Anyone out there read "The Vegetarian Myth"?

I just read something appalling, but it sounds true to me, the same way that Primal sounds true to me, because it's supported by scientific facts.


Here's the money quote (page 125-126, paperback version).


"We're asking the wrong question. It's for the right reasons: we want a just world where every last child is fed. But our species overshot a long time ago and *it can't be done.* In the end, phantom carrying capacity can produce only ghosts, and they will be hungry ones. We're using up fossil acres, harvesting sunlight that's been stored away for thousands of years. Once it's gone, there won't be any more. "Facts are not repealed by refusal to face them," writes Catton. We - human race we - are going to have to face the facts if we have any hope of easing our way toward true sustainability while valuing human rights and preserving civic order. The alternative is a grim and ugly scenario of mass starvation, plagues, racial and tribal strife, misogyny, fundamentalism, and accelerating ecosystem collapse."


I strongly recommend this book. You will be shocked. (And it will give you some strong comebacks to people who say "but eating meat isn't sustainable!")

I'm hoping for a good pandemic (with a high mortality rate). Would be nice if living primal makes you strong enough to live through it....

Haha. LOVE that idea Tarlach. I tell people that we need something to wipe a lot of us out since the earth has way to many of us destructive little buggers. Always make people freak out.

It would be nice if it was quick and painless though (i.e. AIDS is doing the best job so far but I have a friend who had AIDS and it is a miserable existence... he is such an optimistic guy though and his T cell count is practically normal)

I'm not hoping for it, but it will happen anyway. Or we'll hit the wall and the inevitable population collapse that will follow it. I think that passage in the book is very true.

I think the UN demographers put peak population at about 9 billion about 40 years out and then slowly declining. It's based on economic development and education levels. The best contraceptive is a well educated woman! Italy, Japan, and Russia are already below replacement levels, I think.


[url]www.freetheanimal.com[/url] has a very good review of the book. I almost feel like I've read it!

I ordered this book on Amazon in August, I finally got an email 2 days ago saying it's been shipped. Can't wait to read it.

I've read this book and I absolutely loved it. It truly does make a lot of sense.

I'm tempted to forward the name and title to all the vegetarian friends I have but I don't want to offend anyone by doing that.

Funny, my Dad (who likes to speak out) often says that helping feed people grain in the third world is just prolonging the agony for all of us. Very blunt. The world is definitely over-populated - but far be it from me to decide who should live or not...

That's the beauty of education of women. No one has to decide who gets the firing squad, it's just not replacing those that die.


Sort of like corporate downsizing by not hiring but on a global scale!


What I find fascinating is that unspoken, so far, will be a whole new economy. Growth of business by increased population will disappear, except for local shifts. Real estate and other resources will LOSE value and could conceivably, ultimately, become a burden for owners.


This has already happened in Detroit, where for years people have just walked away from their homes. Ultimately, the city has to pay for demolition to avoid having them burn up, become crack houses, etc. Better a vacant lot than blight.


I'm not sure how many were vegetarians.......(Trying to get back on track.)

I love how you keep mentioning the importance of educating women. HELLO! It takes two to make a child. I don't hear you saying half the male population should just get a vasectomy to be on a safe side and still enjoy life.