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A review by treyhunner
Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism, 10th Anniversary Edition by Melanie Joy
5.0
Friend: please read this. It will challenge the way you think about the world you live in and yourself as a consumer and it will be a difficult read, but I think you'll grow because of this.
While reading you'll likely feel outrage and disgust but you'll also probably find yourself defending some of your buying decisions with rationalizations... I know I did (even as a near-vegetarian as of this reading).
I've been slowly consuming fewer livestock-based products since 2020.
I really enjoy meat and I definitely don't feel disgust by it. I'm not disgusted by frog legs, chicken feat, raw fish, snails, elk, quail, bear meat, etc. Emotionally, I'm invested in carnism. Emotionally, I'd like to eat all the meats. I'd even love to try the ones you're not supposed to like.
But a few years ago I realized that the enjoyment I get from each calorie of various meats likely wasn't anywhere near high enough to outweighing the suffering my purchasing decisions likely caused for that same calorie. So I started cutting back, starting with the most impactful per calorie: chicken.
I hope I will be able to eat an affordable and delicious lab-grown steak during my life. Until then, I've grown a greater appreciation for legumes, grains, and various vegetables... as well as spices, sauces, and meat substitutes. I don't think I've lost much enjoyment, though I do miss a good bowl of pho sometimes. There's no vegetarian equivalent to beef brisket or tendon.
If you're moved by data, as I am, and aren't sure which of your eating behaviors you might want to consider more consciously first, see the various sub-articles and the charts of the animal welfare page on Our World in Data: https://ourworldindata.org/animal-welfare
And don't let this book depress you so much that you give up trying to be a better consumer. Sometimes a small change in your behavior can result in a pretty big difference in your overall impact.
While reading you'll likely feel outrage and disgust but you'll also probably find yourself defending some of your buying decisions with rationalizations... I know I did (even as a near-vegetarian as of this reading).
I've been slowly consuming fewer livestock-based products since 2020.
I really enjoy meat and I definitely don't feel disgust by it. I'm not disgusted by frog legs, chicken feat, raw fish, snails, elk, quail, bear meat, etc. Emotionally, I'm invested in carnism. Emotionally, I'd like to eat all the meats. I'd even love to try the ones you're not supposed to like.
But a few years ago I realized that the enjoyment I get from each calorie of various meats likely wasn't anywhere near high enough to outweighing the suffering my purchasing decisions likely caused for that same calorie. So I started cutting back, starting with the most impactful per calorie: chicken.
I hope I will be able to eat an affordable and delicious lab-grown steak during my life. Until then, I've grown a greater appreciation for legumes, grains, and various vegetables... as well as spices, sauces, and meat substitutes. I don't think I've lost much enjoyment, though I do miss a good bowl of pho sometimes. There's no vegetarian equivalent to beef brisket or tendon.
If you're moved by data, as I am, and aren't sure which of your eating behaviors you might want to consider more consciously first, see the various sub-articles and the charts of the animal welfare page on Our World in Data: https://ourworldindata.org/animal-welfare
And don't let this book depress you so much that you give up trying to be a better consumer. Sometimes a small change in your behavior can result in a pretty big difference in your overall impact.