Reading for Treasure: Eat Less Meat

Reading for Treasure is my list of articles (and other readings) that are worth your attention. Click here for an introduction!

I have been a vegetarian for almost twenty-five years. There are many reasons to eat less meat: health, environment, economics, ethics. Here are some articles that may help you understand the issues about reducing how much meat, chicken, pork, or fish you consume and how that choice might benefit all of us. 

From Inverse: “U.S. Meat Eaters Should Consider This Study Before Their Next Grocery Run” “Research shows nutrition is a major component of reducing our risks of chronic disease and premature death. Sulfur amino acids are naturally more prevalent in meat than vegetables, so switching to plant-based protein sources like whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds, and eating recommended daily intakes of sulfur amino acids, could make it less likely that you will develop heart disease or diabetes in future.”

From Lifehacker: “How to Become a Vegetarian (or Eat Less Meat)”  “You don’t need me to tell you that industrial meat production is an enormous contributor to global warming (and climate denialism) or that meat processing corporations are almost cartoonishly evil in their exploitation of an underpaid, often undocumented workforce. The facts are out there for the whole world to see, which is probably why more people are choosing to eat less meat.”

From CNN: “One of the world's top restaurants is ditching meat. Here's what could go wrong” “It might seem like the perfect time to get people on board with an all-vegan menu. Plant-based proteins are as popular as ever. Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat (BYND), which sell alternatives to meat designed to look, taste, and cook like the real thing, have expanded massively in grocery stores and struck major deals with big food companies and restaurant chains. Last month, the food site Epicurious said it would stop publishing beef recipes, noting that production of the meat emits harmful greenhouse gases.”

From Inverse: “A Controversial Diet Change Could Reduce Air Pollution and Save Lives” “New research implicates air pollution caused by agriculture production in the premature deaths of 17,900 Americans. This air pollution is linked to both ammonia and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). These findings were published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.There are solutions that could curb air pollution deaths significantly, the study team says. These include eating a more plant-based diet.”

From The Atlantic: “The Economic Case for Worldwide Vegetarianism” “In a study published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Marco Springmann and his colleagues at the University of Oxford conservatively estimate that if people continue to follow current trends of meat consumption, rather than shifting to a more balanced or plant-based diet, it could cost the U.S. between $197 billion and $289 billion each year—and the global economy up to $1.6 trillion—by 2050.”

I am currently reading Artificial Condition by Martha Wells.

Are We Still In Danger?

I am wearing a watch again. I haven’t worn my watch since the middle of February last year when it stopped working. Sometime in the fall of 2021, I got it fixed. I still didn’t wear it. 

I always carried a pen in my pocket. Since I was a high school English teacher, I was constantly writing. I continued this habit into retirement, but like the watch, I didn’t wear it when I no longer left the house. 

Since my second vaccine shot, I have adopted both habits again. Part of the reason is practical: I am going out more. I would prefer my own pen when I sign something. My Sunday school class moved from Zoom to meeting distantly in a park and checking my watch was far better than looking at my phone. 

But it is more than that. After fifteen months, I got a haircut. I went into a grocery store for the first time. I am starting to do things I did before COVID, albeit with much more trepidation and anxiety.  

Recently, when traveling to a nearby city to move my son, my family and I ate inside a restaurant. I felt anxious despite the fact that our table was far from all but one other table and there was a Plexiglas barrier separating us. I felt like I was doing something dangerous. 

Later, standing in line in a grocery store, I stood behind two older women whose masks were well below their noses. People were not distant, but our carts were almost six feet, right? I let them move ahead and tried to leave lots of space between us, which is difficult to do in a busy supermarket. 

On the drive home, after I filled up the car, I went into the gas station minimart and used the bathroom. I wore my KN95 mask as I rushed in and, as I was hurrying through my business, I thought, “I am not in danger here.” I slowed down. 

The mindset that going out could endanger my health and the wellbeing of those I love is overpowering. My worry about the welfare of my family whom I don’t see daily has been one of the greatest stressors of the pandemic. After my parents received their vaccination, my anxiety decreased significantly, especially when we learned it was safe to be inside with them! When my children, my wife, and I were vaccinated, I was surprised that my worries didn’t decrease as much as I thought they would. 

I want to let go of the heavy worries now that my entire family is vaccinated, but the habit has become well ingrained. I am concerned that we, as a country, are not yet ready to drop the precautions. I foresee more issues ahead. Is it too soon to let my guard down? Is that my anxiety speaking or am I just being prudent? Are we in danger here? 

I am not sure. The pandemic is not over simply because I have more freedom of movement. There are significant challenges here and abroad that could bring us right back to lockdown. 

But I am wearing a watch and pen again. Now, the CDC says I do not need to wear a mask much of the time and I am struggling with that. When I go into a building, I still wear a mask and I try to be quick. I am leery and timid at the same time I am excited and relieved. 

What will it take for the pandemic to feel over? What needs to happen so that I feel confident enough to take off the mask and linger in front of the card section at the store? After more than a year of sheltering, when will I feel like I no longer need to take special precautions? 

Not yet. 

We Are The Children’s Vaccine: Get Vaccinated!

While almost all people over the age of sixteen are eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine for free, children will have to wait for safety studies to be completed. It is expected that the Pfizer vaccine may be approved for kids as young as twelve in the next month or two – or three or more. 

But what about the little ones? When will they be protected? The truth is we don’t know and it may not be soon. Some children have had significant complications from COVID and we are still figuring out how the variants might affect them.  How do we protect this vulnerable and precious population? 

The answer is that we bring down the infection rate by being vaccinated. We are their vaccine. 

Why should that matter to you? First, because you are a good person who wants to take care of those who are unable to protect themselves. Second, because it will help all of us get our world back to normal. Think of it this way: if kids are spreading COVID, which it appears is the case in the post-vaccination world, then keeping schools functioning is in danger. Should schools close, much of our economy closes, too. Your job and the people with whom you work might be significantly affected. Do you want to go back to the dark winter inside? 

Another reason to get vaccinated is to fight against variants of the virus. There are several mutant versions of COVID-19 and some of them appear to now be the dominant strain. These versions are far more contagious and can cause more harm – even to younger people. The more of us who are vaccinated, the less opportunity for this kind of mutation and the less chance one of these variants will attack the population that is least protected: children! 

Are you worried about side effects? The odds and consequences of NOT getting the vaccine are far more severe both to you and to the community than the issues associated with any vaccine. While there may be a very small group who are super sensitive to vaccines, most of us will have a sore arm and perhaps a day or two of mild discomfort. That’s preferable to a stay in the hospital and an appointment with a ventilator - and a small price to pay for the child next door, your co-worker’s kids, or grandkids and to fight against a bigger and badder bug being bred because people won’t get vaccinated. 

One of my favorite articles about the flu vaccine has a harsh headline: “Hey Asshole, the Flu Shot Isn’t About You.” The main gist of the article is that you, “’…get immunized to protect those who can’t protect themselves.’”

The article emphasizes the number of people who die each year from the flu. Similarly,  by getting vaccinated against COVID-19, you are helping to protect those who cannot yet be vaccinated! You are doing your part to reduce the chance that COVID will come knocking on your door, their door, or to someone you love. 

Getting an appointment to be vaccinated is increasingly more convenient. Many places are taking walk-ins. Call your public health department. Call your town, city, or village. You don’t need a computer to make an appointment; you just need the desire to protect yourself and the people around you. Questions? Not so sure? Call your doctor. Your doctor knows you and will be able to address your concerns. 

Getting the vaccine is like sharing your umbrella. It is a way to help the kids in your community, your friend’s children and grandchildren, and those who are not able to get the vaccine. The price is minimal and the payoff is priceless. Everyone benefits from your good deed. 

Go get vaccinated – now!