TED Community » Peter Lindsay

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  A reply on Conversation: Are the western vegetarian and vegan movements food fetishes for the rich?

  Apr 23 2012: Please classify these as plant or animal. Euglena, Trachelomonus, Diatoms. What about a sponge that derives 80% of its oxygen and nutrition from algal cells within its body. The one thing that most identifies plants is the presence of chloroplasts, but these probably started as cyano-bacteria that were engulfed by early single celled organisms. Essentially plants are animals that took cyano-bacteria hostage much as sponges, corals and giant clams now take algae hostage. If you look at the development of life on earth the seperation into plants animals and fungi is very recent, thats why we still share the majority of basic cell structure. Male plants make sperm and females make ova just like people.

• A comment on Conversation: There are always principles that we live by.This belief separates the right from wrong. What is your life's principle? In 50 Words or less

  Apr 23 2012: Supposedly the thing that makes humans superior to most other animals is the ability to see the other guys point of view. If this were true then no one would ever cause injury (physical or otherwise) to another. We all need empathy lessons.
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  A reply on Conversation: Are the western vegetarian and vegan movements food fetishes for the rich?

  Apr 23 2012: In Australia we farm cattle in semi-arid areas that are unsiutable for crop farming. Cattle convert the dry grass that we can't eat into meat that we can eat. Dry countries like Australia wouldn't be able to feed their population without meat.
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  A reply on Conversation: Are the western vegetarian and vegan movements food fetishes for the rich?

  Apr 23 2012: In reality there is no clear distinction between plants and animals. You are lamenting the torturous methods of meat farming but don't mention the fact that most consumption of plants involves eating the unborn offspring of another organism. Is it more of a crime to eat veal or to cut the reproductive organ from a whole field of corn plants? If you are more concerned about the veal I would guess that it is becuase you are genetically closer to it. That seems to be how this whole vegetarian thing works.