Do mermaids really care for the environment?

[Delie]

Hi everyone!
I saw recently the movie called "Cowspiracy: The sustainibility secret", and so I want to ask you, if you eat meat, or are vegetarians/vegans/raw foodists and so on...
I am very curious to know if swimming in tail made you think about food differently and affected what is on your plate now!

Have a great day and thanks for the answers!

[Mer-Crazy]

Not at all haha. If anything I'm eating MORE fish now that I do mermaiding. Personally I've never really been that conscious of what I eat. I mean I try and eat as healthy as the next person but I'm not one of those people who treat their bodies like temples and have perfect diets.

[SeaGlass Siren]

I watch what I dump into my sink and what I throw out because it'll probably end up in your body. I occasionally watch what I eat.

[Mermaid Sirenia]

I'm Pescetarian but I do not eat crab or lobster, I just don't like how the majority of them are dumped in boiling water alive, plus I think they're cute haha. I eat very little meat, only from time to time I'll eat seafood :)

[Merman Dan]

I used to enjoy an annual craving for conch fritters. However, per the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (http://www.seafoodwatch.org), conch is not a sustainable source of seafood. So, when the craving hits again I will be ordering farm-raised abalone (http://montereyabalone.com/index.htm) from California as a substitute. I have also donated to Community Conch (http://www.communityconch.org) and BREEF (https://breef.org/) (Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation).

Yes, I could eat seafood every day and enjoy seaweed and sushi. Oddly enough, I dislike the taste of freshwater fish.

[Delie]

I can see that many of you eat fish and seafood. I don't mean to criticize or something, but it feels weird to me to swim in the ocean with a tail and being one with the ocean, and still eat the creatures that live there... (But it is really choice of every one of you, don't take it as me being rude and telling you what to eat! ;) )
I was just wondering if someone feels it like me :D

I was eating meat for 23 years now, but as soon as I found out there is this comunity and was searching more about swimming in tail, I started to watch more documentaries about our environment and the production of meat and food we eat. (Did you know that the meat industry makes more pollution than all public transport combined?)
I don't eat meat for 3weeks now (I know, not a long time, but still...) and I am thinking about eating more raw food and less dairy products. I live in Czech Republic, which means if you want seafood, you have to buy it frozen and it doesn't taste so good. I understand that if you live by the sea, there is a large market for you to buy fresh seafood.

But I still wonder if someone feels like being a mermaid comes with not eating meat and seafood???

[Merman Dan]

But I still wonder if someone feels like being a mermaid comes with not eating meat and seafood???

This has been discussed a time or two, here. If one thinks of mermaids as in Disney's "The Little Mermaid", where the fish and crustaceans talk, sing, and dance then yes eating Flounder or Sebastian might seem strange. But if one thinks of nature, then yes fish in the ocean eat a heck of a lot of seafood! :)

I once went an entire year without red meat or alcohol, just to prove a point and to see what would happen. The day after that year was over I went out for a beer and a cheeseburger. Best. Meal. EVER!

[Delie]

I am new here so I apologize for not knowing about this topic being discussed, hope you all don't mind! :D

Thank you, Merman Dan, for your response! I really had to smile because I can imagine how great that meal must have been! :D It seems like some people just NEED to eat meat in order to feel good! (Just like my dad! ) :D

[Kishiko]

I don't label myself as pescetarian but I would pick fish over red meat or chicken any day, I just really don't like meat all that much. Being a mer doesnt change that for me. Its a food chain, and mermaids need protein too :)

[Echidna]

But I still wonder if someone feels like being a mermaid comes with not eating meat and seafood???

I've been a veggie for most of my life, simply because even as a small child, I felt a close connection to water creatures.
I'm completely horrified by the idea of people devouring crabs, lobsters, fish, you name it :p

And in my imagination, a mermaid (as in: a mythical water fairy) will NOT eat animals, but protect them, as protecting the animals and nature was kinda the main reason for a fairy's existence.

So I get what you're saying, but the peeps on this forum are humans who like to don a tail for various reasons.
Some are vegans/fruitarians, some actively work for the environment;
others simply enjoy wearing a costume.

[Theta]

The person you would probably want to talk to is Kae-Leah. She's not that active on here anymore, I don't think, but here's her FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kae-Leah-Royal-Purple-Mermaid-Princess/253963584623799

She really ties in mermaiding with her activism, some of which revolves around sealife populations and sustainability. She's always been very vocal about how damaging overfishing is to our world, and advocates giving up seafood in order to stop it. I believe she uses her fiction writing as a kind of platform for this as well- the mermaids in her stories are vegetarians, essentially.

Personally, I am a garbage disposal and will eat almost anything, but I try to get meat/fish from sustainable sources and small operations (i.e., I went fishing and caught a trout, so I ate it; one of my friends owns a farm and did their cow slaughter for the season, so I bought some meat from him.) I try to avoid factory farmed/fished anything, and gave up eating shrimp entirely because it's so bad for the environment (largely in part due to Kae-Leah- I hadn't known how bad shrimp fishing was until she brought it up.)

[Rett]

When I was younger I LOVED fish! However, as I grew older I associated it as eating half of a mermaid xD I dont know why, but years later now I cant even take a bite of fish or any other seafood! I tried a fish sandwich at the beach a couple of weeks back and could barely stomach the few bites I took xD I guess if you grow up believing you should hate something, you learn to actually hate it!

[Dancing Fish]

Maybe it's all those years of working in a biology lab, but I believe that animals can be treated well, pampered even, as they serve a particular purpose. And that there is no moral dilemma about seeing to it that an animal is humanely cared for over the duration of its lifespan, and slaughtering it humanely for purposes of our own (food or whatever). I do have some trouble with the more intelligent species (elephants, cetaceans, primates), granted, so I do support the folks who want them freed from captivity. But if I ever go vegan, it will be for my health and not because I embrace the philosophy.

As far as mermaids go, I have the opposite perspective: if a mer person evolved in our dangerous ocean waters, they'd probably be as vicious a predator as any shark. They'd be warriors, at the top of their food chain. :) Oh, sure, there'd be a few who would demonstrate tolerance and compassion for the lesser sea creatures, but most of them would dig into a lobster as gleefully as Madison. ;)

I do watch my diet, and try to follow the Pollan Philosophy-- eat food, not too much, mostly plants.

[Delie]

Thank you everyone! It is awesome that each one of you have different sight at the problem and I am very thankful for it! I am very glad you took the time to answer my question! You are just awesome! :)

[malinghi]

I'm mostly vegetarian. My main reason for not wanting to eat fish is because of sustainability problems, but I don't have a problem eating fish I catch myself.

As a result I virtually never eat fish, because I'm not a very good hunter. Pictured below: Me failing to catch any fish.

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[Meronica]

The body parts of other creatures do not belong to me, so I don't eat them. I'm 9 years strong and honestly don't think of "food" when I see meat anymore. I avoid animal products when I can, but also have four pet chickens that are happy to supply me with their eggs.

I became a mermaid as I became more interested in ocean conservation, and now that I'm involved with Project Mermaids and going to other events, I feel like I'm actually making a little bit of a difference!


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[AniaR]

I don't eat any seafood at all. Due to health issues I can't be vegetarian so I just try to eat as sustainably as I can. Though I feel like your title is misleading. Its more than just food. We teach others about sustainability, my boyfriend works in green energy, we do beach cleanups, and up cycle materials.

When it comes down to it tail making can be one of the most wasteful industries. Its why raven tries so hard to make franken tails and tops so she can reduce the silicone waste

[Mermaid Octavia]

I can see that many of you eat fish and seafood. I don't mean to criticize or something, but it feels weird to me to swim in the ocean with a tail and being one with the ocean, and still eat the creatures that live there...

But I still wonder if someone feels like being a mermaid comes with not eating meat and seafood???

(Like Merman Dan) No judgment here, but just a differing point of view: I eat seafood and I'm a mermaid. Sharks and other predators live in the sea, are one with the ocean, have tails and eat other creatures that live there. :) I think of myself as something like them - I LOVE seafood, but I try to eat sustainably and only choose certain types of fish or other seafood to support sustainability efforts and environmentally-conscious harvesting.

[Dancing Fish]

Agreed about the multiple ways of caring about the environment. I try to keep my personal footprint small, avoid problematic seafood (which these days seems to be most of it), and I help train future ecologists. ;) I'm curious how many of the people who support more sustainable fishing would accept GMO fish. :) I had a student write a report on them this year and they look wonderful in terms of reducing overfishing as well as being healthier (i.e., collecting fewer toxins like mercury). They also can't breed so there's no danger to wild populations. But there's so much OHNOZ! GMO! EVIL! sentiment out there that I doubt they'll catch on.

[Triton-Mahtlinnie]

I personally love seafood. As a sailor, as well as a merperson, it's generally my first go-to when thinking about what to eat. Mostly salmon, I eat a lot of salmon. I also do enjoy meat. But, I live in an area with a lot of farms, and an enormous local fishing industry. It's very easy for me to find locally raised or caught food at the store, and most Restaurants serve local food.

I usually try to eat well, but it's hard when I'm so broke I sometimes just have to go for whats cheapest on the shelf.

[Mermaid Wesley]

I really care about our oceans and sustainable fishing practices, but I love meat and seafood and don't plan on giving it up. I don't have much of a say on what's purchased in my parents house, but one day I'll shop sustainably. I think the title might come across as misleading because if a language barrier rather than a superiority complex or anything like that. :)


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[Mer-Crazy]

Personally I disagree with the whole 'mermaids shouldn't eat fish' view. I mean theoretically if mermaids were real then they'd either be sea mammals in which case there are only 4 species of marina mammals that are vegetarian, the 3 species of manatees and the dugong. So statistically speaking they'd probably be meat eaters.

Or they'd be fish, and really when you get to a fish the size of a human plants probably aren't going to cut it. I don't pretend to know anything about marine biology but I'm pretty sure the bigger fish eat the smaller fish, and the smaller fish eat plants because there aren't any fish smaller than them to eat.

Theoretically anyway. I mean its all personal preference since we are human but I feel like a mermaid in the wild would probably eat fish. Most other things in the ocean do and they don't seem to have any kind of moral dilemma.

Like I said before, since getting into mermaiding I'm probably eating more fish ESPECIALLY raw fish and less meat than I used to because to me, eating fish does make me feel more like a mermaid, kind of. Like I'm embracing my natural diet or something haha :lol:

[SeaGlass Siren]

I agree with everyone on this thread. it's more so finding a balance. Watching what goes into your bodies, and also what goes into the ocean, finding whatever works for you...

it's a complicated thing really.

[Elle]

I'm mostly vegetarian. My main reason for not wanting to eat fish is because of sustainability problems, but I don't have a problem eating fish I catch myself.

As a result I virtually never eat fish, because I'm not a very good hunter. Pictured below: Me failing to catch any fish.

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Ah yes.....vegetarian; native american for lousy hunter :) :)

[Coradion]

You can look up sustainably fished fisheries. There are eat this not that seafood pamphlets that tell you what's okay and what's damaging to the fishes to eat.

[SweeteSiren]

Ah yes.....vegetarian; native american for lousy hunter :) :)
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Quilt title? "No Dinner Tonight"

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Lol! Love the bear chasing the hunter!

[Mermaid Melanie]

Mermaids can care for the environment in many ways, not just by the diet they choose. I used to get very frustrated when mermaid kat would passive aggressively attack me for being a meat eater. I have a passion for protecting the marine environment, I try my best to do so by doing regular beach cleans, removing plastics and unnatural products and by trying to educate others on what they can do to help, so I would say, if your doing your part in some way then yes you do care for the environment. If we all fought for the one cause there would be a lot more problems in the world.

[Elle]

28985
Quilt title? "No Dinner Tonight"


That is too awesome

[Mermaid Kelda]

In case anyone from Aus hasn't seen it yet, I use the sustainable seafood guide (http://www.sustainableseafood.org.au/).
I'm sure there are similar resources for other countries, too :)

[Theta]

For those in the US, the Monterey Bay Aquarium also has a sustainable seafood guide:

http://www.seafoodwatch.org/

[Kishiko]

For those in the US, the Monterey Bay Aquarium also has a sustainable seafood guide:

http://www.seafoodwatch.org/

Awesome! Thanks! Im going to double check, but from looking at this list,our restaurant serves only well sustained types of seafood ^_^

[Mermaid Menanna]

The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago also has a sustainable seafood guide
http://www.sheddaquarium.org/Conservation--Research/Right-Bite/

I agree with the others who have pointed out that it's more than what we eat that reflects on whether or not we care for the environment. I was born an omnivore and I remain an omnivore. I have never been big on seafood, there are very fish marine fish species that I will eat, but when it comes to freshwater fish, the variety opens up quite a bit. For health reasons I couldn't go vegan even if I wanted to, which I don't. Eating animals in general does not mean someone doesn't care for the environment. Animals eat animals, people are still animals, without exception. We are not the only "animal eating" species. Anyone who would imply or say that eating animals would somehow mean a person doesn't care for the environment would also then have to add every other animal eating species on that list, from lions & tigers to whales & dolphins, etc. Most (not all) "vegetarian fish" are actually omnivore in nature, still feeding on things such as krill, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and other small "animal" species.
Caring about the environment is more, in my eyes, a matter of taking care of it overall... not necessarily having to do with food. Cleaning up our polluted waterways, not further polluting them, teaching others to do the same... all fall into the category of caring for the environment. Aside from those things I also teach responsible fish keeping practices in the aquarium hobby, teach about good fish husbandry to help protect and repopulate critical species due to habitat destruction, and even teach about what NOT to use as fishing bait, to prevent further issues with invasive species problems.

I am Native American, and it is a HUGE part of our culture to teach responsibility in caring for our environment. Our spiritual beliefs are that of how the Creator gave us everything on this Earth to sustain us, and our responsibility in turn, is to take care of it and avoid waste. We do not believe in hunting or fishing for sport, which also goes a long way in protecting our environment. We take only what we need and use what we take with as little waste as possible. One of the biggest battles in Native American history has been about sustainability of the animal populations, especially things such as bison and fish. There has been much conflict over the generations, since Europeans and Spaniards came to America, over sport hunting and destruction of the environment for financial gain and the amount of waste and pollution it has (and continues) created. Native Americans began the battle of conservation long before it was recognized as such. It is not just a belief system, it is a way of life.
I personally hunt & fish for my food as much as I am able. The things I must buy from the stores are necessities in my life, but the "waste not, want not" is a big part of how I live. I don't drink soda or alcohol, but any beverages that come in those awful plastic holders are cut to shreds before disposed of, plastic bags are saved and reused as much as possible (you'd be surprised at how many uses there are for those to avoid throwing them away/filling our landfills with them). While recyling is mandatory where I live, I tend to go beyond what is required by law.
I also spend a great deal of time reminding people that when it's all said and done, we can't eat or breathe money, so the choices we make in every day life right down to the political choices we make (including not getting involved) are a direct reflection on how we care for (or don't) our environment.

[Mermaid Menanna]

Once I get my tail made and learn to swim in it well enough, I intend to use it to help promote waterway cleanup in my area. I am hoping to eventually find a photographer to help me in this effort, too. I want to take it beyond just cleaning up the beaches, which is important/vital, but also cleaning up what is underwater, too. I may only be able to put a tiny dent in the problem, but from litter/pollution to invasive species, I will always do my part... and it has nothing at all to do with being a mermaid and everything to do with being a compassionate person who cares about our planet. :)

[SeaGlass Siren]

The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago also has a sustainable seafood guide
http://www.sheddaquarium.org/Conservation--Research/Right-Bite/

I agree with the others who have pointed out that it's more than what we eat that reflects on whether or not we care for the environment. I was born an omnivore and I remain an omnivore. I have never been big on seafood, there are very fish marine fish species that I will eat, but when it comes to freshwater fish, the variety opens up quite a bit. For health reasons I couldn't go vegan even if I wanted to, which I don't. Eating animals in general does not mean someone doesn't care for the environment. Animals eat animals, people are still animals, without exception. We are not the only "animal eating" species. Anyone who would imply or say that eating animals would somehow mean a person doesn't care for the environment would also then have to add every other animal eating species on that list, from lions & tigers to whales & dolphins, etc. Most (not all) "vegetarian fish" are actually omnivore in nature, still feeding on things such as krill, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and other small "animal" species.
Caring about the environment is more, in my eyes, a matter of taking care of it overall... not necessarily having to do with food. Cleaning up our polluted waterways, not further polluting them, teaching others to do the same... all fall into the category of caring for the environment. Aside from those things I also teach responsible fish keeping practices in the aquarium hobby, teach about good fish husbandry to help protect and repopulate critical species due to habitat destruction, and even teach about what NOT to use as fishing bait, to prevent further issues with invasive species problems.

I am Native American, and it is a HUGE part of our culture to teach responsibility in caring for our environment. Our spiritual beliefs are that of how the Creator gave us everything on this Earth to sustain us, and our responsibility in turn, is to take care of it and avoid waste. We do not believe in hunting or fishing for sport, which also goes a long way in protecting our environment. We take only what we need and use what we take with as little waste as possible. One of the biggest battles in Native American history has been about sustainability of the animal populations, especially things such as bison and fish. There has been much conflict over the generations, since Europeans and Spaniards came to America, over sport hunting and destruction of the environment for financial gain and the amount of waste and pollution it has (and continues) created. Native Americans began the battle of conservation long before it was recognized as such. It is not just a belief system, it is a way of life.
I personally hunt & fish for my food as much as I am able. The things I must buy from the stores are necessities in my life, but the "waste not, want not" is a big part of how I live. I don't drink soda or alcohol, but any beverages that come in those awful plastic holders are cut to shreds before disposed of, plastic bags are saved and reused as much as possible (you'd be surprised at how many uses there are for those to avoid throwing them away/filling our landfills with them). While recyling is mandatory where I live, I tend to go beyond what is required by law.
I also spend a great deal of time reminding people that when it's all said and done, we can't eat or breathe money, so the choices we make in every day life right down to the political choices we make (including not getting involved) are a direct reflection on how we care for (or don't) our environment.

^this. on so many levels.

[Delie]

Thanks for so many replies...
When I was thinking about it little bit more, I think I forgot what my original question was about. I watched the movie Cowspiracy! That is the reason why I asked if you "care about environment". For those who did not see the documentary I hugely recommend it to you. Meat industry is ruining our planet more than I could ever imagine. That is the reason why I asked and I am sorry that I did not write it like this! :D
So if you wrote that you try to get meat from sustainable resources, I am glad you do, because I think that is all I wanted to hear :D
Have a great day everyone!

[Mermaid Menanna]

I think it's important to note that not everyone has access to those more sustainable resources and they shouldn't be judged for that. Delie, I notice you are from Prague, and I don't know what the situation is like over there, but here in the states it isn't just as easy as deciding to do such a thing. Those resources first have to be available in a given area, and then a person must be able to afford it. One example I could use would be the popularity of free range chicken eggs. While this is a great thing to do, helping the plight of the animals raised on those massive farms... finding free range eggs in some areas is impossible, and they are more expensive. The same applies to free range beef. It can be as much as $2 - $3/lb more for free range beef, and that adds up quickly, especially when feeding a family.
I'd also like to mention that while some of us hunt & fish for our meat whenever possible, this too can be a challenge and even impossible for many. Hunting isn't free, nor is fishing... or the supplies to do so. We have some very strict laws when it comes to hunting and fishing, from the license/tags to do so, to the clothing required to be worn while doing so.
My point is, I ask that you please not judge people if they don't/aren't able to live a certain way just because someone else believes it is the right way. If there is any blame to be placed for the plight of our planet then the finger should be pointed in the direction of greedy (and in most cases immoral) politicians and large corporations, and the many laws that make it difficult to impossible for the average person to live in a "nature friendly" or "animal friendly" manner in regards to food supply. Here in the states we have a LOT of people who are so unhealthy because healthy food is so much more expensive and the average person simply can't afford it.
As much as the meat industry is ruining our planet, the farming industry as a whole is right there too. There are already places in some states where they have made it illegal for people to keep a garden on their property... because big business wants their money. The politicians and big business work hard to force people to be reliant on the food industry as a whole. In areas where people are putting a lot of focus on green living, more laws are being created to stop it because big business loses profits when people become more self sufficient. There are also a growing number of places that are making it illegal to feed the homeless.

There is a side to the story that those documentaries don't show... and this is just a small part of it.

[Trade Winds]

I am vegan. I wholeheartedly believe you CANNOT say you are an animal lover, environmentalist, etc if you eat or exploit animals. There is just no way. I have gotten into this topic on another thread months ago. If you say you can't be vegan because of health issues, that is a lie. Do your research. The internet has all the answers you need. There are people who have literally never had animal products in their entire life (raised vegan) and they are still healthy and alive. All that said, I am not going to follow this thread as I've already given up on 'converting' anyone here, as it seems like no one in the other thread I mention could make the connection. Animals are not ours to eat, exploit, wear, etc. Humane, free range, is unregulated and a lie. Open your eyes, wake up.

Along with Cowspiracy, I would recommend Forks Over Knives and Earthlings. If you 'love meat' or think killing animals or whatever is okay, watch Earthlings, then tell me how you feel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibuQ-J04eLQ

Even if you take nothing away, KNOW THIS:

animal agriculture is the biggest cause of the destruction of this planet.

[Delie]

Here in the states we have a LOT of people who are so unhealthy because healthy food is so much more expensive and the average person simply can't afford it.
.... In areas where people are putting a lot of focus on green living, more laws are being created to stop it because big business loses profits when people become more self sufficient.



Oh my! I am so angry right now! Of course the unhealthy food is going to be cheaper! That is just sick and so unfair! Where is the humanity???
Thanks for writing this... I really can't believe that people would actually make new laws in order to get more profit... Oh my!
This is really like something from books or a movie...

I get it, that when you do not have the oportunity to chose the better option, you have to buy whatever there is... But it makes me even more sad... I hope your family is healthy though....

[Kishiko]

I am vegan. I wholeheartedly believe you CANNOT say you are an animal lover, environmentalist, etc if you eat or exploit animals. There is just no way. I have gotten into this topic on another thread months ago. If you say you can't be vegan because of health issues, that is a lie. Do your research. The internet has all the answers you need. There are people who have literally never had animal products in their entire life (raised vegan) and they are still healthy and alive. All that said, I am not going to follow this thread as I've already given up on 'converting' anyone here, as it seems like no one in the other thread I mention could make the connection. Animals are not ours to eat, exploit, wear, etc. Humane, free range, is unregulated and a lie. Open your eyes, wake up.

Along with Cowspiracy, I would recommend Forks Over Knives and Earthlings. If you 'love meat' or think killing animals or whatever is okay, watch Earthlings, then tell me how you feel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibuQ-J04eLQ

Even if you take nothing away, KNOW THIS:

animal agriculture is the biggest cause of the destruction of this planet.

There's so many things wrong with this I don't even know where to start.

First I all, who the HELL are you to judge my character based on my eating habits that we have LITERALLY BEEN LIVING ON SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME?!?!? I have lived in an animal loving family for my entire life. There was never a time we didn't take care of multiple animals. We moved onto a farm 2 years ago and now take care of even more, including rescue animals! We produce about 2 dozen eggs a day and you're gonna tell me that's a not a freaking sustainable source??? To supply our house and restaurant, We drink milk that comes from a sustainable dairy farm in our state, or goats milk from our own goats. We get our beef from local cattle farmers and get only hatchery raised fish. I love my animals more than anything.
If you're going to play the "humans are equals to animals" card, then do you condemn bears for eating trout? Lions for eating gazelles? How about foxes for eating free range chicken? You can eat whatever you want, but do NOT call me a bad person because of my food choices.


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[Delie]

Seahorse Mystery,
thanks for writing that... I sometimes miss meat, but when I am thinking about it, it is only because of the taste (=salty, hot, etc.), not because of the meat texture. I also agree that people can go vegan a be healthy...
Thanks for the movies, I will definitely try to watch those.

[Kishiko]

Meant to quote seahorse Mystery in my last post


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[SeaGlass Siren]

See here's the thing. I completely respect the fact that there are vegans (scientifically being vegan does help the planet more than you can think) and i also respect the fact that there are omnivores (i refuse to use the term meat eaters; we're not carnivores) who, when they do eat meat, try to think of the environment (where they get it from, reduce their impact by recycling, eating less of the meat, planting trees, not dumping toxic shit down the drain).

What i don't respect is someone forcing their ideologies onto someone just because their way of life doesn't fit in with another's way of life. in places where we can make the choice, we can jump on board for that. in some areas, and sometimes some situations, we can't. With all due respect on your part Seahorse (and i do acknowledge the impact you have on the planet by going vegan) I don't think it's right to say to someone "your way of living is wrong" without understanding the other's situations first; where they live, the climate they're in, laws being enforced, what food do they have readily accessible, financial situation, if they import their food, how much it costs, if they have the ability to hunt for their food (not for sport), edit: if they can even grow their own food in the first place ...

We don't have to love animals the way you do, but we all have a responsibility to the planet and every single choice that we make still counts for something.

[Trade Winds]

Kishiko, Did I say I was judging you? Did I call you a bad person? Remember, most vegans were once like you, eating animals And unaware of what we're doing to this world and other species. I was once a horrible person.

The difference between how we factory farm animals, subjecting them to a life of torture and killing them while they are still babies is FAR from how nature works.

Watch the movies I mentioned, then come back to this thread.

This planet and humanity is not going to last much longer if we continue our lives like this.

[Trade Winds]

If anyone wants to talk to me, just message me. I am not gonna debate everything here. Watch the movies. Just do it.

[BayouMermaid]

Hmmm...this is an interesting subject for me. I believe that some mermaids care for our environment, but in my experience, most people just want to be pretty.

For me, my personal cause is sustainable seafood. I live in Louisiana, and seafood is an important part of our culture. I have many friends who fish both recreationally and commercially. When you depend on your environment for food, there is a greater need and concern to protect it.

I grew up on the bayou. When I go fishing, I release animals that do not meet the size required for consumption. And when we go crabbing, we release small crabs and females to help keep population numbers up. Limits are placed each year for the number of fish that a fisherman or commercial fishery can catch in a day or a season. They even rotate out what areas fishing is allowed in to help prevent overfishing. The money from fishing and hunting licences goes to the department of Wildlife and Fisheries for maintaining more land as wildlife preserve.

Being vegan isn't the only way to protect our environment.

[SeaGlass Siren]

Did I say I was judging you? Did I call you a bad person? Remember, most vegans were once like you, eating animals And unaware of what we're doing to this world and other species. I was once a horrible person.

The difference between how we factory farm animals, subjecting them to a life of torture and killing them while they are still babies is FAR from how nature works.

Watch the movies I mentioned, then come back to this thread.

This planet and humanity is not going to last much longer if we continue our lives like this.
No you didn't judge me per say but you were judging others based on their responses to the OP. When i wrote the response i kept it in mind. I didn't think you said anyone was a bad person for doing so either. i wasn't accusing you of anything besides being a bit judgey (it's ok, we all are at some point, myself included.)

But back on topic though, i have watched cowspiracy and don't deny any of the fact mentioned. I was at a SeaShepherd event in Toronto actually when we were discussing it actually. But my opinion hasn't changed really because it doesn't discuss where others live and what situation they're in.To be fair though i have been avoiding factory meats and i cut pork out of my diet fully (never really had goat or lamb or sheep). In well developed countries where we're a bit wealthier and we can make sustainable choices or even go vegan or make a transition is awesome. some places don't have the ability to do so. (colder climates anyone, and import costs for fresh veggies anyone?)
Like i said, responsibility to the planet and every single choice that we make still counts for something.

[SeaGlass Siren]

but in my experience, most people just want to be pretty.
:lol: but this is also me lol.

[Trade Winds]

Seaglass, my reply was to Kishiko, not you. Forgot to quote her. O_o

[SeaGlass Siren]

oh lol!! okidokes then :P

[Mermaid Cascada]

I'm just gonna throw this out there, not ALL people can go vegan and remain healthy. Nor is it a lie if they say they can't. My cousin tried going vegan a while back and he was hospitalized for heart palpitations for a while.

[AniaR]

^ this. My two illnesses make it so I can't metabolize certain things. It either doesn't absorb or does permanent damage to my body. I can't use anything synthetic and many people don't realize meat alternatives are packed with things like synthetic b vitamins. B vitamins that don't come directly through the food are all synthetic. I'd have to eat a whole watermelon every day because I can't metabolize the other fruits or veggies that are high in b. So instead I eat 1 egg a few times a week.

Its very complicated to explain. But I've met with both nutritionist, naturopath's, dietitians, and even 3 different vegan chefs. There is no menu that can incorporate all I need while excluding the foods that do damage to my body.

What I usually settle for is a few meatless days and ethical eating. It is really invalidating when people lecture me ... I suffer in pain a lot. I need to eat some meat to be healthy.

[Gem Stone]

vegetarian in Native American = 'Bad Hunters'

lol

But yeah seahorse mystery, telling someone you aren't judging them, then saying you used to be just like them, that you used to be a terrible person too, is indeed judging them. rather harshly in fact. I've seen what Kishiko has done for animals under her care. I know vegans who wouldn't go through what she did and does to help animals.
have you ever taken in baby squirrels whose mother abandoned them to raise them until they were old enough to go out on their own? i have, and I'm still fine with shooting a squirrel for dinner.
Have you ever resuced baby opossums from their dead mothers womb and helped them have full lives? Cause i have.
Have you ever put a baby alligator to sleep in your arms?
Bottle fed a baby deer perhaps?
rescued an owl from a barn fire and helped it get well enough to be released back into the wild?
Followed a commercial fishing boat with a knife so you can pop all the bladders of the snapper they caught and threw back so the fish can swim back down and not suffocate on the surface?
Cause i have, and i still think meat tastes good. So don't tell me that because i eat meat doesn't mean i don't love animals. do you know how badly a run over opossum smells? yet i still reached inside the pouch and pulled out every baby. if i didn't love animals, tell me, why would i do that?
To all you non pushy vegans and vegetarians, I respect your choices.

[Kishiko]

vegetarian in Native American = 'Bad Hunters'

lol

But yeah seahorse mystery, telling someone you aren't judging them, then saying you used to be just like them, that you used to be a terrible person too, is indeed judging them. rather harshly in fact. I've seen what Kishiko has done for animals under her care. I know vegans who wouldn't go through what she did and does to help animals.
have you ever taken in baby squirrels whose mother abandoned them to raise them until they were old enough to go out on their own? i have, and I'm still fine with shooting a squirrel for dinner.
Have you ever resuced baby opossums from their dead mothers womb and helped them have full lives? Cause i have.
Have you ever put a baby alligator to sleep in your arms?
Bottle fed a baby deer perhaps?
rescued an owl from a barn fire and helped it get well enough to be released back into the wild?
Followed a commercial fishing boat with a knife so you can pop all the bladders of the snapper they caught and threw back so the fish can swim back down and not suffocate on the surface?
Cause i have, and i still think meat tastes good. So don't tell me that because i eat meat doesn't mean i don't love animals. do you know how badly a run over opossum smells? yet i still reached inside the pouch and pulled out every baby. if i didn't love animals, tell me, why would i do that?
To all you non pushy vegans and vegetarians, I respect your choices.

I'll add a few

Rehabilitated a seagull with a broken wing?

Bandaged and cared for a duck who's head was eaten open until it fully healed and now lives with our flock?

Raised abandoned birds until they were strong enough to be released?

Dropper fed and watered a ferret with a stomach tumor, a very common condition that kills most ferrets, and actually saved it life?

Docked a kittens broken, infected tail and pulled maggots out of it so it wouldn't die of infection?

Drained and bandaged a turkey's eye, tore open by another animal, and flushed it daily with saline to keep out infections until it healed shut?

How about rescuing Cargill turkey rejects that otherwise would've been killed?

Almost monthly healing, dropper feeding, bandaging, disinfecting , etc injured chickens that could easily be left alone and replaced?

^^ All things my family and I have done


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[malinghi]

Reminder to everyone to please discuss things respectively.

If things become too heated I'll be forced to intervene.

[AniaR]

Yeah I feel like loads of people gave their reasonings about why they can care about the environment and still eat meat earlier on in the thread and the posts were maybe skimmed or ignored. Like I said in my first post... I feel like the title of this thread gives the wrong implication. it's like if we don't fit this certain standard of eating we don't care!

If you wanna talk about what the thread title says... there are some well known mermaids who 100% do NOTHING for the environment. In fact, their businesses practices are harmful to the environment. And yet they exploit the idea of environmentalism in catch phrases and interviews and weirdly photoshopped pics with bad text. For some people and some mermaids 'green' is just a buzzword that might attract them a few extra clients or a little bit of attention. It's not something they actually believe in.

I think anything people do for the environment is great. It doesn't have to be on a scale. But I do get very fustrated by people who flat out exploit the idea. you dont HAVE to be a mermaid and care about the environment honestly! There's no shame in just wanting to be a performer! Just dont pretend to care if you don't. Or maybe you do care but don't intend to use your position as a mermaid to do things for the environment. That's ok too. To me it just all comes down to honest.

Every step forward is a good step. Whether it's Raven recycling old tails so there's less silicone waste, to the mermaids in Cali hosting a beach cleanup. To Hannah running a campaign to stop shark slaughter, to us teaching some kids about recycling. Maybe you recycle and up cycle your mermaid accessories! It's all freaking good folks :)

[SeaGlass Siren]

^ that moment when you know who raina is talking about. *popcorn*

[Mermaid Menanna]

Just... wow! This went from a peaceful, friendly, educational discussion to heated and judgmental in a hurry. Out of respect for this forum and the wonderful people here I won't go into a rant to the things that Seahorse Mystery has said, but I will say that I found it quite offensive... and for no good reason. I am one of those people who CAN'T go vegan due to health issues. My body doesn't metabolize the majority of the foods that are on the vegan menu, (anyone's vegan menu). I cannot eat things such as lettuce or any other leafy veggie because they make me horribly sick and leave me in terrible pain. I suffer from IBS and the only effective treatment is to avoid all foods that cause flareups. Grains and leafy vegetables are the absolute worst. I miss a lot of the foods I used to be able to eat, and it's terribly depressing to not be able to sit down and eat a salad when I get the craving for one. But, if I don't abide by my strict dietary limitations I basically live with constant pain and in the bathroom, unable to go anywhere or do anything. It is truly debilitating. I won't argue this with anyone, but would like others to fully understand that we ALL have our own challenges in life and that doesn't make anyone "terrible" or "wrong" or "bad". It is unfair to judge people unless you've lived in their shoes with their issues, first hand. IF, Seahorse Mystery, you choose to judge me anyway, that will just have to be your problem because I will not allow you to make it mine.
One other thing I'd like to say. Part of taking care of this planet and living an environmentally responsible life is accepting things as nature has created them. Nature created the food chain, people didn't do that. People are not born vegan anymore than lions, tigers, whales, dolphins, and a wide variety of fish, etc. were born vegan. We often hear the rants about how people are destroying this planet, but I have seen so much of it that is also misplaced blame and anger. Changing what is naturally made interferes with the planet just as much as exploiting things/animals/etc. Artificial everything is not the answer either, and artificial also interferes with the natural makeup of things. If we really want to get technical about it, human population, in and of itself, is destroying this planet. So does that mean to be environmentally responsible we need to start enacting human population control? (see how ridiculous that sounds?) We, as a species, NEED to work on a better solution to agricultural issues, but we cannot eliminate agriculture on a whole simply because people would starve. As it is, people around the world are already starving. Agricultural issues came to be for 2 primary reasons. #1 and foremost is the battle of world hunger, and a close 2nd to that is greed.
Native Americans lived here for thousands upon thousands of years, as omnivores, and there were no environmental issues way back in our history. We hunted and ate bison and deer and fish, and yet there was nothing inhumane about it, the animals were not exploited, nor were their populations ever endangered. Everything was balanced and remained that way. We took care of our planet and it took care of us. Everyone and everything thrived. Then introduce "sport hunting" that decimated entire species... and the food supply dwindled. The very people who decimated the native animals on this continent were also the same ones who brought non native animals here with them, and began the agricultural era in this country. Suddenly it wasn't about hunting and living off the land, caring for it as it cared for us, but it became about raising this, raising that, and selling it to others for profit. It became about limiting food supplies for certain groups of people so as to force them to purchase and participate in the new agricultural era and line the pockets of those who started it, and it just grew into a wild eyed monster from there.
We all need to learn acceptance as much as we need to learn anything else. There will always be good and at the same time there will always be evil. It is the balance of nature. There is no way to eradicate either without wiping out everything. As our planet and all of it's animal inhabitants have tried to teach us by example, adaptation is the secret to survival. When we fail to or are no longer able to adapt, then we, too, will become extinct.
Most important is to realize that laying blame, pointing fingers, and judging others is not going to fix any problem we face. Those things tend to only compound the existing problems and create new ones. If we truly wish to honor and respect our environment and all that it is made from, then we need to learn to find a way to coexist in peace, with each other and with our planet and all it holds. Raping our planet's natural resources is causing FAR more damage than the agricultural industry, so I would have to ask anyone who judges others based on their diet, do you drive a car? Use rubber or plastic anything? Flush a toilet? Use/wear synthetic clothing/fabric? If you can answer yes to ANY of those things, then whether or not you choose to acknowledge it... you, too, are contributing to the problems that you accuse others of, based solely on their diet. Where I come from that is called a hypocrite and is frowned upon. There really is no difference in being cruel to an "animal" or a "person" because in the end, we are ALL animals. To claim superiority over others because you respect 1 species of animal but not another... yeah... that doesn't work so well.

[SeaGlass Siren]

^ that's also something i wanted to mention but left out because i didnt now how to tie it all in.

[Mermaid Galene]

I'll echo what Cascada, Raina, and Betta said. I am absolutely devoted to animal welfare. My education, my career both past and present, my art, and my life all revolve around the animal world. But because of several medical conditions (one of which periodically becomes life-threatening), I just can't eat the protein sources that most vegans rely on. My diet is incredibly restricted. If I could safely be vegan, I would do so in a heartbeat. But I can't, so here's what I do instead: The meat products that my husband and I consume all come from cruelty free farms. The produce we buy is organic, and during the summer months, locally grown. We research and shun GMO products. All of the skin care products we use are cruelty-free and have not been tested on animals. We only buy sustainably harvested fish, and we check Seafood Watch everywhere we travel to determine what's ecofriendly and what isn't. (I really hate eating fish at all, because there is no compassionate way to catch fish. Or at least, commercial fishing operations don't use them.) And we keep our eye on the bigger picture, which means that everyday, we do what we can to avoid injuring wild habitats and to help heal, and fund those who heal, our fragile planet. Many of the pro mers on MN expend a huge amount of energy, time, and financial resources to educate children and the general public about animal welfare and aquatic habitat conservation. Some of us eat meat.

The point isn't to conform to any one person or group's very detailed blueprint about how a mer should live his or her life. The point is for each of us to care about natural resources, about animals, about the oceans, and for each of us to do something to benefit life on earth. What precisely each person does is an individual choice based on motivation, philosophy, and ability - especially ability.

Let the judging cease.

[Rennara]

SOOOOoooooooo... Moving away from discussions of diet. I have always felt that, when I spend money, I am voting for what kind of businesses I want to have in operation. I try to the best of my ability to research the places I shop and the brands I buy. It is not always possible to be the most responsible I can be (I do have bills to pay after all) but it is important to me that I try.
Quite a hot topic in California, where I live, is the current drought. I am a rabid reporter of water waste! I am one of those, turn of the shower while you soap up kind of people. I think my fiance gets irritated at me because I am constantly reminding him to turn the tap down when he uses it. I boil water on the stove to wash dishes in, instead of running the taps until it gets warm.
I am constantly trying to find ways to remind others in my area to be more conservative with water, while not turning into a raving water-nazi. Does anyone else have issues with reminding others around them to be more ecologically minded without sounding like a bantering bean-sidhe?

[Merman Dan]

I prefer to remain conflicted:
The giant pacific octopus is the most magnificent of creatures.
Also, calamari is delicious.

[Fun123joker]

mermaids that follow schools of fish to get to the fishermen? i know were are looking at a more ecosystem point a view then the myths and legends but i still like the idea as humans to be thier main diet (im not a cannibal i swear)
what about scavenger mermaids? just eat what is left behind.
shouldnt at least one point have mermaids be in a form of tribe where it varies and can have a variety of food?

[Elle]

I prefer to remain conflicted:
The giant pacific octopus is the most magnificent of creatures.
Also, calamari is delicious.

Calamari is squid.... no need to be conflicted

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[SeaGlass Siren]

Calamari is squid.... no need to be conflicted

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octopus sashimi :P

[Kishiko]

octopus sashimi :P

Basically.

Also, unagi


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[SeaGlass Siren]

oh yeah i forgot i stopped eating unagi because it was on the seafood watch list. same with the octopus. about the only sashimi i eat now are mackerel, clams, and squid.

[ShyMer]

^ that reminds me, I saw a catfish recipe once that claimed to be a decent substitute for unagi in both flavor and texture. I haven't tried it, but I kinda want to.

[Kishiko]

That's odd it's not on the one Theta posted! I don't eat it often because it's reaallyyy expensive. Although I do love mackerel, but it's not available in a lot of places here


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[SeaGlass Siren]

the catfish here tastes nasty because it eats garbage. i'll just stick to eggplant. eggplant is like the meat substitute of the gods.

[Dancing Fish]

the catfish here tastes nasty because it eats garbage. i'll just stick to eggplant. eggplant is like the meat substitute of the gods.

You should start a thread for your favorite eggplant recipes! Because I just can't get into it...though I'd like to!

[SeaGlass Siren]

I honestly should but I only know one recipe lol

[Kishiko]

Lake of the Ozarks is pretty well known for catfish so if you get local caught It's quite good


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[Seatan]

Here is a very good example of eating meat and being pro-environmental: I spearfish lionfish in the Caribbean and eat them. They are not natural to the environment, have no natural predators there, and will destroy the reef unless humans keep their numbers down. Honestly I don't think what you eat has much to do with environmentalism at all--I think the fact that the food came from an ethical source is much more important. Local dairies, farmers markets, cattlemen, and chicken breeders are great places to get food that is natural for an omnivore to eat in a way where you know the animals lived fat, healthy, happy lives. My grandpa was a cattle rancher and those suckers has great lives, roaming around hundreds of acres eating all day.

[Delphinus]

I honestly blame my mother's side of the family, since I draw a lot of my mentality from her heritage, (Yaqui), but my approach to the environment is twofold. One, I feel that to best protect and promote our world's health, that we need to be a part of the global ecosystem, and not separated from it. And the second part is that I have no problem eating meat, as long as it's humane and respectful. Granted, there's only so far you can look for that these days while shopping and such, but my point is that I am grateful to the animals involved, and I don't take things for granted.

It does pain me to watch things like those fishing shows where you have hundreds upon hundreds of boats reaping countless thousands of fish all at once in one place, though. My outlook towards nature and my appreciation towards the modern world is a strange blend.

[BlueMermaid]

For you vegetarian mers, there is a facebook group you might be interested in joining: https://www.facebook.com/groups/882117625156413/

[Princess Kae-Leah]

The person you would probably want to talk to is Kae-Leah. She's not that active on here anymore, I don't think, but here's her FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kae-Leah-Royal-Purple-Mermaid-Princess/253963584623799

She really ties in mermaiding with her activism, some of which revolves around sealife populations and sustainability. She's always been very vocal about how damaging overfishing is to our world, and advocates giving up seafood in order to stop it. I believe she uses her fiction writing as a kind of platform for this as well- the mermaids in her stories are vegetarians, essentially.

Personally, I am a garbage disposal and will eat almost anything, but I try to get meat/fish from sustainable sources and small operations (i.e., I went fishing and caught a trout, so I ate it; one of my friends owns a farm and did their cow slaughter for the season, so I bought some meat from him.) I try to avoid factory farmed/fished anything, and gave up eating shrimp entirely because it's so bad for the environment (largely in part due to Kae-Leah- I hadn't known how bad shrimp fishing was until she brought it up.)

WOW thanks so much for mentioning me like that, and thanks a million for giving up shrimp and trying to eat as sustainably as you realistically can. I haven't been active on here for a while, but I'm posting sometimes again because it looks like the folks who I had issues with aren't as active any more, plus I think I've grown and matured a lot since I was most active. Thanks to meeting a true "sister from another mister" named Lisa, another openly asexual mermaid lover who enjoys the princessy image, I feel like my troubled soul has been healed, so I feel less angry and militant about the environmental and animal rights issues, though my actual views haven't changed. When I was going through my militant phase, it really bothered me that other mers weren't as concerned about the issues I was and didn't make the same choices I did to help combat the issues, but now I'm less obsessed with converting others at any cost. Part of why I started the Vegetarian/Vegan Merfolk FB group was to provide a safe space for veg mers to discuss the issues and maybe let off a little steam sometimes among like-minded people without irritating those with different views, some will say that's preaching to the choir, but I think "safe spaces" like that can be important. Something that makes me feel really optimistic about the future is the fact that according to several reliable sources(nope, not PETA, but the websites of respected newspapers, farming and fishing industry websites, etc.) both red meat AND seafood consumption are on the decline in the US, and have been for several years now. I predict that in a few decades just about everyone will be at least flexitarian, so I feel less militant about pestering people to give up seafood and red meat when chances are my side will eventually win in the end, plus my best friend Lisa admits to occasionally eating seafood, and she has pretty much been my savior in life, so I don't really feel like being hard on her. When she visited me, I actually told her that I wouldn't mind her eating something like clam chowder, a type of seafood that doesn't look seafood-y in front of mer if she really wanted to, I try to be very fair now and compromise :)

[Meilyn]

I would really love to keep my mouth shut but I can not hold back on this topic. Some things to think about and I hope everyone reading this truly thinks about it.


So scientifically speaking, in all technicality, plants and veggies could be considered animals as they have pain sensors tested to exist along with a conscious of sorts and consciousness. The only real reason as to why it's not fully released widespread and to the general public is because mainly of religious reasons and things alike. Most people in the world would not think twice about stepping on a flower, grass, or cutting and getting "rid of" a plant because most people think plants feel nothing. The anatomy of a plant is different yet at the same time, it has the same anatomy of an animal. From the last few years of getting into botany, I've personally come to the conclusion that plants are animals. Just like a dog or a cat, the only difference is is that they can not speak and they're mostly immobile.

Story time!
I had a friend who went vegetarian and she developed really bad back issues to top insufficient nutrients from her new diet. So she started eating a lot of fish because she didn't like the cruel treatment of farm animals. So I told her in Buddhist belief and some words of Confucius that isn't a quote because I've since forgotten the actual quote but it went something like:
You can squeeze a bird and hear it scream so you let go as you hear it's pain. Yet you can fish and keep fishing as the fish can not scream cries of pain nor tell you to stop.

Same can be said for things most people consider as animals vs plants. There have been multiple studies that have shown that plants do and can feel stress, joy, and depression through electrical impulses just like a dog or a fish.

Now regarding people straying away from meats due to the unethical treatment of most livestock:
Farm animals were bred to be food. As cruel as a treatment as most of them have, they don't know any better so that's their normal that we call cruelty.

One can not know happiness if one does not know pain. And vice versa. If your normal is living in a place like North Korea and you think that everything there is all good and normal being oppressed, that's your normal. However as we Americans and the rest of the world see North Korea as oppressed, the young generations and so fourth see it as their home, their normal. Same with farm animals and animals bred to be our livestock and food. Those livestock don't know the normal we give with the respects of our pets and house animals as well as wild animals. So that may actually be happy or at least content with their lives until they're needed for consumption.


So my question is: Which is the lesser evil? Killing something with a voice or killing something that can not verbally speak to us?

Hunting and killing something that's known wildlife and the fresh air and run of the morning, or killing something that knows to get up, eat, and hang around that's bred specifically for food and knows nothing of the freedom of wildlife.


Now for some random and personal stuff:
Also, some cows are treated better than people in Japan.
And I whole heartedly agree with those who say sharks eat other fish, big fish eats small fish. I believe if mermaids were to exist, they would be omnivores like most humans and animals. Personally, since I've started mermaiding, I've began craving and eating more and more raw fish and seaweed. I guess doing so also makes me feel closer to the sea as sea creatures eat other sea creatures too.

Different bodies require different nutrients so I also agree with those who say their bodies will not let them be vegetarians and/or vegans. As an Asian with family members in Thailand that still live in the mountains like cave men with no electricity, stuff you'd see on the national geographic channel, my family side has only recently started joining the modern world beginning with assisting the US in the Vietnam War with what was called the secret war during that Era. My family left the mountains and came to America in 1992. Until a few years ago when my grandpa's died, the men still went hunting, legally with permits and following the laws of course, and the elders still roamed the forests of whatever was around and picked mushrooms, wild plants, and berries. So tribal life is still strong with me as I was 2 and under the impression of indigenous people to the asian mountains. Coming from such a primitive existence in a sense, my body absolutely craves meat sometimes. It's a primal thing. And I still know my edible wild plants of the area that I live in as well as how to prepare such things most people call poisonous. You could say my family history is closely related to cave men, but the advanced version lol. I've tried being 100% vegan and at a point in time, vegetarian. I don't believe in processed foods and so living in our day in age, I would not physically survive on either diets as I've learned from being hospitalized in the past for trying. I love my chickens, can't do beef very well or any type of meat aside from chicken and fish. But I also love my plants.

[Lotus the Mermaid]

Maelyn, that's always been my feeling. Animals are here for us to eat, as well as plants. I know for certain that both feel pain. I wonder what religion combats this truth from getting out. Personally, I believe that you can't avoid it - we're predators. Omnivores, but definitely predators in the food chain. I mean no disrespect to vegetarians or vegans. They're doing what they believe is right and I wholeheartedly respect that. But I know for certain that we're meant to eat animals. I just believe that we're supposed to respect the animals and be grateful for them. We can be gracious omnivores and not feel guilty about it. :)

[Meilyn]

I honestly blame my mother's side of the family, since I draw a lot of my mentality from her heritage, (Yaqui), but my approach to the environment is twofold. One, I feel that to best protect and promote our world's health, that we need to be a part of the global ecosystem, and not separated from it. And the second part is that I have no problem eating meat, as long as it's humane and respectful. Granted, there's only so far you can look for that these days while shopping and such, but my point is that I am grateful to the animals involved, and I don't take things for granted.

It does pain me to watch things like those fishing shows where you have hundreds upon hundreds of boats reaping countless thousands of fish all at once in one place, though. My outlook towards nature and my appreciation towards the modern world is a strange blend.

For television shows like so are the reasons why I've gone without cable for the past 8+ years. I can not stand these new "reality" tv shows and how the Animal Planet and Discovery are no longer much about animals, but more about people and whatever their "reality" is. I think the death of the Steve Irwin and the beginning of the reality show Era killed tv for me...

There's so much food waste and the demand for sea creatures is not high enough to need those ships to be taking in as much as they do from the oceans. But for them, it's simply business. As great as it would be for it to not be just about business, that's how some people make their living and you can't blame someone for trying to survive in this world :(


I don't think your views are a strange blend at all, but what most views should be. Respectfulness is what it sounds like it boils down to, for the environment and it's creatures.

[Meilyn]

Maelyn, that's always been my feeling. Animals are here for us to eat, as well as plants. I know for certain that both feel pain. I wonder what religion combats this truth from getting out. Personally, I believe that you can't avoid it - we're predators. Omnivores, but definitely predators in the food chain. I mean no disrespect to vegetarians or vegans. They're doing what they believe is right and I wholeheartedly respect that. But I know for certain that we're meant to eat animals. I just believe that we're supposed to respect the animals and be grateful for them. We can be gracious omnivores and not feel guilty about it. :)

<3 <3 it has to do with those books called Bibles that don't state plants being animals because they didn't have the technology to show such things back in the old testament days that for many peoples, they still follow to this day. Almost every religion has their own bible of sorts and none talk about plants being animals except like rocks in a sense. It goes deep yo. I mean, as vast as the universe is, there are many people who believe it revolves around us humans as being the highest of intelligence in overall beings. But that's for another day lol. But same concept. People pick and choose what they want to believe and religion still rules the world so announcing anything that may be against all the old books of a lot of different cultures would be something like blasphemy and like in the Dave Chappelle show skits, people's head would explode! So much stuff, so much stuff to discuss but to not discuss.

[Echidna]

But I know for certain that we're meant to eat animals.

Do you also believe you are "meant to" develop intestinal cancer?
Because by now, it's almost a given the both have a 100% correlation, due to the fact that the human intestine is not suited to digest meat, it's too long.

There is a difference between trying to live healthy, and putting your head into the sand because you can't imagine giving something up you find enjoyable.

Just like smokers and drinkers know they are destroying their health, and will do so anyway, while citing loads of empty excuses why what they are doing is perfectly okay.

[Mer-Crazy]

Do you also believe you are "meant to" develop intestinal cancer?
Because by now, it's almost a given the both have a 100% correlation, due to the fact that the human intestine is not suited to digest meat, it's too long.

There is a difference between trying to live healthy, and putting your head into the sand because you can't imagine giving something up you find enjoyable.

Just like smokers and drinkers know they are destroying their health, and will do so anyway, while citing loads of empty excuses why what they are doing is perfectly okay.
If the human digestive system was not meant to digest meat... then doesn't that mean we shouldn't be able to at all? Or that it would cause us some kind of immediate or swiftly following sickness? This is a genuine question, I'm not trying to be smart or anything I just thought that's how it works with most animals?

[SeaGlass Siren]

Just chiming in my two cents here but while it is true the intestine cannot digest meat, the human stomach can.

The mouth saliva breaks down chemicals in food called maltose, then the stomach breaks down protein, then the pancreas glucose, and the intestines get whatever remnants that are left

Edit: i forget which parts of the body can digest lactose and lipids...

second edit: i went through my notes :P ignore the above

Protein is digested in stomach, pancreas, and small intestine
Carbs in your mouth, pancreas, and small intestine (includes maltose, sucrose, and lactose)
Lipids (aka FAT) Pancreas and small intestine.

[SeaGlass Siren]

Humans are only meant to eat meat the size of a deck of cards anyway but we've been so groomed into eating huge amounts it's kind of scary :|

i think the main point is everything lives in a delicate balance and you just have to find that balance whether is lowering intake of meat in your diet or removing it completely for the sake of the environment. "We are all connected in the great Circle of Life"

[Echidna]

^^
Humans developed from fruitarian and slightly omnivorous ancestors.
Meaning their main staple of diet were fruit, berries, nuts, roots. We couldn't live off eating grass alone, we'd need an herbivore's stomachs and intestines for that.

Thing is, when an omnivore finds a carcass (rare!), it can eat some of it.
You won't drop dead if you eat small (emphasis on small) quantities of meat sometimes (as in, seldom).

That is because omnivores might find a carcass and snatch a bit of it, but the true scavengers which are meant to eat it are carnivores.

So yes, humans can eat almost anything and thrive (or at least, don't get sick of it.)
It becomes a problem if they eat something in large quantities every day that they weren't meant to have in such quantities ever under natural circumstances.

(There is one exception to this, and that is true genetic mutation and adaptation, as you have with the lactose-splitting gene that cattle-herding societies developed.)

Humans have moved past everything natural for so long they no longer know what's good for them.
It's very depressing.
I can't do anything about the larger scale problems, but what I can do is living as environmentally aware as possible.

[SeaGlass Siren]

Their main staple was basically that but that was because the hunters kinda sucked at hunting for meat :P


It becomes a problem if they eat something in large quantities every day that they weren't meant to have in such quantities ever under natural circumstances.

Perfect example of this: rhubarb eaten in huge quantities is actually quite poisonous.
Too much of anything is horrible.

[PearlieMae]

Our teeth give away what we are...omnivores. We have both meat cutting teeth and plant grinding teeth.

Animals were not 'put here for us to eat', it's law of the jungle...we might be top of the food chain, but that's because we've developed big brains. In our current state, we wouldn't last a week in the wild, despite what tv tries to show us. There are predators that would have us for lunch in a heartbeat.

Back to the topic: Do we really care about the environment?

[Merman Dan]

Back to the topic: Do we really care about the environment?

Of course I do! Cows produce a ridiculous amount of methane gas. Methane gas is bad for the atmosphere. Therefore, I am trying to reduce the number of cows by eating them as often as possible! I know, I know... I am SUCH a humanitarian! ;)

[Lotus the Mermaid]

Do you also believe you are "meant to" develop intestinal cancer?
Because by now, it's almost a given the both have a 100% correlation, due to the fact that the human intestine is not suited to digest meat, it's too long.

There is a difference between trying to live healthy, and putting your head into the sand because you can't imagine giving something up you find enjoyable.

Just like smokers and drinkers know they are destroying their health, and will do so anyway, while citing loads of empty excuses why what they are doing is perfectly okay.

To be honest, this attitude just makes me want to eat meat to spite vegetarians with a similar disposition. Haha I know that's wrong, and I'm not going to. But I'm trying to make a point. If you want people to help you in your cause, the best approach is kindness coupled with facts. No one wants to listen to someone who's insulting them. That's my belief. If you find it offensive, you don't have to follow it. I promise I wasn't trying to push anything on you or anyone. Please, don't make this personal. :)

[Lotus the Mermaid]

<3 <3 it has to do with those books called Bibles that don't state plants being animals because they didn't have the technology to show such things back in the old testament days that for many peoples, they still follow to this day. Almost every religion has their own bible of sorts and none talk about plants being animals except like rocks in a sense. It goes deep yo. I mean, as vast as the universe is, there are many people who believe it revolves around us humans as being the highest of intelligence in overall beings. But that's for another day lol. But same concept. People pick and choose what they want to believe and religion still rules the world so announcing anything that may be against all the old books of a lot of different cultures would be something like blasphemy and like in the Dave Chappelle show skits, people's head would explode! So much stuff, so much stuff to discuss but to not discuss.

I totally get that. I'm a Christian and I know for a fact that there are parts of the Bible that aren't directed at us anymore because, as you said, it's all about the technology - or lack thereof - of that day and age. And a lot of it is culture. I haven't noticed too much science being shut out because of religious purposes, but that could be because I'm religious! I need to keep an eye out and in the meantime, keep spreading those science facts! I personally believe God created science and it seems silly to feel threatened by that. I appreciate your honesty and your open view! (And I sent you a friend request on FB because I think you're awesome)! :)

[Lotus the Mermaid]

Back to the topic: Do we really care about the environment?

Yes! I think about it especially when I use water, and I try my best to conserve it. But if I'm being totally real with you all, it's not on my mind as much as I'd like! Perhaps, because the ocean seems so far away for this inlander. But I'm working to fix that. Especially, to save the sharks. I wonder if the task wouldn't seem insurmountable if we picked one thing that we'd like to see improve and then, focus all of our efforts on it. Just a thought!

[SeaGlass Siren]

i like to think most of us do. we just show it in different ways. going vegan/ vegetarian, hunting wild game as opposed to buying mass produced meat, conserving water, eating locally... choosing to walk or bike as opposed to driving...

[Yulia]

If we had a good and sustainable meatproduction, there would be enough meat so each person on the planet could have 100grams a day.
Which is enough meat for getting all the nutrients a body needs from meat. (Which you also can get elsewhere)

[PearlieMae]

i like to think most of us do. we just show it in different ways. going vegan/ vegetarian, hunting wild game as opposed to buying mass produced meat, conserving water, eating locally... choosing to walk or bike as opposed to driving...

I think every little bit helps...


Of course I do! Cows produce a ridiculous amount of methane gas. Methane gas is bad for the atmosphere. Therefore, I am trying to reduce the number of cows by eating them as often as possible! I know, I know... I am SUCH a humanitarian! ;)

You mean mermanitarian, surely!

[Dancing Fish]

I think every little bit helps...



You mean mermanitarian, surely!

wouldnt being a mermanitarian mean your diet is exclusively mermen?
Ooh, myyyy. :mermaid kiss:

[PearlieMae]

Who's to say it isn't? ;)

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