How is that possible?

“The world was shocked at the loss of life in the 34 days of the war, with 1110 killed. In those 34 days 1750 people were murdered in SA at a rate of 51 a day. Those who express concern and outrage at these violent crimes are accused of being whingers and are invited to leave the country.”

So what happened?

Myth #7: The methods used to kill seals are far less humane than those used to hunt or slaughter any other domestic or wild animal.

Reality: Hunting methods were studied by the Royal Commission on Sealing in Canada and they found that the clubbing of seals, when properly performed, is at least as humane as, and often more humane than, the killing methods used in commercial slaughterhouses, which are accepted by the majority of the public.

I know, don’t believe the man, don’t believe the DFO … but compare the cruelty of the Seal Hunt to the cruelty of the Dairy Industry.

Cows produce milk for the same reason that humans and other mammals do, to nourish their young. But the millions of cows who live on U.S. dairy farms are forced into a vicious cycle of continuous pregnancy so that they will produce milk for human consumption. Their female calves are slaughtered immediately or used to replace their mothers in the dairy herd, and many male calves suffer a fate that is completely different but no less cruel—one of confinement, darkness, malnutrition, and slaughter. - PETA

This video alone puts the whole factory farm industry under question for me.

Factory farming is rediculous, but Erica and I do not think it is hopeless. Our grocery bill supports a conscientious choice. As for the seal hunt, I simply think it is an easier target than the factory farm, because it stands out and is detached from our daily consumption. But if anything, the seal hunt is more humane than the factory farm in that the argument for it is partly sustainability. Seal populations have tripled since the 70s.

I think the question I’m left with is is can there be such a thing as “humane killing”?

Do you like cheese because it is nice and soft, but not mushy? Is cheese a comfort food? Does it just warm your stomach?

Well, thank little baby calves for donating their fourth stomach for your culinary pleasure. Rennet (or sometimes called “enzymes”) are often made from animals … specifically the fourth stomach of new born calves. Rennet is added to coagulate the cheese. To give cheese that soft, but not mushy, texture you love!

I’m not making this up. I discovered this yesterday while trying to figure out the difference between a frozen vegetarian pizza and a frozen pizza by the same company that only had vegetables in it but was not called vegetarian. Animal Rennet was the mystery ingredient I discovered. And a search unveiled: that’s slaughtered new born baby calves in my cheese. Fact check me at Wikipedia and Trader Joes‘ web site.

But there is hope for the consumer. There are different forms of enzymes/rennet that can be used in the cheese making process. There’s Microbial Rennet and Vegetable Rennet. But as a I discovered by checking the two Tillamook cheeses in my fridge, unless they specify which rennet/enzyme is being used there’s no guarantee that you’re not chowing down on a calf’s stomach. The one Tillamook cheese said specifcally “No Animal Rennet” while the other one didn’t say that. It had the ambigous word “enzymes” in the ingredient list.