vegan meat

[yesno]

I would eat lab-grown whatever, in principle.  Life itself is no more disgusting than science.  When you think about it, all life is disgusting. Life is the source of disgusting-ness.   Even trees.  But there's nothing disgusting on the moon!

I'm only an ethical vegetarian, though. I would have no problem eating humanely-raised animals that got to live what should be the "typical" life of that animal, if I could be bothered to pay the absurd sums and do the research necessary.  I think it is important to remember that domesticated species evolved into the niche of domestication.   It wasn't something we did to them; it was a symbiotic co-evolution.  (Of course, this doesn't matter to the individual animal.  As the writers on evolution like to point out, if what our genes "wanted" mattered we'd never use birth control. Nonetheless, I don't think there's anything wrong with taking the broader view in some instances.)

I also second Sploop's comments about the difference between different kinds of animals.  I frankly care much, much less about an animal the less capable it is of what I would recognize as "suffering."  I don't care about bugs at all, for instance, and I care about, say, fish much less than I do about mammals.  I think everyone draws a line.  I think that a lot of meat-eaters would not eat a chimp or gorilla even if they were not endangered, for instance. I think the problem Americans have with eating dogs, even though pigs are just as smart as them or smarter, is just a result of seeing first-hand the fact that dogs experience real emotion.  (The fact that dogs have evolved neonatal features and over-the-top feelings of love for their caretakers as a survival mechanism in an environment dominated by human whim helps, too.)

Anyway, lab-grown meat wouldn't raise any *ethical* problems for me.  I agree with the people who've pointed out that most people eat way, way too much protein, so the health problems with eating meat and excess calories generally remain.  And I doubt it will ever really work.  Part of the taste of meat comes from the muscles and what have you actually having been exercised.  Just growing some blob that happens to have the right DNA wouldn't taste right.

Sorry for the rambling, I think about this a lot.

[joanna]

I would eat lab-grown whatever, in principle.  Life itself is no more disgusting than science.

yup. most natural foods have gross origins, if you think about it. the best-tasting veggies and fruits were well-fertilized plants and the best fertilizer is poop. but we wash our veggies well and move on.

don't even get me started on how truly gross things like sausage and hot dogs are, but they are so commonplace in our diets that they have become destigmatized, and people don't think about how it got on their plate. but let me assure you, i've watched the videos, and i'd eat lab meat every day before i'd touch pretty much any store bought meat product ever again.

[joanna]

I think the problem Americans have with eating dogs, even though pigs are just as smart as them or smarter, is just a result of seeing first-hand the fact that dogs experience real emotion.  (The fact that dogs have evolved neonatal features and over-the-top feelings of love for their caretakers as a survival mechanism in an environment dominated by human whim helps, too.)

i completely agree with you. i've also spent some time with pigs and they're extremely sweet and affectionate and definitely develop loyalty for and have relationships with the people who take care of them. but people don't typically have pigs as pets, so they don't attach the same feelings to them that they do to dogs.

i think about these things a lot, too, i guess. part of it comes from growing up in texas and having to defend my vegetarianism to my family for 15 years. conversations they initiated, not me. then i became a vegan. then i released a vegan cookbook. now they pretty much leave me alone about it.

if you want someone to stop giving you grief about something, write a book about it!