I was born in Louisville, Kentucky, but now live in the woods in southern Indiana. Though I only write fiction, I love to read non-fiction. The more I learn about this world, the more fantastic I see it is.
Marian Allen's Amazon profile
One thought on “The Difference #Fridays4Future #ClimateStrikeOnline”
Michael Hodges
February 18, 2022 at 7:18am
A topic that’s so difficult to discuss — partly because people have difficulty grasping climate vs. weather… partly because people tend to be all-or-nothing, absolutist in their thinking regarding what is happening in Nature cyclically vs. our contributions… differences in opinion of what is Right or Wrong in all moral acts (I know a while back I commented on what amounts to Karen/militant Vegans and you said no Vegans you’d ever met behaved that way… and I’m glad that has been your experience of Vegans, but it frequently hasn’t been mine), and so on.
I would love it if we could manage our lives more organically, truly love it. Your shared meme and quote is spot-on: we argue, Nature moves on. We are, as it was put in Crocodile Dundee, like fleas arguing over who owns the dog on whose back they’re riding.
I’m reading a book now called ONCE UPON A TIME, WE ATE ANIMALS, written by a vegan who states, in her intro, that being vegan doesn’t make her feel superior, because she’s aware of the moral ambiguity of many of her choices. For instance, if she buys produce, is it REALLY grown responsibly and sustainably, or has it been “greenwashed”? Is wearing cotton or plastic instead of leather actually better for the environment? Do you refuse to eat sugar because you can’t be CERTAIN it hasn’t been purified by running it through charred animal bones? Does using agar instead of gelatin deprive marine animals of their food? Excellent book.
And therein lies what we wish was the “norm” (hopefully bypassing all the caveats and disclaimers regarding “Oh yeah? Well what IS normal?” and going with a simple “you know what I mean”). I used Vegan as a stepping-off point, an illustration of how difficult it frequently is to have conversations and discussions in a trigger-happy society. I like when I hear about or meet someone who isn’t out on an agenda. It makes it easier to learn. Do I have anything against Vegans? Nope, not one bit. If you wanna eat whatever and I wanna eat my steak and taters, why can’t we all just get along?
There are some people one can discuss supper with, and some one cannot. If we can discuss supper, odds are good we can discuss climate change, whether we agree or not. If supper causes too much consternation, then larger topics are obviously off the table, eh?
You’re right, Alicia, but humans have a superpower – they can believe two totally opposite ideas at the same time. For example, people who believe the earth is flat but travel to other countries by plane. Or people who refuse to believe the science on evolution but would fight to the last breath for the right to own an iPad or <>.
To be honest, I do it myself. The thought of killing anything larger than a fly or mosquito fills me with horror yet..I love eating lamb.
I think that if I had to slaughter my own meat I’d become a vegetarian over night. 🙁
If you had to slaughter your own meat, you’d enjoy the lamb while it was alive, remember its purpose, and kill it quickly and humanely. Humans have done that for centuries.
We’re not used to is any more, but would get used to it quickly if we were hungry – we’re omnivores AND top predators.
You get really practical when you have to – or you don’t survive.
You wouldn’t let the offspring starve. Or the village children. Not my favourite idea, learning to use my maiden name, but I will if I have to (says a woman who most likely won’t).
I wish you hadn’t said that. I’m a total pacifist but I realised long ago that I would kill anyone who tried to hurt the Offspring. No hesitation. No guilt. But a defenceless animal? That’s a moral dilemma I really truly hope I never have to face. :/
Michael Hodges
February 18, 2022 at 7:18amA topic that’s so difficult to discuss — partly because people have difficulty grasping climate vs. weather… partly because people tend to be all-or-nothing, absolutist in their thinking regarding what is happening in Nature cyclically vs. our contributions… differences in opinion of what is Right or Wrong in all moral acts (I know a while back I commented on what amounts to Karen/militant Vegans and you said no Vegans you’d ever met behaved that way… and I’m glad that has been your experience of Vegans, but it frequently hasn’t been mine), and so on.
I would love it if we could manage our lives more organically, truly love it. Your shared meme and quote is spot-on: we argue, Nature moves on. We are, as it was put in Crocodile Dundee, like fleas arguing over who owns the dog on whose back they’re riding.
Marian Allen
February 18, 2022 at 10:33amI’m reading a book now called ONCE UPON A TIME, WE ATE ANIMALS, written by a vegan who states, in her intro, that being vegan doesn’t make her feel superior, because she’s aware of the moral ambiguity of many of her choices. For instance, if she buys produce, is it REALLY grown responsibly and sustainably, or has it been “greenwashed”? Is wearing cotton or plastic instead of leather actually better for the environment? Do you refuse to eat sugar because you can’t be CERTAIN it hasn’t been purified by running it through charred animal bones? Does using agar instead of gelatin deprive marine animals of their food? Excellent book.
Michael Hodges
February 18, 2022 at 1:40pmAnd therein lies what we wish was the “norm” (hopefully bypassing all the caveats and disclaimers regarding “Oh yeah? Well what IS normal?” and going with a simple “you know what I mean”). I used Vegan as a stepping-off point, an illustration of how difficult it frequently is to have conversations and discussions in a trigger-happy society. I like when I hear about or meet someone who isn’t out on an agenda. It makes it easier to learn. Do I have anything against Vegans? Nope, not one bit. If you wanna eat whatever and I wanna eat my steak and taters, why can’t we all just get along?
There are some people one can discuss supper with, and some one cannot. If we can discuss supper, odds are good we can discuss climate change, whether we agree or not. If supper causes too much consternation, then larger topics are obviously off the table, eh?
Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt
February 18, 2022 at 2:05pmThe only way to be sure is to do it all yourself – on your own farm – purchased with what money? And it will be exhausting to grow all your own food.
Whether most people like it or not, we are all interconnected. Like a body, with some cells working on elimination and others on deep thought.
acflory
February 18, 2022 at 6:29pmYou’re right, Alicia, but humans have a superpower – they can believe two totally opposite ideas at the same time. For example, people who believe the earth is flat but travel to other countries by plane. Or people who refuse to believe the science on evolution but would fight to the last breath for the right to own an iPad or <>.
To be honest, I do it myself. The thought of killing anything larger than a fly or mosquito fills me with horror yet..I love eating lamb.
I think that if I had to slaughter my own meat I’d become a vegetarian over night. 🙁
Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt
February 18, 2022 at 6:42pmIf you had to slaughter your own meat, you’d enjoy the lamb while it was alive, remember its purpose, and kill it quickly and humanely. Humans have done that for centuries.
We’re not used to is any more, but would get used to it quickly if we were hungry – we’re omnivores AND top predators.
You get really practical when you have to – or you don’t survive.
acflory
February 19, 2022 at 5:09pmI know that farmers have that mindset, but I’m a total wimp, so I’d probably starve. :/
Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt
February 19, 2022 at 9:10pmYou wouldn’t let the offspring starve. Or the village children. Not my favourite idea, learning to use my maiden name, but I will if I have to (says a woman who most likely won’t).
acflory
February 19, 2022 at 9:22pmI wish you hadn’t said that. I’m a total pacifist but I realised long ago that I would kill anyone who tried to hurt the Offspring. No hesitation. No guilt. But a defenceless animal? That’s a moral dilemma I really truly hope I never have to face. :/