Carve it Right
Posted on Tuesday, November 25th, 2008
As a self-proclaimed greenie, I take issue to Styrofoam plates at family gatherings, five cars parked at Grandma’s and relatives that don’t recycle. With all my opinions and complaints, one would think I’d be a strict vegetarian, but truth be told, I adore meat. So, I’ll likely be consuming some turkey on Thursday, albeit, free range.
Still, this holiday season, I’ve started researching ways to green the gatherings. I came across a rather bloody cartoon PETA video, as well as some practical steps toward sustainable celebrations.
Enjoy the fruits of my research. And have fun playing the turkey-plucking game, if even for 4 seconds. The biggest problem with the game is that while the images are gruesome, the game ignores the reality of delicious smells emanating from the oven stuffed with a turkey that is stuffed itself with rosemary, gravy, bread, cranberries and juices. I’m sorry to say that the game will feel like a forgotten comic strip to meat lovers sitting in the kitchen inhaling that juicy warmth. Still, there are green options for everyone, from carnivore to vegan.
Check out To Turkey or Not to Turkey.
Some ways to thank the earth and give some green love:
*SEVEN TIPS for a GREENER HOLIDAY SEASON (including throwing an outdoor party to save some heat by making your own).
*GREEN YOUR THANKSGIVING (including donating your turkey fat for biofuel!).
*SUSTAINABLE THANKSGIVING TABLE (with meatless and meatful options).
*YAHOO’S GREEN GIFT GUIDE (including a Trendsetter section for the “coolest person you know”).
*HOLIDAYS IN HARMONY WITH NATURE (as in, in the comfort of your own “holiday yurt”).
Have you seen PETA’s other turkey-related videos and blogs? Top 10 reasons to pardon a turkey: http://blog.peta.org/archives/2008/11/top_10_reasons.php
Turkey investigation: http://blog.peta.org/archives/2008/11/undercover_inve.php
I respect a person’s right to eat or not to eat meat. Personally, the PETA organization uses extremist means and methods to promote their cause and therefore loses some credibility. There is significant harm done to the land and therefore wild animals in the process of industrialized farming —thousands of acres of land are sapped of their natural nutrients, trees are cut down and animals are shot simply because they are on the farmer’s property. Native Americans truly are the role models for sustainable living — they had a respect for land and animals — they only planted (farmed) what they needed to eat for their own family/community and they only hunted what they /community could eat. They honored land and animals — they lived in balance w/ their environment (at least they did until the settlers came and we all know the rest of the story). I do not support industrialized farming or the mass killing of animals raised only to be slaughtered. We do our best to live off the land , respect all living things — free range turkey and venison fills are fridge bow-hunted on our own property with long bows that are made by hand and there’s no beer-guzzling , red-neck attitude of dominance to be found. Watch Last of the Mohicans — respect land & animals.
Lianne: I haven’t seen those other videos. I will check them out, thanks!
Skitodream: I agree with you that the scare tactics/extremist measures are a turn off. I think the best environmental/sustainable/trying our best discussions I’ve had are with local food producers, such as Sue Muncaster in Teton Valley, Idaho who runs Slow Food in the Tetons and the Ecogastronomy Initiative. I’m still a meat eater, but I buy grass-fed beef from a ranch in Lander, and eat eggs from cage-free, hormone-free hens. We all just need to keep talking and researching and learning about this.
Happy Thanksgiving!