I was just wondering what Greeniacs' opinions are on this issue. There are definitely certain instances in which animal protection is almost synonymous with environmental protection. For example, if a big farm decides to spread out its cows more and let them roam on pasture, that measure improves the quality of life of those animals, but it is also better for the environment to not have all the cows dropping their manure in one place and compacting the soil (if they are even allowed out of the barn).

Personally, I consider animal protection to be an environmental issue, because animals and all other beings are a part of our natural environment. For all who are interested, signatures are currently being collected in Massachusetts to put The Greyhound Protection Act on the 2008 ballot. This act would phase out all greyhound racing in Massachusetts by 2010. For more information on this campaign, do check out the following website:

http://protectdogs.org/index.html

Personally, I would say YES. Animals are an essential part of every working ecosystem-so without them, many natural environments would not be able to survive.

This is a vast and important issue that can be looked at in many different ways. For me, I believe one of the most important aspects of how animal protection impacts the environment is thourgh the vegetarian movement. I feel that by creating less of a demand on the meat idustry, fewer animals will be harmed and needed, less land is needed (freeing up more land that can be used to feed more people and contributing to more biodiversity and nutrient rich soils), and less manufacturing and transportation will be needed-thus minimizing our carbon footprint.

A report put out by the United Nations awhile back warned that the meat industry may be one of the biggest threats to our global and local environments. Now that is something to think about! For more information about the vegetarian movement, animals, and the environment check out: www.goveg.com

Personally, I would say YES. Animals are an essential part of every working ecosystem-so without them, many natural environments would not be able to survive.

This is a vast and important issue that can be looked at in many different ways. For me, I believe one of the most important aspects of how animal protection impacts the environment is thourgh the vegetarian movement. I feel that by creating less of a demand on the meat idustry, fewer animals will be harmed and needed, less land is needed (freeing up more land that can be used to feed more people and contributing to more biodiversity and nutrient rich soils), and less manufacturing and transportation will be needed-thus minimizing our carbon footprint.

A report put out by the United Nations awhile back warned that the meat industry may be one of the biggest threats to our global and local environments. Now that is something to think about! For more information about the vegetarian movement, animals, and the environment check out: www.goveg.com

It's very heartening to know that the United Nations has condemned the meat industry. No matter how many vegetarians there are in the world, I think one of the most important motivators for potential vegetarians will be to hear that vegetarianism is worthwhile from the "mouths" of organizations they trust. Even though I tend to be strong in my vegan convictions, it has still been very motivating and validating for me to read encouraging quotations about veganism by celebrities.

You might find this website interesting:

http://www.veganoutreach.org/advocacy/quotes.html

You make good points about the meat industry and the environment. Keep spreading the word!

These posts are very interesting. And I definitely agree with you that animal protection is an environmental issue. Meat production, like you pointed out earlier, presents huge environmental dangers.

I keep thinking about James Lovelock and his Gaia Hypothesis- everything in an ecosystem is interconnected, and we, as humans, have gone around removing things and altering ecosystems, probably to our eventual detriment.

On a sort of different note, I thought that this article from a couple years ago was really interesting:
http://environment.newscientist.com/article/mg19225731.
100.html
Basically, if humans went extinct, ecosystems could probably right themselves, and continue on without a hitch. It is just something that is interesting to think about.

I wonder if we will every to live in a more balanced way with the natural world?

Unfortunately, humans are very good at off-setting the natural process of the Earth. And...our population continues to grow.

At this point, I believe it will be almost impossible to find a balance with the natural world. We will have to move back to the pre-industrial era (and possibly even farther).

A good resource for outlining the history and the future of our impact on the environment is a book called, The Human Impact on the Natural Environment, by Andrew Goudie.

http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/book.asp?ref=9781405
127042