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Ask HN: Ethics of a carnivore diet?

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Ask HN: Ethics of a carnivore diet?

#1

Post by meatythrowaway »

I hear a lot of people here talk about the ethics of meat consumption and I tend to agree that it would be better to produce less emissions. However I have also heard people who had autoimmune issues get much better from trying a carnivore diet. I have some such issues that make me want to try this but I also want to consider the impact this will have on others. If I am eating meat to maybe solve a medical problem then maybe that is less bad than somebody who eats it just because it tastes good, but on the other hand the lifetime impact of somebody eating essentially all meat is significant for carbon. Thoughts?

Btw I hope that in the long term lab grown meat will make this less of a problem.

Re: Ask HN: Ethics of a carnivore diet?

#2

Post by hirundo »

If you can afford to source meat grown with regenerative agriculture you can be doing something positive both for the environment and your health.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYLWy3hkH2Y

This has been excellent for my own health. I'm working my way through a grass fed cow I bought from a local rancher. It's quite pleasant work. In a year and a half of carnivory I've lost 75 excess pounds, all of my diabetes symptoms, and several inflammatory complaints.

Re: Ask HN: Ethics of a carnivore diet?

#3

Post by MathMonkeyMan »

I eat meat, but I doubt I would kill an animal to do so.

The carbon footprint of eating meat is a thing, but I don't know... doesn't have the ring of importance.

If you think you can treat an autoimmune disorder by eating a lot of meat, then why not try it? Just bear in mind that it is in other ways harmful to your health compared to vegetarianism [citation needed].

Re: Ask HN: Ethics of a carnivore diet?

#4

Post by meatythrowaway »

MathMonkeyMan wrote: post #3

I eat meat, but I doubt I would kill an animal to do so. The carbon footprint of eating meat is a thing, but I don't know... doesn't have the ring of importance. If you think you can treat an autoimmune disorder by eating a lot of meat, then why not try it? Just bear in mind that it is in other ways harmful to your health compared to vegetarianism [citation needed].

I'm just hoping lab grown meat gets big enough soon enough. And I'm definitely aware of the risks. I'll have to be really careful about watching my blood markers and nutrient intake but my doctor agrees and is overseeing and is ordering the appropriate tests. Thankfully I don't have a family history at all of most of the cancers increased meat intake is known to cause.

Re: Ask HN: Ethics of a carnivore diet?

#5

Post by meatythrowaway »

hirundo wrote: post #2

If you can afford to source meat grown with regenerative agriculture you can be doing something positive both for the environment and your health. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYLWy3hkH2Y This has been excellent for my own health. I'm working my way through a grass fed cow I bought from a local rancher. It's quite pleasant work. In a year and a half of carnivory I've lost 75 excess pounds, all of my diabetes sympt…

Sounds expensive but I will look into it. I am trying to buy mostly meat that's farmed in relatively humane and sustainable ways but this looks promising. Appreciate the advice!

Re: Ask HN: Ethics of a carnivore diet?

#6

Post by dTal »

Something to keep in mind is that from a purely utilitarian standpoint, eating vegetarian 9 times out of 10 is 90% as good for the planet as doing so 10/10 times. There's no utility bonus for being a gold star vegetarian. So don't feel as if you have to choose between being a "real" vegetarian, and being a full-on carnivore - best effort is better than nothing!

Re: Ask HN: Ethics of a carnivore diet?

#7

Post by annobirdy »

Look this isn't the answer you want but no amount of meat is ethical. A living being has to die and there's no way to justify that that doesn't lean into some kind of cop out supremacist argument.

Nutritionally, it's been shown again and again that plant based diets are healthier than meat eating diets. And not just that, but there is actual science to back this up. Compare the science for plant based diets (https://www.reddit.com/r/vegan/wiki/veganscience/) to the basically non-existent studies regarding human carnivore diets.

I'd highly recommend having a start here for some general resources: https://www.reddit.com/r/vegan/wiki/index/

It's better for yourself, the planet, and the animals to be open to going down this route. Don't buy into the weird unscientific propoganda from the carnivore club, look at the research, and question why you're concerned about the ethics of meat eating to begin with and maybe explore that to the fullest extent.

Re: Ask HN: Ethics of a carnivore diet?

#8

Post by MrVandemar »

I don't know about ethics, as such, but you, as a consumer, can make decisions that are better than others. For example: it's better for your health to eat pasture-raised, free-range animals (and stay well away from feedlot raised). The nutrition profile of the meat is much better. Try buying from a butcher instead of a supermarket, and you'll be supporting a small business and probably get better product. Buy good quality and have it less frequently, than buy poor quality and eat it every day.

Ethics aside, you can do compensatory actions in another area. Tree planting, habitat rehabilitation, eschew car ownership and take the bus/bike/walk, invest in renewables, donate to or volunteer at environmental charities, volunteer etc. To be effective, I guess link your meat consumption to your compensation. Eg: every 1kg of steak donate $2, or 10kg plant a tree, or whatever ...

You also aren't obliged to eat meat all the time. Why not just twice a week?

Disclaimer: lives on a farm in AU, eat our own meat, lives in an eco house, off grid, with an ambitious tree planting program. AMA if you want.

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