r/Anticonsumption • u/effortDee • Dec 04 '23

David Attenborough has just asked everyone to go plant based on Planet Earth III Environment

Attenborough "if we shift away from eating meat and dairy and move towards a plant based diet then the suns energy goes directly in to growing our food.

and because that is so much more efficient we could still produce enough to feed us, but do so using just a quarter of the land.

This could free up the area the size of the United States, China, EU and Australia combined.

space that could be given back to nature."

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u/[deleted] Dec 04 '23 edited Jun 18 '24

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u/implette Dec 04 '23

As of May 2023 he hasn't changed, and I don't reckon he ever will.

https://goplantbased.me/articles/is-david-attenborough-vegan

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u/[deleted] Dec 04 '23 edited Jun 18 '24

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u/sunset223 Dec 04 '23

it is easy and does not take a long time. Stop making excuses

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u/CheesecakeExpress Dec 04 '23

Becoming vegan isn’t easy. I say this as a vegetarian of over 31 years.

Besides he’s not saying everyone needs to be vegan, just that a move towards plant based would make a big difference.

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u/sunset223 Dec 04 '23

we're talking about today and not 30 years ago. You have all the resources to become vegan from today on.

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u/CheesecakeExpress Dec 04 '23

What I mean is that even as somebody who hasn’t eaten meat for 31 years, becoming vegan isn’t easy. So we can’t expect meat eaters to find it easy like you suggest it is.

I’m not saying being vegan isn’t doable, clearly it is. But it isn’t easy and is a big commitment for most people. If most people ate plant based say 4 times a week that would be more realistic to achieve and yet would have a big impact.

Demanding people become vegan because it’s ’easy’ and they’re ’making excuses’ if they don’t is counterproductive. Something is better than nothing.

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u/sunset223 Dec 04 '23

Something is better that nothing, yes. But something is worse that than the right thing. You want wife beaters to hit their wives only once a week?

I believe that animals shouldn't experience suffering by our hands. You understand that me agreeing to compromises would be hypocritical?

I've never met anyone that is flexitarian oder "reduces their meat" that actually cares or has completely phased out animal products of their diet. In my experience it is an excuse to not feel as bad about yourself.

Since this topic has been brought up in an environmentalist position and not in an ethical I can agree that it may be harder to change your habits with this purpose in mind. After discussing the ethics of animal products and the industry it may come a lot easier to most.

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u/CheesecakeExpress Dec 04 '23

I agree, most flexitarians aren’t doing it for animal welfare purposes. I also agree that animals shouldn’t experience suffering, which is why I’ve been a vegetarian since I was about 7.

However, when it comes to an impact on the environment I think it is a case of something is better than nothing. If all the meat eaters believe they have to become vegan for changes to happen I daresay the take up would be minimal. If they only have to cut out meat 3 or 4 times a week it’s much easier for them to get on board. Of course, you’re right, veganism would have the best impact but it’s just so unlikely to happen for the majority of people.

Your comment re discussing the ethics is interesting. I wish people were more educated about this. I find a lot of people are very far removed from the meat products they buy and where they come from. They can handle it because it’s neat, sanitised packets in the supermarket. I think if you’re going to eat meat you should go and actively be involved in the slaughter of an animal for food one time. I bet if more people did that, people would be more conscious of the meat they eat.

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u/sunset223 Dec 04 '23

> I also agree that animals shouldn’t experience suffering, which is why I’ve been a vegetarian since I was about 7.

​

I can't really agree with you on that but on your other points I do, eventhough it doesn't satisfy me.

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u/NoTurkeyTWYJYFM Dec 04 '23

I think it depends a lot on who you are. I found it very easy personally, and attenborough definitely has more resources and money than either of us to do it, and my biggest motivator (the environment + ethics) is his entire life's work. So I do find it puzzling that he hasn't done it and I put it down to a lifetime of habit more than anything. He's 97, the fact he's even in the public is remarkable and he's probably scared to literally die by making such a big change at this point

But yes I do agree something is better than nothing, I am just sad he doesn't make the change and do so very publically to really spur people on

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u/CheesecakeExpress Dec 04 '23

Fair play to you for finding it easy! For me it wasn’t the food so much but having to be super strict about non food items like leather etc. I do try and keep these to a minimum (and buy second hand rather than new if I have to).

With food I can eat vegan pretty easily but do find it harder to get protein without eggs and yogurt. I just try and limit how much I eat and try to buy high welfare dairy and eggs. I don’t eat them all the time and I’d say 80% of what I eat is vegan.

Agree that him cutting out meat would make a strong statement. I do, unfortunately, think it would have little impact though. The climate benefits of not eating meat are widely known at this point yet people still insist on doing it.

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u/[deleted] Dec 04 '23

It isn't. I love eating meat.. I have cut down my consumption over the past few years by over 50% over the last 5 years. but I still get tempted once in a while for a few of my favorite dishes and do consume it. I would willingly shift to a lab grown alternate if it is affordable but until then I do give in to my temptations. If giving up on temptations and cravings are easy then you would have a minor chunk of people who are into meat eating not the majority of the world's population.

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u/sunset223 Dec 04 '23

You think the only reason people eat meat are because of the addictive nature of it? Please, we both know that tradition and availability is why people eat it. They have since they were little children.

When you get older you are able to make the choices deliberately though. I know this is a consumerism sub but once you think about the ethics of your food choices you will have to come to the conclusion that it is the right thing to do.

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u/[deleted] Dec 04 '23

Tradition and availability leads to liking something. That leads to wanting it, we tend to find normalcy in such things.

When you can make a choice deliberately as you grow older you also stick to things which comfort you, which excite you, which make you happy.

Yes the ethics of the food choice is something which is making me cut down on it. I wish it overweighs my liking and comfort I get through eating it, it has not. I try on a daily basis but I am not a perfect human and can't look at things in a binary manner. Hence the difficulty.

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u/sunset223 Dec 04 '23

judging from you comment you already seem to have an idea what you should be doing. That's good.

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u/[deleted] Dec 04 '23

I hope so and that's exactly my initial point on why it is difficult to quit cold turkey. I am not the only unique one to have this dilemma. A lot of them go through this journey hopefully ending with a completely plant based diet, so calling someone spreading this message hypocritical while they are trying is not the way to go about it.

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u/sunset223 Dec 04 '23

Just my experience from a lot of people using it as an excuse since they just want to do the minimal to not be labeled a bad person