Jewish Group Calls Animal-Based Diets and Agriculture "Madness and Sheer Insanity"; Urges Jewish Community to Respond to the Many Moral Issues Related to Our Diets
For Immediate Release:
May 25, 2009
Contact:
Richard H. Schwartz, President of the Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)
president@JewishVeg.com Phone: (718) 761-5876 Cell: 917-576-0344
Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) today issued the following statement:
Because the world is rapidly approaching an unprecedented catastrophe from global warming and other environmental problems, and animal-based agriculture is contributing substantially to these threats, JVNA believes that it is time to call for a major shift to plant-based diets, because animal-based diets and agriculture are MADNESS AND SHEER INSANITY. Think we are exaggerating? Please consider:
* While the 2006 UN FAO report ”Livestock's Long Shadow” indicates that 'livestock' agriculture emits more greenhouse gases(in CO2 equivalents) than all the cars, ships, planes and other means of transportation worldwide combined (18% vs. 13.5%), and the indications of global warming impacts grow almost daily, the rate of consumption of animal products is increasing and projected by that same UN report to double in 50 years.
Israel is especially threatened by global warming. It is now experiencing the worst drought in its history,=2 0and the reduced rainfall the last few years has so diminished the level of the Sea of Galilee that the pumping of water from it had to be stopped. And in 2007 a report by the Israel Union for Environmental Defense projected that if current trends continue, Israel will experience major heat waves, storms and floods, a decrease in average rainfall up to 30 percent and an inundation of the coastal plain where most Israelis live by a rising Mediterranean Sea.
* While this has been called the century of drought and billions of people live in areas chronically short of water and this is projected to increase due to the melting of glaciers, reduced rainfall and other effects of global warming, the average diet of a meat-eater requires 14 times as much water than the diet of a vegan.
* While an estimated 20 million of the world's people die of hunger and its effects annually and nearly a billion people are chronically malnourished due to a lack of food, 70 percent of the grain grown in the United States and 40 percent of the grain produced worldwide are fed to animals destined for slaughter.
* While obtaining enough energy is a major issue today, animal-based agriculture requires far more energy than plant-based agriculture.
* While there is currently an epidemic of heart diseases, various types of cancer and other chronic, degenerative diseases, there is little effort to inform people that well-balanced, nutritious vegan diets can prevent, alleviate and sometimes reverse these diseases.
Many more examples of “madness and sheer insanity” can be given related to such issues as the destruction of tropical rain forests, the rapid extinction of species, soil erosion and depletion, animal wastes polluting our waters and swine flu.
How best to respond to this madness and sheer insanity? In a talk in December, 1978 at Riverside Church on “Theological Implications of the Arms Race,” Reverend Robert McAfee Brown stated that the arms race was “madness and sheer insanity” (JVNA is borrowing the phrase from him), because the US and then USSR could each wipe each other out with nuclear weapons many times over, and yet both continued to build additional nuclear weapons. He stated that, while one would think that one should apply sanity in response to the madness, what was really needed was a different kind of madness, what Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heshel called “moral madness,” the madness of the biblical prophets, the type of madness that radically challenges the status quo, that is ready to challenge the prevailing ways of thinking, that is not afraid to take on the icons of society..
Hence, in view of the prevalent madness and sheer insanity, JVNA will undertake some radical approaches. For example:
JVNA (along with other vegetarian-related groups) will respectfully but forcefully challenge:
* the medical profession, arguing that medical practice today is malpractice, unless doctors point out that many dis eases can be prevented, alleviated and sometimes reversed through well-chosen vegetarian and preferably vegan diets. There is general agreement that the American medical system is dysfunctional and is a major contributor to soaring deficits, but almost all the attention is on how to best pay for the medical care, rather than on how to keep people healthy.
* Jewish (and possibly other religious) establishments, since the production and consumption of animal products arguably violate basic Jewish mandates to preserve human health, treat animals with compassion, preserve the environment, conserve natural resources, help hungry people and seek and pursue peace.
* the media for missing the most urgent story of today: how the world is heading toward disaster and why a major societal shift to vegetarianism is an essential part of the necessary responses.
* Environmentalists for not making vegetarianism a major part of their agendas. As Howard Lyman has quipped, “An environmentalist who is not a vegetarian is like a philanthropist who does not give money.” Similar analyses can be made for people and groups concerned about hunger, energy, resource usage and other issues.
JVNA will also respectfully request that President Obama consider shifting toward vegetarianism and also help increase awareness of the many benefits of plant-based diets and the many negatives of animal-based diets. A major letter-writing campaign got Michelle Obama to give a commencement address at a California college. Perhaps a major20letter-writing campaign might also influence President Obama.
JVNA is urging that tikkun olam-the healing and repair of the world -- become a central issue in synagogues, Jewish schools and other Jewish institutions. Judaism has splendid teachings on environmental conservation and sustainability, and it is essential that they be applied to respond to the many current environmental threats.
A letter will be sent to rabbis and other Jewish leaders with the message in this press release, along with a summary of the threats and how Jews can address them. (Both are below.)
Further information about these issues can be found at JewishVeg.com. JVNA will provide complimentary copies of its new documentary A SACRED DUTY: APPLYING JEWISH VALUES TO HELP HEAL THE WORLD and related materials to rabbis and other Jewish leaders who will consider using them to involve their congregations on the issues.
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Summary of the threats and how Jews can address them:
The Planet Is Heading Toward An Unprecedented Catastrophe/How YOU Can Help Prevent It!
Below are factors to be considered that can help you shift our imperiled planet to a sustainable path.
First, an outline of key points, followed by supporting material for each point:
1. The world is rapidly heading toward an unprecedented catastrophe from global warming and other environmental threats.
2. Israel is especially threatened by global warming.
3. It is essential that major steps be taken immediately to avoid climate-related catastrophes.
4. A major societal shift toward vegetarian diets is an essential step in responding to global warming.
5. The production and consumption of animal products violate at least 6 basic Jewish mandates.
6. Judaism has splendid teachings that can be applied in responding to current environmental threats.
7. The Jewish community (like almost all, if not all, communities) is not doing enough to address the threats and the moral issues related to their diets.
8. There is much you can do to help shift our imperiled planet to a sustainable path. Yes you can!
9. JVNA will help as much as we possibly can.
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Supporting statements for the above points:
1. The world is rapidly heading toward an unprecedented catastrophe from global warming and other environmental threats.
The threats are worldwide. There are almost daily reports of severe droughts, heat waves, storms, flooding and wildfires and about meltings of polar icecaps and glaciers. While this has occurred due to an average temperature increase of about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the=2 0past 100 years, global climate scientists are projecting an increase of from 3 to 11 degrees Fahrenheit in the next 100 years, which would result in an unprecedented catastrophe for humanity.
A recent report indicated that our oceans may be virtually free of fish by 2050; species of plants and animals are disappearing at the fastest rate in history; it is projected that half of the world's people will live in areas chronically short of water by 2050;
2. Israel is especially threatened by global warming.
Israel is facing the worst drought in its history, and it is so severe that the level in the Sea of Galilee has dropped so low that water can no longer be pumped from it.
[http://jta.org/news/article/2009/01/22/1002430/israel-halts-sea-of-galilee-water-pumping]
The Israeli Union for Environmental Defense (IUED; Adam, Teva v'Din) projected in 2007 that, if present trends continue, global warming will result in Israel soon facing major heat waves, a reduction of rainfall of up to 30 percent, severe storms causing major flooding, and a rising Mediterranean Sea which would inundate the coastal plain where most Israelis live.
Rainfall in Israel this year has been at about half of its annual average. This mo nth is on track to be the driest in the history of such records, according to the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz.
Water sources that flow into the Sea of Galilee, also called Lake Kinneret, are also at their lowest level ever.
Israel is in the midst of its fifth consecutive year of drought.
3. It is essential that major steps be taken immediately to avoid climate-related catastrophes.
Some climate scientists. Including James Hansen of NASA, are warning that global warming could reach a tipping point and spin out of control in a few years, with disastrous consequences, unless major changes soon occur.
Al Gore pointed out that the United States must free itself from fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy sources by 2018. He stressed the urgency of the change by stating: 'the survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk,' and that 'The future of human civilization is at stake.'
Scientists at the February, 2009 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science indicated that global warming will likely increase more rapidly than expected because greenhouse gas emissions have increased faster than recent predictions and increased temperatures are setting off self-reinforcing feedback mechanisms in global ecosystems. (http://www.truthout.org/021609M)
4. A major societal shift toward vegetarian diets is an essential step in responding to global warming.
A landmark 2006 report by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization estimated that livestock production globally is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs, in CO2 equivalents) than the world's entire transportation sector. The report, “Livestock's Long Shadow,” projects that the world's current population of about 56 billion farmed animals will double in 50 years if human population growth and dietary trends continue. The resulting increase in greenhouse gas emissions would largely negate reduction goals for GHG emissions from transportation, electricity and other, higher-profile sectors.
JVNA believes that dietary concerns should be considered in terms of environmental impacts. In view of the many threats to humanity, it is scandalous that the world is not only trying to feed 6.8 billion people, but also about 56 billion farmed animals; that 70 percent of the grain produced in the United States and over a third produced worldwide are fed to animals raised for slaughter; that the standard American diet (SAD) requires up to 14 times as much water as a vegan diet.
Expert recognition of the importance of diet in preventing global warming is growing. This fall, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Cli mate Change, which shared a Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore in 2008, called on people in the developed world to "give up meat for one day [a week] initially, and decrease it from there." More recently, NASA climatologist James Hansen -- the world's most prominent scientific advocate of aggressive action against global warming -- told an interviewer:
"... if you eat further down on the food chain rather than animals, which have produced many greenhouse gases, and used much energy in the process of growing that meat, you can actually make a bigger contribution in that way than just about anything. So, that, in terms of individual action, is perhaps the best thing you can do."
5. The production and consumption of animal products violate at least 6 basic Jewish mandates.
There is a widely accepted aspect of modern life that contradicts many Jewish teachings and harms people, communities, and the planet -- the mass production and widespread consumption of meat. High meat consumption and the ways in which meat is produced today conflict with Judaism in at least six important areas:
1) While Judaism mandates that people should be very careful about preserving their health and their lives, numerous scientific studies have linked animal-based diets directly to heart disease, stroke, many forms of cancer, and other chronic degenerative diseases.
2) While Judaism forbids tsa'ar ba'alei chayim, inflicting unnecessary pain on animals, most farm animals -- including those raised for kosher consumers -- are raised on "factory farms" where they live in cramped, confined spaces, and are often drugged, mutilated, and denied fresh air, sunlight, exercise, and any enjoyment of life, before they are slaughtered and eaten.
3) While Judaism teaches that "the earth is the Lord's" (Psalm 24:1) and that we are to be God's partners and co-workers in preserving the world, modern intensive livestock agriculture contributes substantially to soil erosion and depletion, air and water pollution, overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the destruction of tropical rain forests and other habitats, global warming, and other environmental damage.
4) While Judaism mandates bal tashchit, that we are not to waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value, and that we are not to use more than is needed to accomplish a purpose, animal agriculture requires the wasteful use of grain, land, water, energy, and other resources.
5) While Judaism stresses that we are to assist the poor and share our bread with hungry people, over 70% of the grain grown in the United States is fed to animals destined for slaughter, while an estimated 20 million people worldwide die because of hunger and its effects each year.
6) While Judaism stresses that we must seek and pursue peace and that violence results from unjust conditions, animal-centered diets, by wasting valuable resources, help to perpetuate the widespread hunger and poverty that eventually lead to instability and war.
In view of these important Jewish mandates to preserve human health, attend to the welfare of animals, protect the environment, conserve resources, help feed hungry people, and pursue peace, and since animal-centered diets violate and contradict each of these responsibilities, committed Jews (and others) should sharply reduce or eliminate their consumption of animal products.
One could say "dayenu" (it would be enough) after any of the arguments above, because each one constitutes by itself a serious conflict between Jewish values and current practice that should impel Jews to seriously consider a plant-based diet. Combined, they make an urgently compelling case for the Jewish community to address these issues.
JVNA urges rabbis and other Jewish leaders to make Jews aware of how animal-based diets and agriculture violate basic Jewish mandates to preserve human health, treat animals compassionately, protect the environment, conserve natural resources, help hungry people and seek peace.
6. Judaism has splendid teachings that can be applied in responding to current environmental threats.
Among Judaism's many teachings about the environment are:
* People are to be partners and co-workers in protecting the environment;
* We are not to waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value:
* We are to be shomrei ha'adamah, guardians of the Earth (based on Genesis 2:15);
* The Sabbath and Sabbatical and Jubilee Years have environmental benefits in reducing our constant exploitation of the Earth and its resources.
7. The Jewish community (like almost all, if not all, communities) is not doing enough to address the threats and the moral issues related to their diets.
It is essential that the Jewish community fulfill our mandate to be a 'light unto the nations' and lead efforts to address global warming and other current critical issues.
It is urgent that tikkun olam-the healing and repair of the world -- be a central issue in synagogues, Jewish schools and other Jewish institutions. As indicated above, Judaism has splendid teachings on environmental conservation and sustainability, and it is essential that they be applied to respond to the many current environmental threats, in order to move our imperiled planet to a sustainable path.
8. There is much you can do to help shift our imperiled planet to a sustainable path. Yes you can!
In view of the seriousness of the issues, it is essential that you get involved. As a start, to increase your knowledge of the issues, you might want to visit the Jewish Vegetarians of North America web site (www.JewishVeg.com); see our acclaimed documentary “A Sacred Duty: Applying Jewish Values To Help Heal the World” at ASacredDuty.com (a version with Hebrew subtitles is available there); visit my web site www.JewishVeg.com/schwartz, where I have over 130 articles on all aspects of vegetarianism (including a course you can take at your own pace on “Judaism and Vegetarianism,” fact sheets, questions and answers on Jewish teachings on vegetarianism, animal concerns and related issues, a fictional dialogue between a rabbi and a Jewish vegetarian activist, an article relating Judaism to all the Jewish holidays and much more) and about 20 podcasts of my talks and interviews.
Please consider using these materials and more for letters to editors, talks on the issues, conversations with rabbis and other Jewish leaders and in other ways that will increase awareness of the issues. We must respectfully challenge rabbis (including chief rabbis), educators, politicians, medical professionals, media representatives and many others, and urge them to consider the issues.
The fate of Israel, Judaism and perhaps all of humanity and all of God's creation may depend on your actions.
9. JVNA will help as much as we possibly can.
Further information about these issues can be found at the JVNA web site JewishVeg.com. JVNA will provide complimentary copies of its new documentary A SACRED DUTY: APPLYING JEWISH VALUES TO HELP HEAL THE WORLD and related materials to anyone who will contact them (mail@jewishVeg.com) and indicate that they will consider using them to involve their congregations on the issues.
Since 1979, JVNA has raised awareness of the environmental, health, humanitarian and other benefits of a global shift to vegetarian, vegan or plant-based, diets. JVNA is eager to make its expertise and resources available to all educators, rabbis, journalists, policymakers and other conscientious and influential Jews so they may heighten awareness within the Jewish community not only of the seriousness of global warming but of the power of ethical dietary choices to prevent it.
The issues are so critical that JVNA is spearheading a campaign to turn Tu B'Shvat into a Jewish Earth Day and urging synagogues, Jewish schools and other institutions to arrange environmental activities on and around that day which occurred on February 8-9 in 2009.
Consistent with the fact that all the foods at the traditional Tu B'Shvat seder are from plants, JVNA also urges rabbis and other Jewish leaders to make Jews aware of how plant-based diets are most consistent with basic Jewish mandates to preserve human health, treat animals compassionately, protect the environment, conserve natural resources and help hungry people
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Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, College of Staten Island
Author of "Judaism and Vegetarianism," "Judaism and Global Survival," and "Mathematics and Global Survival," and over 130 articles at www.JewishVeg.com/schwartz
President of Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) www.JewishVeg.com
and Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians (SERV) www.serv-online.org/
Associate Producer of A SACRED DUTY (asacredduty.com)
Director of Veg Climate Alliance (www.vegclimatealliance.org)
president@JewishVeg.com