Asia-Pacific Features
Chinese urged to welcome pig year by becoming vegetarians
By Ruth Youngblood Feb 13, 2007, 9:03 GMT
Singapore - Forget about those tempting pork dishes traditionally consumed to welcome the Chinese New Year.
Adopt a 'healthy, humane vegetarian diet' instead.
That advice comes from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as Chinese around the world prepare to usher in the new year under the zodiac sign of the pig starting February 18.
'Treat pigs with kindness and respect,' the group said in predominantly Chinese Singapore where streets are lined with posters depicting chubby pigs and piglets and similar adornments went up in stores as soon as the Christmas decorations came down.
'Pigs are highly intelligent, sensitive and, contrary to common misconceptions, very clean animals who don't deserve to be abused, slaughtered and eaten.
'Many Chinese are not aware of just how smart pigs are,' said Coco Yu, a PETA spokeswoman. 'We're hoping many will curb their appetite for pork once they realize' all the positive attributes of the animal, contrary to misconceptions.
PETA cited the findings of experts.
Among them is Dr Sarah Boysen at Pennsylvania State University. She said pigs are much smarter than dogs and 'able to focus with an intensity I have never seen in a chimp.'
Scientists at the University of Illinois found that pigs can learn to turn on the heat in a cold barn and off again when they become too warm.
They communicate with one another as well. More than 20 of their oinks, grunts and squeals have been identified as applicable to different situations, from wooing to expressing hunger.
Despite their reputation as dirty, pigs are actually very clean animals. Pigs don't 'sweat like pigs,' according to the list of revelations. They are actually unable to sweat.
Pigs enjoy bathing in water or mud to keep cool.
Attributes such as an acute sense of direction, heroism and gentleness were also highlighted.
Leading firefighters to a barn shed to save a calf was among piggy feats mentioned along with chasing away intruders.
The link between the consumption of pork and other meats to heart disease, strokes, diabetes, obesity and several types of cancer was stressed.
'Going vegetarian is the best way for Chinese people to make sure they'll be ringing in many more New Years to come,' Yu said.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
Oh shut up. Have you got any idea how much vegetarians are curbing animal abuse and global warming? Animals suffer intensely for meat, and kudos to PETA for getting the word out.
If you have the balls to do so, watch the video at meat.org and tell me if your still craving your pork chops and chicken wings.
Also check out GoVeg.com for free information and recipes.
Meat-eating is a moral issue. It is not like a subjective food choice where you prefer salt and I prefer no salt. Like other moral issues, e.g., killing,
stealing, capital punishment, abortion, polluting the environment -- meat-eating is not simply a matter of taste or opinion.
AND ON GLOBAL WARMING: Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor of the Independent says: http://tinyurl.com/vlg4g 'Meet the world's top destroyer of the environment. It is not the car, or the plane,or even George Bush: it is the cow.'
[Begin quote]
A United Nations report has identified the world's rapidly growing herds of
cattle as the greatest threat to the climate, forests and wildlife. And they
are blamed for a host of other environmental crimes, from acid rain to the
introduction of alien species, from producing deserts to creating dead zones
in the oceans, from poisoning rivers and drinking water to destroying coral
reefs.
The 400-page report by the Food and Agricultural Organisation, entitled
Livestock's Long Shadow, also surveys the damage done by sheep, chickens,
pigs and goats. But in almost every case, the world's 1.5 billion cattle are
most to blame. Livestock are responsible for 18 per cent of the greenhouse
gases that cause global warming, more than cars, planes and all other forms
of transport put together. [End quote].
The authors of the UN report say the demand for meat is expected to more
than double by 2050 and therefore the environmental impact of production
must be halved in order to avoid worsening the harmful impacts of the
industry. Livestock requires a lot of land, occupying 26% of Earth's
ice-free land. Their pastures account for 70% of deforested areas in the
Amazon, and their feed occupies one-third of global cropland.
Meat-eating needs to be reduced, if not entirely eliminated if we are to
combat both bird-flu and global warming. The problem is that corporate
factory farms don't want anyone to know the truth because it would
drastically impact their bottom lines.
Here's the full UN report:
http://www.virtualcentre.org/en/library/key_pub/longshad/A0701E00.pdf
page: 1
vegetarians are evil!Feb 14th, 2007 - 00:16:14
Vegetarians are evil!
They are on a crusade to stop people from enjoying dietary choice!
http://www.vegetariansareevil.com
Vegetarians are often irritable and aggressive folks... vegans, especially so.
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