5.5.09

TFPO column: veganism isn't just a luxury

Since re-reading a past post on my concept of baseline veganism, I've been thinking about whether or not honey fits into the vegan jurisdiction or not. I've heard the bees are killed in the process of getting to the honey. I've also come across arguments that say, in effect, that bees are animals enslaved for the purposes of manufacturing honey. Since vegans are opposed to animal exploitation, it logically follows that we must consider a verboten animal product.

But while that particular debate goes on, this week's TFPO column takes on the broader issue of veganism and what I call survival logic.

Veganism Isn't Just a Column

And don't forget to check out the new fashion blog I'm writing with Aqua Catlin, The Fashionoclast.

2 comments:

Nick said...

Nice column. Starting with the honey thing, I've heard the practice of killing bees doesn't happen anymore (it's not practical to kill your income source). If you're going based the enslavement side then yes it would against veganism, if you consider bees an animal.
I truly think that any 'idealism' is ridiculous. Going by your article I agree with you. Being practical makes sense. Trying to stick within some strict guidelines just turns you into a preacher. No one likes to be preached at. It’s only been in recent years that the all consuming idea of eating large quantities of meat has happened. Meat used to be a luxury item or a sustaining food (normally off cuts and awful because the average person couldn’t afford the good ones) in the winter when veggies weren’t readily available.
What needs to happen, if you really want to get into it, is the idea of the backyard farm, where possible. A community garden is the other. It means you have ready available herbs and veggies for you to eat as fresh as possible and with minimal environmental impact. In winter climates you can look into mini greenhouses etc.

Frederik Sisa said...

I think you hit the nail right on the head with the community garden, backyard farm, mini-greenhouses. It means localizing food production, which in turn can lead to more environmentally sustainable practices. Globalization, despite some benefits, has also created such an interdependent system that we are losing the ability to be self-sufficient.