“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” -Albert Einstein
https://youtu.be/Lb9Cxg7a5Vk
It’s been three weeks since I committed to reducing my meat intake, and reaching out to teach others about my plan. I had proposed to campaign via Twitter and YouTube. My YouTube channel is up and running. I have 4 vegetarian/vegan recipes and a commitment for 3 more next week. My YouTube channel can be found by searching YouTube Decrease Meat, or by clicking here; https://youtu.be/Lb9Cxg7a5Vk .
@DecreaseMeat Twitter
I set up a Twitter account @DecreaseMeat. Where I’ve posted links to my YouTube content, and have followed several vegan/vegetarian chefs, and known vegetarian personalities. I’ve tweeted links to health studies regarding vegetarian diets and how to begin reducing your meat intake. I realized early that pushing people to eat a vegetarian diet by pressuring them doesn’t work. A gentle approach works much better to get people to entertain a lifestyle change.
I’ve gotten commitments from family, and friends that they will commit to one meatless day per week. My son who loves meat has even agreed to one meatless day per month. It’s a start! I hope to fill my YouTube channel with more vegetarian and vegan recipes and health conscious content to encourage a bigger following and more people committing to reducing their meat consumption.
This is a slow campaign and it won’t happen overnight, but if just one person ate meatless once per week that one person would reduce greenhouse gases 8.4% per year. It’s not a lot but every little bit counts (vegconomist.com). In talking to people during my outreach, it became very clear that people are uninformed about meat. They really fall into the hype over meat protein and how important it is for weight loss and muscle building. Again, my approach isn’t to push people to become full on vegans or vegetarians. My approach is to get people to realize and understand what the affects of eating a diet high in animal products does not only to their health, but to the environment. Cutting out meat once per week is a very realistic starting point for almost everyone. This is something I’m becoming more and more passionate about, and I hope to get more interest and support in my quest to educate others about all the benefits of decreasing meat.
SOURCES
“Eating Vegan Once a Week Can Reduce Greenhouse Gases by 8.4% per Year – Vegconomist – the Vegan Business Magazine.” Vegconomist, 6 May 2019, vegconomist.com/society/eating-vegan-once-a-week-can-reduce-greenhouse-gases-by-8-4-per-year/.
Hello! “6 Benefits of Going Meat-Free for Just One Day a Week.” HELLO!, HELLO!, 13 June 2017, www.hellomagazine.com/cuisine/2017061339754/health-benefits-vegetarian-once-a-week/.
Sarin, Deeksha. “A Global Diet May Help Improve Health And Save Planet, Says Study.” NDTV.com, 18 Jan. 2019, www.ndtv.com/food/a-global-diet-may-help-improve-health-and-save-planet-says-study-1979612.
U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, health.usnews.com/best-diet/flexitarian-diet.
Ecofeminism is a field of study that connects feminism and ecology. One tenet of ecofeminism is vegetarian ecofeminism. It admonishes us to learn more about our impact on the environment by those who consume animal products. It also advises us of the importance of protecting the rights of all living sentient beings-their right to life. We have all heard that a plant based diet is a healthier option than a meat based diet. So many, however, are turning to the fad Keto diet for weight loss. The Keto diet is rich in animal consumption and is not sustainable. By 2050, the human population is predicted to grow to 10 billion people worldwide. As the population grows, so to does the economy, which is followed by expanding meat consumption. This creates a heavier burden on the climate. Half of the world’s grain is fed to animals. As a result, over 1.8 million hectares of the Amazon rain forest are being cut down to accommodate ranchers or to plant the grain crops which feed the livestock intended for human consumption. It’s not practical to think that we can force all people to stop eating meat. We can, however, encourage people to reduce their overall meat consumption.
My husband and I have become more aware of our meat consumption since moving to Germany. Germany is leading Europe in Vegan options for dining and shopping. Veganz is a German vegan market that provides 100% vegan products. The owner of the market says their clientele is made up mostly of flexitarians– people who eat a reduced amount of meat. (Oxford Dictionary). In our small town of Halle in eastern Germany there are 25 vegan/vegetarian restaurants. Many other restaurants have vegan/vegetarian options on their menu. Berlin is the capital of veganism within Germany. The concept of reducing meat in one’s diet is becoming more mainstream in Germany. With Berlin leading the way, more and more people are turning to plant based diets and reducing their meat consumption considerably. As this lifestyle becomes more and more popular, the economy will find ways to profit. So, reducing our meat consumption doesn’t necessarily mean the economy will be negatively impacted. It just means will be a shift.
While we are stuck inside during these unprecedented times, we have to be creative with our outreach. I have a concept of creating a YouTube and Twitter campaign to encourage people to reduce their meat consumption. My idea involves getting people to make a commitment to reduce their meat intake. Creating awareness of what a diet high in meat consumption is doing to our health, and that of the animals and the planet. I will do this by providing links to documentaries, and medical journals. I intend to create a Twitter campaign to draw attention to creative vegan and vegetarian recipes. I am also creating a YouTube channel with short videos made by different people from all over the world, who will provide contents for vegan and vegetarian recipe tutorials that they create for home cooks to follow. My hope is to showcase recipes that are easy to follow, inexpensive, and taste good. Many people don’t like change, but by doing it in small steps it is possible. For example, I will ask people to commit to a single day per month, or perhaps a single day per week to go without consuming meat. My hope is to create momentum and energy with which people begin to pay attention to how much meat they consume. Perhaps this will encourage them to work toward reducing it further. Creating delicious recipes will help people who don’t know where to begin. Highlighting healthier vegan/vegetarian recipes is a good way to start.
One reason activism is challenging is because people who want to make a change, often look at themselves and ask “I’m just one person, what can I do to make a difference?” Activism starts with one person, the man/woman in the mirror and grows from there. If we want to see change in the world, we have to be the change. People know the truth about the environment, but they fear change. They fear the unknown. They ask, how will a plant based diet affect the economy? Will it put people who rely on the meat industry out of work? Yes it might, if this movement went global it could be an unfortunate consequence. People are innovative and will find ways to create industry to sustain an economy founded on plant based foods instead of animals. Those who do believe in capitalism will be the first to argue that if there’s a market for something, industry and capitalism will supply it.
The initial steps of my campaign are awareness, education, and access. The YouTube channel is called Decrease Meat. It’s videos will help with these initial steps. The awareness will come in the form of short videos depicting damage being done to animals, the planet, and people’s healthy by consuming meat. The education will be in the form of healthy vegan/vegetarian recipe options. Through awareness and education I am hopeful that access to healthier plant based food options will be expanded. Only in a world perverted by greed would a fast food hamburger cost less than a bag full of apples.
please visit my YouTube channel for recipes, and to pledge your commitment to reducing your meat consumption. Thanks in advance for your support. https://youtu.be/Lb9Cxg7a5Vk
Sources;
Deforestation and Degradation . www.worldwildlife.org/threats/deforestation-and-forest-degradation.
“How Does Biodiversity Affect Me and Everyone Else?” WWF, wwf.panda.org/our_work/biodiversity/biodiversity_and_you/.
Pierschel, Marc, director. The End of Meat . 14 Sept. 2017. Netflix, Kanopy
Environmental degradation affects women and children more drastically than men in regions all over the world. In many areas, indigenous women are responsible for feeding, clothing, and fetching water for their families. Based on this, women feel the brunt of environmental changes the most. For example, women who have to fetch water for their families, may discover their water source has been contaminated by toxic chemicals from factory run-off. In areas of the world where poverty is rampant, children risk their health and educations in order to help bring in some money. This can be seen in the daily lives of children living in the slums in Reciefe, Brazil. Children submerging themselves in polluted canals to search for aluminum to sell. “These children should be at school, instead they are helping their family try to survive” (Corrêa).
Poverty and filth are not the only issues plaguing Brazil. Brazil is a Christian country and as such their values, ideals, and traditions are rooted in the church. Ivone Gebara, author of A Latin Perspective explains how the Christian church continues to oppress women with its patriarchal beliefs. “Power is a man’s issue, especially public power. Because of this God is considered to be a super power and has a masculine face” (Gebara 1). It is therefore no surprise that feminism and ecofeminism are not known within the context of the church. Since women are seen as being only there to procreate and stand behind by their men, their voices are often muffled. Religion and feminism are not cohesive, since most religions teach a patriarchal belief that men are the head and women are simply there to be a male supporter.
For many years, women have been at the forefront of environmental issues. The Chipko movement is a good example of this. In the 18th century, the Chipko movement began in India. Women from 84 villages throughout India, followed a woman called Amrita Devi to risk their lives in an attempt to protect the trees from being felled. After this movement, the Maharaja granted protection for the trees. In 1973, the movement surfaced to protect the trees once again. These protests led by women were successful. “By 1980 the Chipko protests won a victory of a 15 year ban on green felling in the Himalayan forests.” “Unity is power, without unity women cannot fight for their rights anywhere.” (Nawal El Saadawi)
Brenda White Bull
Indigenous men and women in South Dakota in the area of Standing Rock Indian Nation have been fighting against the Dakota pipeline for years. Women describe being brutalized by police, which they believe is attributed to their being “brown and female” (Mclaughlin). Prairie Mc Laughlin tells a story of being arrested and stripped by male and female officers when she refused to strip naked upon her arrest for protesting. Brenda White Bull, a descendant of Sitting Bull spoke at the UN about how women were being treated by military and police forces at Standing Rock. https://youtu.be/36NO4EiYb78
The story of Standing Rock is a similar situation that affected Alaska with the construction of the Alaskan Pipeline in the 1970’s. Environmental groups tied up the construction of the pipeline in court battles for years. The oil company eventually won and was able to build it, but only under very strict environmental laws that were to protect land, water, and animals. In the case of the Alaskan indigenous people who fought against the pipeline, the oil companies and the U.S. government agreed to settle with them for $1 B, and 44 million acres of land. To this day, some of the indigenous people of Alaska believe that they were treated fairly. They not only benefitted economically from jobs constructing the pipeline, but they also believe that had the oil companies not approached them for the land, they would still be fighting the United States government for their land rights.
These cases are clearly examples of environmentalism vs. capitalism. The oil companies have deep pockets, they can easily come in and influence politicians to get what they want. Big corporations lobby for their causes in Congress, and can help write laws to benefit themselves. Once they have the backing of the United States Congress, they can tap into military and police forces to aid in their projects to completion. That is exactly what happened in South Dakota. Unfortunately, in South Dakota, they are using police forces to get what they want rather than with financial incentives. Oil companies who have the backing of the government pull the rug out from under indigenous people. It’s a complete abuse of power and greed at the cost of women and children, who often times feel the brunt. In the case of South Dakota, the men are offered jobs away from the family. The women are left to raise the family alone. Women are being raped and attacked by male pipeline workers who come in to the work camps. A clear example of how women and nature are taken by male domination.
Another indigenous tribe in North America are the Inuit of Canada. In a Q&A interview with Maatalii Okalik, President of the Inuit National Youth Council, Michele Rosano writes about the struggles women of the Inuit tribe face because of climate change. “Inuit women have a close relationship with food security” (Maatalii). In the Inuit tribe, women are responsible for cleaning, and drying animal skins to clothe their families. Many of these women claim that the changing climate has affected the animals skins. Leading to poor quality. Inuit men are responsibility for hunting, but because of “ the warmer climate, the sea ice is thinner, and men go missing while hunting, leaving women alone to raise their children, a problem that is on the rise within the tribe” (Okalik).
These stories continue throughout the world. As we learned about the Green Belt Movement in Africa, we are reminded again how women are subjugated. Starvation is a real threat among many women and children in African countries. The Green Belt Movement, created by Wangari Maathai, empowers women through planting trees. By urging women to plant trees, she is setting them up for sustainability. Her movement is powerful, it has spread all over Africa into the U.S. and Haiti. In Kenya alone, women have planted 20 million trees. “When you plant a tree and see it grow, something happens to you. You want to protect it, you value it” (Maathai). I can’t agree more with this feeling. I had a vegetable garden for years, and it was not only therapeutic for me, it was satisfying to step outside my door and pick ripe tomatoes to feed myself and family. I nurtured my garden, in return it yielded many vegetables that nourished us. I agree there’s power, pride, and self satisfaction in that, especially for a woman.
These examples I’ve provided herein are further proof of what ecofeminists have been saying for years. Women and nature are subjugated by men in the name of capitalism, power, and greed. By taking natural resources, and degrading the environment, women and children are left to find creative ways to try and survive. Programs like the Green Belt Movement do help, but it’s not available everywhere. We need more education, and laws that protect indigenous women and children around the globe. We need to become more aware of the connection of patriarchy and environmental degradation. Women can pull themselves out of these dire situations with just a little bit of education, and support from other women. These stories are why feminism, and Ecofeminism are so important for women and children everywhere.
Annotated Bibliography
Maatalii Okalik, is an Inuit woman who grew up in Canada in a traditional Inuit family. She is 27 years old, and the recipient of the 2017 inspire award. She is a political advocate and has been called the voice of the next generation. She is the president of the National Inuit Youth Council and promotes Inuit language and culture among her peers and children. She also does work on suicide prevention education. She spoke at Canada’s parliament to address the senate on indigenous rights. She also spoke to the Cop22 in Morocco. She’s studying for her degree in human rights and political science with a minor in aboriginal studies.
Intersectionality is a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989. Crenshaw wanted to draw attention to how underrepresented black women were in the feminism movement. She felt it was important that we understand that not all women are united under the cause of feminism. Click on the photo of Crenshaw for her Ted Talk on Intersectionality.
An example of intersectionality is; What oppresses me, as a white woman living in California is very different than what oppresses a black woman living in the south. Intersectionality is a term that is used to explain the web of various ways in which a person is oppressed in society. Audre Lorde is another black feminist who criticized the women’s movement for ignoring social categories and promoting a sisterhood that doesn’t exist. It’s not fair to unite women of the world to fight for equality when not all forms of oppression are considered.
Eco feminists claim to have used intersectionality long before Crenshaw coined the term. “Ecofeminism is an area of study concerned with understanding the interconnectedness between the domination of women and the domination of nature.”(Kings 70) “Ecofeminist intersectionality recognizes that women are likely to be amongst those most affected by environmental degradation, with those at the margins of society often experiencing these effects to the harshest degree.” (Kings 71) Women of color face a harsher reality in the global south than do women in the north, they are most affected by environmental degradation. In the writings of animal activist and feminist Carol J. Adams, we learned about intersectionality through an ecofeminist lens. Adams wants us to understand that non-human animals and humans are interconnected. By bringing into focus the connection between nature and meat Adams connects the subjugation of women and animals in connection with nature. This explanation of intersectionality doesn’t cover all areas of life only that of women, nature, and animals. It fails to cover all other areas. I don’t feel as though Ecofeminism adequately covers intersectionality. “Although it is certainly true that ecofeminism did often engage with intersectional approaches, it did not adopt intersectionality as the conceptual tool we currently understand it to be” (Kings72).
Click photo for video
It’s important to understand that everyone has different experiences. We all see ourselves differently. As social scientist Charles Cooley wrote in his book The Looking Glass Self, “How one’s racial identity is experienced will be mediated by other dimensions of one’s self; male or female, young or old, wealthy, middle-class, or poor, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or heterosexual, able bodied or with disabilities.” (Tatum 1) We are what we think others think we are. This is the concept by Cooley in which we learn about who we are through the eyes of others. If this is the case, then we will all have very different views of ourselves. Therefore, all of our experiences will be different and we cannot simply fit into one category. “A spider’s web preserves the necessary complexity of intersectionality and the potential ‘stickiness’ of cultural categories, which can often leave people stuck between two or more intersecting or conflicting social categories.” (Kings 68)
Click photo for more information
“Ecofeminism lacks a black woman’s standpoint and focuses on white women’s oppression. The ecofeminist movement, like the mainstream environmental movement has been mainly white and middle class dominated and lacks intersectionality.” (Cain)
We were introduced to Majora Carter in a Ted Talk titled Greening The Ghetto. She spoke of how black people were twice as likely to live in areas where there are greater risks to their health such as areas where pollution is greater. She also mentioned that black people are five times more likely to live within walking distance of a power plant or chemical factory (Carter). Majora Carter is working on greening up the South Bronx. She has already begun her work to create more green space. Being a black woman, who grew up poor, and in an environmentally degraded area of New York City, she represents more of a real look of how she intersects with class, gender, and race. “Black women of degraded communities are “the waste products of capitalist production and excessive consumption,” and at the front lines of environmental degradation”(Cain).
There is a great quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. wherein he stated; “No one is free until we are all free.” This is a true statement under the guise of intersectionality. We cannot become one until all life forms and beings are represented. Intersectionality reminds us that there are life forms in every area that are oppressed under various dominant groups. Audre Lorde does a wonderful job in defining oppression in America in her quote; “Somewhere, on the edge of consciousness, there is what I call a mythical norm, which each one of us within our hearts knows “that is not me.” In america, this norm is usually defined as white, thin, male, young, heterosexual, christian, and financially secure. It is with this mythical norm that the trappings of power reside within this society. Those of us who stand outside that power often identify one way in which we are different, and we assume that to be the primary cause of all oppression, forgetting other distortions around difference, some of which we ourselves may be practicing.”
― Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches
sources:
Cain , Cacildia. “The Necessity of Black Women’s Standpoint and Intersectionality in Environmental Movements.” Medium.com , medium.com/black-feminist-thought-2016/the-necessity-of-black-women-s-standpoint-and-intersectionality-in-environmental-movements-fc52d4277616.
Carter, Majora. “Greening the Ghetto .” Ted.com , www.ted.com/talks/majora_carter_greening_the_ghetto/transcript#t-1085343.
Kings, A.e. “Intersectionality and the Changing Face of Ecofeminism.” Ethics and the Environment, vol. 22, no. 1, 2017, p. 63., doi:10.2979/ethicsenviro.22.1.04.
“Standing up for Trees.”Fao.org, www.fao.org/3/r0465e/r0465e03.htm.
Tatum, Beverly Daniel. Complexity of Identity Who Am I?
“The Intersectionality Wars.” Vox.com, www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/5/20/18542843/intersectionality-conservatism-law-race-gender-discrimination.
Annotated Bibliography;
Kimberlé Crenshaw graduated with a law degree in 1984 from Harvard Law. She is a professor of law at UCLA and Columbia Law School. She has published quite a few journals on the subjects of intersectionality, racism, law, and civil rights. All of which have been published in the Harvard Law Review, National Black Law Journal, Stanford Law Review and Southern California Law Review. She is well known for coining the terms “intersectionality and Critical Race Theory.” Crenshaw has been honored for her work in feminism, law, and civil rights by many prestigious universities, magazines and organizations. When people think of the term “intersectionality” they think of Kimberlé Crenshaw.
This week’s reading by Kari Norgaard and Richard York, introduced us to the concept of environmentalism, the government, and gender equality. It was a concept I never really put together until now. The environment is a hot topic around the world, especially in political arenas. Many world leaders are ultra focused on climate policies and how to implement the best plans to help cut back their total emissions and reduce their carbon footprint. According to Norgaard and York, women who hold political office tend to be more proactive about environmental issues. I found this claim to be true as I began doing my own independent research.
Jacinda Ardern New Zealand’s Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister for New Zealand is very passionate about climate control issues. Ardern has called the climate emergency her generation’s “nuclear free moment” and made tackling it a priority for her coalition government.”(AingeRoy) The New Zealand government is taking large steps toward reducing their emissions drastically by 2050. They have committed to planting a billion trees, implemented strict policies for farmers to reduce their emissions or face extremely high taxes, and putting a cap on the number of cows that dairy’s can have. New Zealand’ Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is currently ranked number 17 in the world by the UN. Ardern is pushing for net zero emissions by 2050, from watching her speak, it appears as though she is passionate about seeing that come to fruition. https://youtu.be/Dp5Ue9v2v7g
The information about New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern falls in line with York and Norgaard’s findings. Their research suggests that “nations with greater gender equality may be more prone to protecting the environment.” We see this with New Zealand, Denmark, Germany and Norway. “Women tend to take environmental risks like nuclear power or toxic substances more serious than men do.” (Norgaard & York 508). It’s not surprising that women tend to think more along the lines of environmental protection. Women have been conditioned by society to be nurturers and caregivers. Given that it would be natural that women would be more concerned about the air they breathe or the water their children drink and so on.
Denmark’s prime minister Mette Fredriksen
The Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen, is another woman who is leading her country on the road to reducing their emissions. Her pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2050 is laid out in an 18 page agreement titled “a fair direction for Denmark.” In this agreement she pledges to cut the sale of new diesel and petrol cars by 2030. “As it is, Denmark reached an emissions reduction of 35% in 2018” (Stam June 2019). Denmark’s EPI score is 3rd in the world according to 2018 data by the Environmental Performance Index.
In 1990, the “UN estimated that in order for women to influence key outcomes and be taken seriously, a threshold of 30% of women in parliament was required. As of 1999, only 8 of the 130 nations met this threshold.” Those nations included Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, South Africa, Germany, Iceland, Norway and Sweden (Norgaard & York 514). These numbers have increased since 1999. Below is a graph showing the number of seats held by women in across various national Parliaments. In 2018, Sweden had the leading number of women in its Parliament reporting at 47%. Sweden ranks number 5 in the world on their EPI. Despite the fact that their leader is a male, they have a large number of female members in their Parliament.
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/EDN-20190306-2 (click on graph to view)
Norgaard and York posits that “gender equality and environmental concern are linked to the relationship between gender and the environment. ” Their study suggests that “societies that are less sexist are more environmentally responsible.” They mention further that a country like Singapore for example has a very low number of women in Parliament. As such, their environmental record is poor, ” holding one of the 10 worst environmental records in the world” (Norgaard & York).
It’s a shame that the United States still has a disproportionate numbers of women in high ranking government positions. Women make up only 26% in the Senate and 23% in the House. The United States has an EPI score of 27 as of 2018. That number is not likely to rise with Trump in office. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is very vocal about climate change and is trying to come up with ways to cut emissions in the U.S. You can view her speech here; https://youtu.be/Whrwt5m9jHw This is further proof that women take on the challenge of environmental issues in a big way. “The youngest woman to be ever elected to congress, and an example of a millennial in power, AOC has been using her political position to draw attention to social and environmental issues as well as women’s rights and equality. Her work on and in promoting the Green New Deal in the U.S. has made her the voice of climate change concern in a political environment heavily criticised for climate change denial” (Wyns, A). AOC has moxy, she isn’t afraid to fight for what she believes in. With more women like her in the American government, we may have a chance for equality.
It’s important that nations begin to equal out the number of men and women in high ranking government offices. It’s imperative for gender equality. It’s not only important for equality, but for our planet. We need an equal balance for equality. When one class has more power than another, oppression occurs. Environmental organizations like WEDO can help create awareness and empowerment among women to join the environmental fight. The more empowered women feel the more apt they are to get involved in government, to enact policy change. We saw this happen in congress in 2018 Trump’s election.
Annotated Bibliography Eleanor AingeRoy is a journalist for the Guardian. She graduated from the University or Technology in Sydney. She was a freelance journalist prior to becoming a full-time writer for the Guardian. She is only 25, but tackles some very heavy story lines including covering the current Covid-19 outbreak in New Zealand.
This week we investigate the connection between the sexualization of non-human animals and women. Carol Adams, author of The Sexual Politics of Meat draws a direct connection between men, patriarchy, and the treatment of women. This is achieved through advertising. “Violence against people and animals is interdependent, caring about both is required” (Adams). We see the sexualization of women in connection with meat. The fact that the meat industry appeals to men by using sexualized animals to sell their meat is what Adams refers to as the pornography of meat.
This image shows a pig in thigh high stockings, red heels and a garter belt. She appears to have long lashes as if to imply she’s wearing makeup. Her dress hiked up to show parts of her rump. She has a glass of wine insinuating that she’s approachable and ready for whatever comes next. This is obviously a sexualized photograph. She is supposed to be appealing to catch a man’s eye. This is a ham advertisement, selling ham by sexualizing the pig on the advertisement. This is an example of what Adams calls; “Anthropornography gives you a hooker on your plate. Nonhuman animals are whoring for you. Nonhumans want you, too. Suffering? Slaughtering? Inhumane acts? No. They want it.” This is begging the proposition of “eat me” and because the pig is female, it’s directly connecting the non-human animals to a human female. This perpetuates ongoing patriarchy. This is aimed at getting a man’s attention. I chose this image to point out how advertisers use food to manipulate people to buy meat. This advertisement for example says Tofu it’s Schwules Fleisch, which translates to (tofu is gay meat) in German. This is directly connecting tofu to homosexuality. The fact that this advertisement makes a connection with someone’s sexuality is troublesome to me. This is an example of gendered food. By insinuating that eating tofu is gay, effeminate, or unmanly, it must be a feminine food, made for women and not for men.
This image is pretty blatant, it comes right out with the sexualized message. The hamburger has female legs with red heels which has always been associated with sex. The message is clearly insinuating sex. This could create arousal or plant the seed of sex in a man’s mind. It is associated with meat, and women, it directly connects the two. “These images are part of the structure of our culture, we fail to notice that consumable animals are invariably portrayed as feminine, as sexual, as available to men, just like female humans” (Adams). This is a PETA advertisement. Its intention is to draw similarities between humans and meat. Because PETA is focused more on animals rights than women’s rights, it’s reinforcing the objectification and consumption of women. In this advertisement “PETA sacrifices women’s rights for animal rights” (Florio).
This picture is analogous to the the PETA photo of Pamela Anderson. This image shows the non-human animal sectioned off in cuts of beef, just like the photo above does with Ms. Anderson. This directly connects humans and meat sources. Begging the question that if you consume one animal, what is the difference in consuming all?
Adams wants us to understand that non-human animals and animals are intersected. We are a society that sexualizes our foods, genderizes our foods, and normalizes violence by hunting for our food. If we really look closely at factory farms, and the mass killings that are carried out, there’s little difference from what Hitler did in the concentration camps. Holding mass amounts of “beings” waiting to be slaughtered. Society has conditioned us to dehumanize meat and look at it as just food. Not as a being that was alive, breathing and felt fear and pain when being killed. We have removed the emotion from our meat consumption, therefore we have allowed ourselves to be complacent with a genocidal type of activity.
Finally, eating meat can be a healthy practice for humans. “Let’s not forget that many non-human animals are omnivores too” (Florio). “The fact that women are compared to animals that will be butchered and consumed, suggests that women should serve as subservient members of society, “ for the pleasure of men. (Florio)
“Auschwitz begins whenever someone looks at a slaughterhouse and think; “They’re only animals”(Adams).
Sources; Adams, Carol J. “The Politics of Carol J. Adams.” Antennae. Annie Potts. Ed. Glovanni Alol. 2009. 12-24.
Florio, Angelica. “The Sexualization of Meat What It Means to Be an ‘Ass Man.’” Cipher Magazine
Kemmerer, Lisa. “The Pornography of Meat By Carol Adams.” Philosophy Now (2006).
Annotated Bibliography;
Angelica Florio is a freelance writer who has published articles in several magazines and publications. Her article in Cipher magazine is directly related to this weeks topic of non-human animals and women. She references Adams in her writing and brings up some good connections on the topic. Florio writes about the media and its power and influence on our culture. She has published articles in Playboy, Glamour, Vox and Hellogiggle to name just a few.
Women in the Global South experience greater effects of environmental degradation compared to men, or Western women. In China, women are responsible for 90% of the rice cultivation. In Ghana 70% of crops are produced and harvested by women. These women are susceptible to financial harm by the effects of global warming on crops. (Klusener). In parts of India and Africa, women are raped while relieving themselves. Many women and girls go in groups to protect each other from men in neighboring villages. Excessive logging and deforestation in the Himalayas threaten indigenous women’s cultures and practices. In many countries women are the ones responsible for obtaining the water for their families or villages. Women are more susceptible to illness caused by contaminated water during pregnancy and lactation. These illnesses can lead to malnourishment and underweight infants, which can lead to higher levels of infant mortality.
Agarwal explains ecofeminism in a similar way that Shiva does. By bringing awareness to women of the Global South they bring into focus intersectionality. It’s important that we understand how environmental degradation affects women in poor and rural areas in comparison to how Western women might be affected. In last weeks reading, Karen Warren made a symbolic connection to women and the environment. In western feminism, we link nature to women symbolically. We take a look at Ecofeminism under the scope of patriarchy and the domination of men against women and nature. The Western perspective is that because men have always viewed women and nature as something in need of conquering, the connection to women and nature is made. Western feminists feel climate change of course, but not to the same degree that the women of the Global South might feel it.
Agarwal makes the comparison of ecofeminism of the west and of the global South in the following excerpt from her essay. “The ecofeminist argument is problematic on several counts. First it posits “women” as a unitary category and fails to differentiate among women by class, race ethnicity and so on. It ignores forms of domination other than gender”. (Agarwal p.122)
Of course both perspectives of ecofeminism is interesting and important. In the west we are continuously trying to fight against misogyny in all aspects of western life. In the Global South, they are concerned with health issues as it relates to globalization, capitalism, and an abuse of resources. Deforestation creates an end to cultural ways of life in areas of the Global South. We as western women can’t truly grasp what it might mean to survive as a woman in India or Africa. Having to first go fetch water without being raped or attacked. Second carry heavy jugs of possibly contaminated water. Third having to treat or boil the contaminated water before being able to use it.
Meanwhile women in the west are angry that we make .81 to a man’s $1.00. This is a first world problem that is leaps and bounds different than third world problems. I do believe that we need to continue to fight for equality. For equal rights and treatment in the United States. However, being woke on issues that affect the health, wellbeing and livelihood of women in the Global South make their issues seem far more urgent than the wage gap. I’d have to say that I am more drawn to the issue of Women in the Global South as an issue that the world needs to be more aware of.
In closing, It important that we keep in mind that ecofeminism, regardless from what perspective you are looking at it, at its simplest level, it is a fight against male domination. Women in the global South are not given political power to make changes on the governmental level. They are forced to deal with their issues through small grassroots movements. Which takes time and resources many do not have access to. Some scholars state “there can be no climate justice without gender justice. Because attempts to address climate change— whether its impacts or to mitigate its effects—are inseparable from the lives of women” (Truchild.org).
My name is Tonya Mulholland, I’m a returning student and in my second semester at UMassD. I’m a WGS major. I currently live and work in East Germany. I teach English to business professionals. Since moving abroad, my husband and I have been to 40 of the 44 countries in Europe. We are hoping to hit a few more before returning to the states mid summer.
One of the blog sites that I connected to was AdiosBarbie. An article written by Jennifer Landis titled: The “F-Word” I don’t use around my daughter- it’s not what you think. She writes about how damaging the word “fat” is when describing ourselves or others in front of our young impressionable children. It struck a chord with me because my mother was obsessed with her weight my entire life. She often told me things like “too much chips makes too much Tonya”. That message definitely played a role in my own obsession about my weight as a young adult.
Once I had my own children I made the conscious decision not to use weight to define myself, others, or them. Unfortunately they still got negative body image messages from their peers and the media, but in our home they were loved and respected despite how they looked. My Mother is still obsessed about weight and still compares herself and others according to their body size. It’s a shallow dangerous trait that perpetuates unhealthy eating and can lead to psychological scarring, as well as eating disorders. The Adios Barbie blog spreads body positivity and acceptance.
The city that I live in Germany has been voted the greenest city in the state in which its located. They are very big on recycling and reducing their carbon footprint as much as possible. Climate change and global warming are key issues that are at the forefront among city officials in Halle. Student have also made it their mission to bring the issue of climate change into the public eye. Two Friday’s per month kids from the middle schools, high schools and universities leave school and march for climate change awareness. They call their movement “Friday’s for future”. They are peaceful demonstrators who march with messages advocating for change in how lawmakers look at and deal with climate issues.
Back in October 2019, our city’s Mayor (Burgermeister) led the city on a hike into the woods where a few hundred people planted new trees. The issue of global warming and climate change is a big subject of focus among city leaders in Halle Saale Germany.
person ate meatless once per week that one person would reduce greenhouse gases 8.4% per year. It’s not a lot but every little bit counts (vegconomist.com). In talking to people during my outreach, it became very clear that people are uninformed about meat. They really fall into the hype over meat protein and how important it is for weight loss and muscle building. Again, my approach isn’t to push people to become full on vegans or vegetarians. My approach is to get people to realize and understand what the affects of eating a diet high in animal products does not only to their health, but to the environment. Cutting out meat once per week is a very realistic starting point for almost everyone. This is something I’m becoming more and more passionate about, and I hope to get more interest and support in my quest to educate others about all the benefits of decreasing meat.
Ecofeminism intersectionality
