Scientists around the world are researching or seeking the funds to research ways to produce meat in the laboratory--without killing any animals. In vitro meat production would use animal stem cells that would be placed in a medium to grow and reproduce. The result would mimic flesh and could be cooked and eaten. Some promising steps have been made toward this technology, but we're still several years away from having in vitro meat be available to the general public.PETA is now stepping in and offering a $1 million reward to the first scientist to produce and bring to market in vitro meat.Why is PETA supporting this new technology? More than 40 billion chickens, fish, pigs, and cows are killed every year for food in the United States in horrific ways. Chickens are drugged to grow so large they often become crippled, mother pigs are confined to metal cages so small they can't move, and fish are hacked apart while still conscious--all to feed America's meat addiction. In vitro meat would spare animals from this suffering. In addition, in vitro meat would dramatically reduce the devastating effects the meat industry has on the environment.
This may sound like an "innovative solution" that makes everyone happy. I get to have pounds of meat every week and I don't have to have nightmares about the Tyson chicken truck anymore. (I was once stuck behind one on a windy road for hours. I was in tears as thousands of chicken feathers pelted my windshield from the open-air cages.) What this reeks of, in my opinion, is the real problem we're experiencing on this planet. We have the evidence, we have alternatives, and we know we need to change our practices. Yet, instead of doing so, we just come up with these f***ed-up solutions that go against nature - all so we can continue to over-consume through rape and pillage of the earth.
I am distraught that PETA supports this. This issue reminds me of the huge investment in the treatment of Diabetes, instead of a larger focus in the prevention of the disease through better nutrition and regulation of the food industry. These are the things that make me feel like society is broken beyond repair.
Here's an article in The Guardian that supports this "innovation" as a strategy to feed the hungry billions in the future. I'm still not buying it. Can someone help me understand how this is a good idea?
Hey Sheryl. Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment. As I say in the "About" section of this blog, one of the main reasons I write is to learn. I'm not surprised that I didn't know about this "innovation" before. There are only so many hours in the day, after all.
My WHY relates to where we put our energy in solving problems like hunger and our growing disconnection from real source and production. Our solutions stem from our desire to maintain and even grow consumption patterns, instead of focusing on fair distribution of resources and moderating consumption. Just because many folks are already disconnected, doesn't mean we should continue in that direction.
Also, you're right... the concept of "in vitro" meat truly freaks me out. I believe that nature is a perfect system and we're doing everything we possibly can to f**ck it all up! ;-)
Sheryl, again, thanks for taking the time to comment. Please continue to send resources related to this topic over.
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