Hacker News Reader

Comment by ainiriand | Hacker News Reader

How can we pretend to fix something wrong in our behavior if most people won't even consider something as easy as going vegetarian most of the days. Even something like that would have a huge impact.

View on HN

I have little faith people will change behavior unless they are pushed to. About 50% of my office would rather throw plastic bottles and utensils in the trash bins under their desks than walk 20ft to the recycling bin in the center of the office (yes, each desk could have recycling but that's not the point). Altruism is not enough of an incentive. Really, the only person people are accountable to in a moment such as throwing something away vs. recycling is their self. Without incentive, compulsion, or accountability it's hard to naturally get people to direct themselves towards a change in behavior.

If chicken were as expensive as kaviar, people would go vegetarian pretty quick. If the government gave out free vegetarian food, I'm sure most people would eat it rather than pay for expensive meat.

Our consumption habits are mostly encouraged by various taxes and subsidies.

Going vegetarian is not "easy". It requires ingredients that are not as highly available, and vegetarian meals that satisfy a person's nutrition requirements typically take longer to make. It also cuts down on the variety in the food you can eat, and in most cases, takes a lot of willpower.

Of course it would have a huge impact - you're radically changing the diets of a majority of the population of the planet.

How about most people stop using their mobile phones, or all the other electronics they carry that require charging?

I am not going vegetarian on any day. Why? Vegetables don't satisfy my tastes nor do I get enough calories from them for my activity output.

You aren't going to change people's wants and needs because they are different from yours.

Vegetables don't satisfy my tastes nor do I get enough calories from them for my activity output.

One can't argue taste, but I can argue caloric intake for high intensity activities. If a guy can win Western States 100 seven times on a vegan diet (Scott Jurek), I'm not going to worry about getting enough calories.

But as a vegetarian endurance athlete I'll be the first to admit that taste (for some folks) and convenience (for about everyone) kinda go out the window.

When I did ultra-marathons, never hit the 100 miler maker, my body could tolerate less meat, filling it up with carbs. Switching to powerlifting 4 - 5 years ago, my body demands more meat. Demanding in the sense that I can feel a difference when I go without meat i.e., it is stronger when I consume meat. Granted I also went from 160lbs ultra-running to 230lbs powerlifting, so I am sure there is difference in caloric intake due to weight and muscle mass.

Do I need to do either? No, but I feel better eating meat and lifting compared to when I don't.

-- When I did run ultras, I picked up Scott's book with recipes and tried following it, I felt quite hungry.

Switching to powerlifting 4 - 5 years ago

Aha, as I suspected! ("Eh? Plenty of runners get by on a vegan diet. Now, power lifters or some such...") I can't speak to that, I'm still a scrawny runner. I mean, I suspect one could still get results with a proper (read: PITA) diet, but then I'd be talking out my arse. Enjoy your steak.

I suspect you are correct though it would be a lot of eating/chewing. At 4,500 calories a day, I am tired of eating as it is.

I looked up the PITA diet as I was unfamiliar, it recommends to eat less spicy foods which is tough as a Cajun, but then states to add more chicory which we add to our coffee. Maybe there is a balance!

By "PITA" I meant "pain in the ass" because you'll probably have to track down the special hoo-ha bean (I made that up) that can give you the extra protein you need, though you can probably get by with garbanzo beans but they make you fart, and yeah, calories will probably involve some high-calories food that you'll quickly tire of. That's what I meant by PITA.

Well I am an idiot...

https://lifespa.com/summer-grocery-list-pitta-reducing-diet/

I just assumed you accidentally left out a 't', but PITA makes more sense and it would be a pain in the ass.

Have you ever heard of Kendrick Farris? He is Olympic weightlifter and vegan.

https://www.riseofthevegan.com/blog/only-male-us-weightlifte...

Charging a phone has a tiny carbon footprint when compared to being a meat-eater. There is a reason why one is encouraged more by climate scientists than the other.

Not everyone eats meat, but most everyone charges their electronics multiple times a day. People carry a phone, tablet, laptop etc... That all adds up. Plus they replace it every year or two, causing additional foot print. Which doesn't include the shipping of all the materials.

The Ironman winner in Hawaii this year is vegetarian. It is the first person ever to go under 8 hours. So I think that if he can do it you surely can.

But if you are putting your taste before the wellbeing of the world then you need to realize that the taste can change. You can have a taste now and a different one in one year time. Don't get me wrong, I've loved hamburgers and big steaks like everyone else, but just not anymore.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com