Senator Barack Obama responds to a question from vegan, Nikki Benoit, during a public meeting at Gibbs High School, Saint Petersburg, Florida (August 1st, 2008) The transcript of the conversation between Nikki and now president-elect Obama appears below… Senator Barack Obama: The young lady in the t-shirt, right there. Nikki Benoit: Thank you, Senator, very much for your strong environmental position. The United Nations actually has reiterated that factory farming is contributing more to global greenhouse gas emissions than all of transportation. I think that as a global community we really need to be the leader and moving more towards non-factory farming animal agriculture. It’s very egregious. There’s 10 billion land animals that we are funnelling our precious water and grain through when 70 per cent of all of our grain could help feed the world’s hungry. So, as the next leader of the most amazing nation in the world, how can we set the example on the more nutritional, plant-based diet that’s more eco-friendly and sustainable, that can maintain our water resources and all of our grain. Thank you very much. Senator Barack Obama: Okay. Well, it’s a great question. Now, I have to say in the interests of full disclosure, that I do like a steak once in a while. I’m just being honest. I like barbecue. I’m not going to lie. But the young lady makes a very important point and that is this: right now, our food system world-wide is under enormous pressure. It’s under enormous …
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So true! ugetify..com is the best site to get this mp3.
@Danquebec01 Well the world currently relies on genetically modified food for rice and wheat production, so it stands to reason that if the planet switched to a complete plant based diet we would would require it even more. Look up the work of Dr. Norman Borlaug.
@bushpilot99 Hum, why would it take genetically modified foods ?
But than I wonder, if the world went vegetarian what would happen to the 10 billion land animals that the young woman is talking about that are being feed and raised. Have them become extinct? We won’t be keeping them around just for the heck of it since they were bread and designed for food consumption. And to be able to feed the world on just a plant based diet would require using genetically modified foods, which most vegetarian/vegan naturalists oppose. So whats the solution?
Personally if I was barrak I’d have responded with something like “isnt this an personal issue weither or not an individual chooses to farm and or eat meat?”
Vegetarians are better because they’re not killing poor,defenseless creatures just for their taste buds. I am so going back to being a Vegetarian.
It’s ok once in a while to eat a little bit of chicken,but what I can’t understand is why people eat pigs,cows,buffalo butts,and god knows what that is nasty! And they eat that for breakfeast,lunch,and dinner.And then for some reason meat eaters think they are superior or better than vegetarians.What makes you better than Vegetarians? Vegetarians get asked a lot of stupid questions especially about preotein. How do you get pretein? People are so stupid.
@bushpilot99 I usually assume posters are in the usa. but this country is isn’t doing so hot either. goddamn crabby patties.
@deefromott I got something to say to you!!!
Congratulations on maintaining a healthy lifestyle choice and not suffering from obesity or diabetes. I myself do not suffer from obesity or diabetes while choosing to live on a omnivore diet. Long live personal choice. Oh btw, I’m wondering something. When you say “a substantial portion of your population”
do you mean nationality? If your profile info is correct than we both live in Canada.
@bushpilot99 I’m a vegan and I’m not obese and don’t have diabeties like a substantial portion of your population.
@GatorNikki Yes there is, as I’ve studied it. Yes in modern times we can process produce in order to achieve a healthy diet full of protein but our ancestors didn’t have any means to cultivate or prepare these items. It’s perfectly achieveable to obtain extra protein now but millions of years ago it wasn’t.
@BlaineDeschain there’s no evidence to support your claims – all credible, peer reviewed scientists admit there’s no such evidence. the plant kingdom has all the proteins humans [and loads of other herbivorous animals] need. read “the china study” by t. collin campbell.
why would you give up meat? to live till your 110 and die with vegetables if your stomach? fuck that. If you don’t want to eat meat, fine, if you want to be gay, fine, but don’t expect everyone to be forced to see if your way and be forced to take a one way train to vegetarian concentration camp. This is America, where intelligent humans are meant to be free, deal with it.
@GoddessMarina0889 First off we eliminate India from the #’s. Why? Because veg is a req part of religious observance for them. It is expected for them not to eat meat so therefore it was not a choice was it? Than we come to Continents such as Asia and Africa, with high poverty and thus cannot afford to eat meat. Does that make them vegetarians by choice? 8% of pop vs. 92 % of pop. Like I said, unrealistic and naive. I’m glad that I live a lifestyle that allows me to chose.
@GoddessMarina0889 Well ok than, lets look at the research you speak of. India with about 400 million (40% of pop). Big number. The rest of the world drops quite a bit. Europe approx 5% of population 41 mil give or take. U.S. 3.2 % or 7.3 mil, Israel 8.5 %…and so on. It’s figured that about 8% of the world is veg, maybe a little higher but not much 528 mil give or take. Big number. Now can we say all these people chose to not eat meat? Maybe not.
@bushpilot99 It’s not realistic to quit eating meat?!? your joking right. go do some research. If it was unrealistic to give up meat there wouldn’t be millions upon millions of HEALTHY vegetarians & vegans out there.
@truth2748 but don’t take this as my argument that eating meat is better than not eating meat. I like a good veggie burger every now and than and I love egg plant parmigiana. There is so much good food out there that I can’t turn it all down, I just choose to enjoy food responsibly. I think that another problem with the U.S. diet is that is is high in sodium and sugar, which really puts a huge strain on the heart. We all need to be more mindful of our health. Bon a petite.
@truth2748 There is truth in what you say (no pun intended). Nutritional experts which lean towards vegan/vegetarian lifestyle choices advise a meat free diet, and there are those that recommend “lean, fat free” meats as a source of protein. Reducing dietary fat helps reduce cholesterol levels, but we should all remember that genetically some people are predisposed to high cholesterol. It’s about excessive use really. I eat meat 2 days out of every 5, and treat it as a luxury not a necessity.
@truth2748 I proved a point. you didn’t prove anything. This isn’t about you. Leave your ego at the door. Go get educated before you try to educate.
@evilsqurrel420 I was just trying to get you to quit, I wasn’t agreeing with you kid. The only one showing poor intellectual acumen is you, specially with your last comment.
@bushpilot99 However, the number one killer in the US is heart disease. And nutritional experts advise a meat free diet.
@truth2748 Read before you write next time and you wouldn’t make yourself look like such an idiot. Organisms consuming other organisms is part of life, deal with it.
Alcohol Contributes To 1 In 25 Deaths Worldwide
Around 5.4 million deaths a year are caused by tobacco.
Millions die each year as a result of stress and hypertension.
Wouldn’t doubt some were meat eaters .
By eliminating one of these you do not automatically make yourself healthy, and should not assume it as the be all end all.
A healthy choice is moderation, but the idea of complete elimination is naive and not realistic.
@evilsqurrel420 Okay kid.
Who voted for this asshole