Why are people so against vegetarianism?

[Conservationist]

I often wonder why so many people within the green movement will change their mode of transportation, their homes, their energy use, and on and on to help the cause but are so resistant to becoming vegetarian?

1. Self-righteous vegetarians are even more annoying than the Mac users
2. No matter what we do, the rest of the world won't, so all of this is pretense

[tigerlily78]

2. No matter what we do, the rest of the world won't, so all of this is pretense

So we should all just embrace the defeatist attitude and eat a Big Mac everyday until the world bursts into flame?

I don't think that is the best we can do.

[Conservationist]

2. No matter what we do, the rest of the world won't, so all of this is pretense

So we should all just embrace the defeatist attitude and eat a Big Mac everyday until the world bursts into flame?

I don't think that is the best we can do.

The question is what's effective.

The best we can do is irrelevant if it is not effective.

I'm politely ignoring your false dichotomy above.

[tigerlily78]

The question is what's effective.

The best we can do is irrelevant if it is not effective.

I'm politely ignoring your false dichotomy above.

Cutting your own carbon footprint through vegetarianism is plenty effective.

Very few of us were even trying to argue the idea of trying to convince non-vegetarians to go full veg, but were questioning why they are so bothered by the other people around them engaging in vegetarianism even without being preachy.

By stating you are politely ignoring it you are not ignoring it.

Your same attitude and lack of respect is creeping back into your posts. You have already been warned.

[idahogev]

1. Self-righteous vegetarians are even more annoying than the Mac users

Is it not true that self-righteous people are annoying? Why focus on any one group? It just feeds stereotypes.

For example, it's estimated that around 1 to 2% of the USA population is vegetarian (higher for those who consume fish or occasionally eat meat and still claim to be vegetarian). So, on average 1 out of every 100 people are vegetarian.

Some places have more vegetarians than others, but what is true is that those vocal people are more memorable than the non-vocal ones. I bet that most people go through life not realizing how many vegetarians they're interacting with. So instead of saying that self-righteous people are annoying, you paint the entire crowd of vegetarians (at least 3 million in the USA alone) as self-righteous.

2. No matter what we do, the rest of the world won't, so all of this is pretense

A defeatist attitude. Maybe you should just say "Change is hard, I give up."

I'm really amazed by this attitude, especially on Treehugger, what's the point in focusing on any kind of change, including 'green' or conservation?

[SgtMaj]

2. No matter what we do, the rest of the world won't, so all of this is pretense

Conservationist has a good point here, and I think it's one that a lot of us miss. By going full vegetarian, you are freeing up enough resources to support 1 or 2 more people. Humans being the breeding machines we are WILL keep breeding until those resources are used up, but in addition to having that food consumed anyway, now you also have the rest of those extra two lives worth of pollution and other resource depletion. So until population growth is voluntarily curbed, I'm not so sure that there really is any benefit to saving those resources.

[idahogev]

2. No matter what we do, the rest of the world won't, so all of this is pretense

Conservationist has a good point here, and I think it's one that a lot of us miss. By going full vegetarian, you are freeing up enough resources to support 1 or 2 more people. Humans being the breeding machines we are WILL keep breeding until those resources are used up, but in addition to having that food consumed anyway, now you also have the rest of those extra two lives worth of pollution and other resource depletion. So until population growth is voluntarily curbed, I'm not so sure that there really is any benefit to saving those resources.

I'm not sure how that really connects to Conservationist's point, but okay.

While some vegetarians push this as an important aspect of vegetarianism, I find the point to be moot.

In regards to your point SgtMaj, you're treading on a slippery slope. The same could be said of any conservation effort. The resources will be used, so why bother.

[SgtMaj]

In regards to your point SgtMaj, you're treading on a slippery slope. The same could be said of any conservation effort. The resources will be used, so why bother.

Well not really... there are specific things that enable larger populations, those being conservation or production of food primarily, and secondarily conservation or production of potable water.

[idahogev]

In regards to your point SgtMaj, you're treading on a slippery slope. The same could be said of any conservation effort. The resources will be used, so why bother.

Well not really... there are specific things that enable larger populations, those being conservation or production of food primarily, and secondarily conservation or production of potable water.

Okay, so you don't think there is any benefit to conserve of food and water?

That is an interesting point of view.

[SgtMaj]

Okay, so you don't think there is any benefit to conserve of food and water?

Only if we (all people on the planet) curb population growth. If we do that, then it had a tremendous impact, if not, then doing so only helps us remain overpopulated that much longer, which personally, I'm kinda looking forward to the population crash because I think we're already grossly overpopulated and that nature can only begin to recover once human populations decline significantly.

Now that does not carry over to other things like the use of energy, or plastic, etc... because conserving energy, or plastic, etc. has virtually no effect on population growth.

[greenteadrinker]

The reaction I get from most people is baffling to me. They react to my simple statement of
being a vegetarian as a personal attack on them. "Oh, I love eating meat"; as if I'm going to
take away their choice of eating it/not eating it.
And when they question my motives for such a "silly" choice (in their minds) they attack that.
Emissions? Bunk.
Cruelty to the animal in the slaughtering process? Nope, never happens.
Transport emissions? This is Texas, they're right here. (cattle)
Health reasons? Unsubstantiated rumors.
And I'm "just" a vegetarian, I can't imagine all the crap vegans must hear.

[SgtMaj]

The reaction I get from most people is baffling to me. They react to my simple statement of being a vegetarian as a personal attack on them. "Oh, I love eating meat"; as if I'm going to
take away their choice of eating it/not eating it.

I think you may be taking their statement about how they love to eat meat a little too personally, I mean when you tell them you love to eat veggies, that's not a personal attack against them is it, and you're not saying it because you think they'll take away your right to refuse to eat meat, right? It seems to me like they're just making polite conversation.

[Conservationist]

Cutting your own carbon footprint through vegetarianism is plenty effective.

...

By stating you are politely ignoring it you are not ignoring it.

Your same attitude and lack of respect is creeping back into your posts. You have already been warned.

I'm sorry, when were these warnings and for what were they issued? What, specifically?

I received a warning from a moderator who, when I asked what specific post and specific rule was involved, backed down and then deleted their reply to me before I could read it.

I'm unsure what you're trying to say here: that pointing out behavior I disagree with in a polite way is somehow bad?

Please be clearer, or I'm going to think this is a kind of "Court of Star Chamber" where the only infraction is personally disagreeing with those in power.