THE NEW YORK TIMES ON ANIMAL AG AND WATER

Nicholas Kristof

By Leslie Goldberg

In an amazing example of the difference between “talking the talk” and “walking the walk,” Nicholas Kristof, a New York Times columnist who has wrung his hands about the animal cruelty inherent in factory farming, turned his sights on the California drought and… and… and… can you believe it? Animal agriculture!

YAY! Finally somebody at the Gray Lady is going to tell the truth about water use in our state!

On your marks, get set, go, Nicholas!

He starts off strong with a quiz:

Which consumes the most water?

A) a 10-minute shower.

B) a handful of 10 almonds.

C) a quarterpound hamburger patty.

D) a washing machine load.

Yup, it’s the burger!! Ding, ding, ding.

The columnist explains carefully that the shower might use 25 gallons. The almonds? A gallon each. The washing machine uses 35 gallons per load. And the burger uses around 450 gallons.

He goes on to talk about the California drought and what a freaking bummer it is, especially when he and his daughter are out hiking and see how the streams and lakes are all dried up.

He even explains how meat, dairy and egg production stack up against plant foods in terms of water. He writes, “A mandarin orange consumes 14 gallons of water. A head of lettuce, 12 gallons. A bunch of grapes, 24 gallons. One single walnut, 2 gallons.”

In an impressive burst of truth-telling, he goes on to write: “… a single egg takes 53 gallons of water to produce. A pound of chicken, 468 gallons. A gallon of milk, 880 gallons. And a pound of beef, 1,800 gallons of water.”

Woo hoo! Go Nick, go. Tell it! Tell us all if we want to save the habitability of the planet we need to go vegan, now. Save the animals! Save the water! Strike a blow against climate change!

But as he comes into the home stretch, our hero Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times stumbles:

“Like most Americans, I eat meat, but it’s worth thinking hard about the inefficiency in that hamburger patty — and the small lake that has dried up to make it possible. Maybe our industrial agriculture system is beginning to change, for we’re seeing some signs of a food revolution in America, with greater emphasis on organic food and animal rights.”

Buy organic and give Walmart a big pat on the back as well for joining the “humane meat” bullshit brigade.
Think, baby, think.

Umm. I’m thinking if I should still keep reading the Times.

– A Vicious Vegan blog post –

3 thoughts on “THE NEW YORK TIMES ON ANIMAL AG AND WATER”

  1. Let’s reiterate. There is No Such Thing as humane meat. There is not even such a thing as meat. Let’s call it what it is. What is chopped up, cooked and served Dead Animal Corpse.

    Let’s call these animals what they are –
    – Dead Pig corpse
    – Dead Cow corpse
    – Dead Baby Cow corpse
    OR-
    – Slaughtered Baby Sheep – a lamb – now a corpse
    – Dead chicken –
    – Dead Fish

    3X’s a day – people eating corpse should be having a funeral before consuming the blood and the slaughtered animals. Then maybe have to pay a tax by buying maybe a T shirt that they have to wear with an arrow to the belly that reads ‘ contains dead cow, fish and pig’. Another T shirt with an arrow could say – cemetary for raped, kidnapped stolen, slaughtered, choiceless animals. Should have alternate T shirts that say – 3000 gallons of water utilized for my animal cemetary today.
    Not sure of the number of acres of the rain forest devastated per animal, but – they ARE chopping down the rainforest at 1 acre/second to grow soy/corn etc. to feed to the animals that carnists are consuming. Alternatively they are taking down the rainforest to make room for the animals to grow up to the age when they are fat enough for slaughter. Could a tax on dead animal purchase get people thinking about destroying the precious rainforest and the precious animals? Could carnists buy and wear T-shirts (along with meat purchase) Identifying themselves as one who chooses to eat meat and destroy the rain forest. Carnists can identify themselves as choosing to eat animals – rather than breathe and rather than allowing for future air for own children. In 10 years there will be no rain forest . Rainforest = lungs of the planet. People – oops sorry – carnists (not vegans) would rather eat animals – than breathe – or let their own children breathe in the future? This is the choice that is being made. What do You think Nicholas Kristof?

    1. Great post Janet! Nicholas Kristof could be a much better advocate than he is. I’m tired of mealy mouthed columnists. He knows the truth, why doesn’t he get on the side of history?

Leave a Reply to janet cade Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *