“Impossible Burgers” and Don’t Worry: Tar Pits Tickle

My wife Tananarive wanted to try an “Impossible Burger” Whopper yesterday, and seeing that they have about 1/10 the cholesterol (but about 20% more sodium) than “real” meat I decided to have one as well. As with the Carl’s Junior Impossiburger, I found it pretty indistinguishable from a decent fast-food burger, not as good as an Angus or top-grade In-And-Out or Five Guys…but close. Closer than I would have believed a few years ago.

We can go into arguing about the amount of water or energy it takes to raise a pound of beef, of course. Eating meat allows humans to extract the energy locked in grass, and domesticating cows and such was a major leap forward for humanity. I think the numbers clearly indicate that we need a shift there.

But frankly, part of my concern is empathy. I said years ago that if there was ever a nutritionally and aesthetically appealing alternative to meat, within a few generations human beings would start claiming that cows had been pets. It would be difficult to believe that we had voluntarily devoured other beings. That separated from the NEED to kill, the DESIRE to kill would diminish.

We justify what we think we need. http://www.trueactivist.com/new-zealand-now-recognizes-all-animals-as-sentient-beings/?fbclid=IwAR1J54x6r7zoJNlrFH0d2tYXeq7bapzJ_O7PbSvoyGEgDR3rXjBmxaagGhg

Are animals sentient? I suspect that some wolves, and dolphins, are actually self aware. Not all HUMANS are “sapient” in the sense of “possessing…