Jan 14, 2009

CATTLE TICKS, GLOBAL WARMING & BUGS IN YOUR FOOD - GO VEGAN

Here's what's bugging me: Canada's forests are now contributing to climate change. The trees are pumping out more carbon dioxide than they are absorbing. 1.2 million square miles of trees, Almost 10% of the earths forests are in Canada and are now stressed due to global warming. Insect infestations and persistent fires have crossed an ominous line and are now pumping out more climate-changing carbon dioxide than they are sequestering. So this establishes that we are in a global climate crisis.

And what does the U.N. report as the number 1 contributor to global warming? Livestock. But livestock, cattle in particular - has it's own issues with a bug threatening their cows. It's the cattle tick. Cattle tick fever, is a disease that can kill up to 90 percent of infected animals. And in the past two years, 128 new cattle fever tick infestations have been detected. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Texas officials will receive $4.9 million to help fight fever ticks, a pest that can transmit a deadly parasite to cattle.

$4.9 million dollars (more) to help the cow people - And what do the cow people use to eliminate ticks? Another poisonous insecticide, or rather an ixodicidal compounds. Ticks are now resistant to arsenic, organochlorine, organophosphorus and carbamate compounds. Even effecting dairy cows, there is a very real probability that these resistant strains will continue to thwart cattlemen as ticks adapt to each exposure to new chemicals.

So here... I think - poor cows :(

And finally, on the 7th, the FDA has announced that from now on it will require food processors to include on it's label the ingredient of either "carmine" or "cochineal" if it is actually in the product... Food industries use the female pulverized insect cochineal, a flat, wingless beetle-like creature native to Mexico and South America to dye certain foods. There is no nutritional value, however if you're allergic - it could be potentially fatal to ingest. Two foods mentioned that use "carmine" are the dairy products: Dannon and Yoplait. Here's a much better (bug free) Vegan alternative:

So why would anyone want to contribute to global warming? Why would anyone want to eat a "food" that is so destructive to the environment? Or eat an animal that has to suffer so to become "meat"? Don't eat animals - Don't eat insects -

Go Vegan!
Canada Pine Beetles Texas lands $4.9M for ticks FDA: Food makers to acknowledge bug-based additives

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

That poor cow with all those bugs on her bottom....ugh! Makes me want to help her - looks SO uncomfortable.

But that aside, the idea that all these chemicals are being used is alarming. I mean, don't people realize that those chemicals are getting into their food and our soil??

Bea Elliott said...

Yes, it is disturbing about the ticks on the cows... Not to mention all the worming medicines and other drugs they ingest. How any reasonable person, once they have the (undisclosed) information - can consider *meat* -"food" is a beyond me.

Thanks for dropping by - I put a link to your blog on my sidebar... I've enjoyed your posts :)

Anonymous said...

Those bugs, ugh... it's infuriating. How could anyone just walk by that and continue farming animals?

Bea Elliott said...

well... looks like they get out the chemicals. Not unlike the poop in the meat - they just irradiate it... Pretty nasty stuff.