stimulate the growth of pathogens resistant to antimicrobial drugs. Imagine further that this action causes billions of farmed animals annually to suffer in ways that virtually all Americans say should be illegal. And, finally, that this action has lead to the decimation of American farm communities from North Carolina to central California.

This is real. It is happening. And all these facts about the effects of eating factory farmed animals are thoroughly documented in Foer's new book.



Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aaron-gross/jonathan-safran-foers-con_b_333698.html

[Madrone]

1. Thank you so much!

I hadn't heard of this book, and I am SO buying it.

[Madrone]

2. ordered from amazon -

KICKED for conversation.

[yewberry]

3. Eek.

This is actually a very difficult topic for many people. Discussions of the environmental impact of the standard American diet are frequently pooh-poohed here at DU, and there are people who simply dismiss the topic out of hand.

Any mention of the subject is considered evangelizing, and invariably every thread ends up with accusations of "food nazis" and "Mmmm bacon" posts.

Good luck with this. I applaud the effort.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

4. Agreed

This topic is dismissed out of hand for the most part when brought up on DU. This is something each of us can do at the very least from an environmental standpoint that would make such a huge difference and I always thought progressives were all about helping to save the environment.

It is disappointing when people make snarky comments about eating meat (more than likely which came from a factory farm), just because you aren't a vegetarian or vegan doesn't mean you should shit all over something someone else feels strongly about and is making a difference not only in the lives of animals but the environment as well.

[jgraz]

5. Imagine if his book was titled "Having Children"

Which is really the human activity most responsible for global warming.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

6. You should write it

And spearhead the movement against all humans reproducing.

[Bluenorthwest]

7. He's part way there

At least he knows the problems lie in methodology. What he needs to comprehend next is that which the Vegan and Vegetarian groups do not like to face, which is that all Industrialized farming is destructive to the environment. This means vegetables and fruits and grains as well as meat. I'm no more interested in destroying the rain forests for OJ than I am for a T Bone. Factory farms are bad, no matter what the product.
And of course the real problem is overpopulation. But that is a taboo subject.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

8. Overpopulation is the problem

I fully agree with that, I think the author (although I haven't read the book yet) is trying to combat a problem which is the managable problem, factory farms. I also agree that all industrialized farming is destructive, I think the author is trying to choose his battles so he is going after factory farms. I dont know if you are going to stop overpopulation and all industrialzed farming, but the destructive practices of factory farms may be a managable problem if we as consumers demand non factory farms meats.

I am a vegan so I have my own opinions on the consumption of animal products. But from what I have read the author isn't going after that exclusively. You aren't going to convince the public at large to go vegan or veggie. But you may convince them that factory farming is cruel to animals and cruel to the enviroment.

[Johonny]

9. nice response