Before starting this challenge I thought it was going to be a lot more difficult than it has been. I thought that I would be wanting meat more during the week and that I wouldn’t be able to find any options I’d like. I used to have this idea that if I was out in a restaurant that I would find it hard to find something to get. This isn’t as big as a problem as it sounds when you are doing it. During this whole challenge there has been three times I have gone out and only one of those time there was nothing I liked. If I had been more willing to try something new then I would’ve been fine. People’s willingness to try new things is what I believe puts people off going vegetarian and also their idea that they love meat too much. By giving yourself a day or two each week off from meat can have an impact than if you continued to eat meat everyday.
From learning new things in my course I have also learned about the impact the feed the animals eat has on the planet. Often you hear mostly about the impact of methane from cows but never about the amount of land or fertilizers it takes to grow the food the animals eat. And the amount of food which is grown which could be going straight to human consumption instead of to animals. In regards to background conversations I would find myself falling into the not enough category. My biggest problem is saying I don’t have the time but really I do I just don’t make time for it. Instead of buying a meal prepared or some ingredients already prepared, I could instead make time to make meals from scratch.
This challenge has opened my mind to be able to think about my actions and the impacts they are having more. When I go to do something which I may question I will be able to think better about if it is the right thing to do or if I could try something different which would have a better impact.
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Darren Clarke commented on Day 24: Entry 9 4 years agoHi Eoghan. Firstly, well done on embracing the challenge and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. You've raised lots of interesting points about meat being the default option in supermarkets and in restaurants. Have you questioned why the prevalence of animal products in our diets may come from? Is it for social, cultural, political, economical reasons? Have your experiences during the challenge influenced your relationship with change more generally? From your experience during the challenge what potential do you see to influence climate and environmental problems now? Looking forward to reading your final blog posts. Darren Respond
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Eoghan Gartlan commented on Day 24: Entry 9 4 years agoThank you for the comments I really appreciate the feedback. My view on why animal products is so prevalent in our diets is that it has always been there from when we hunted years ago and then with the domestication of animals it made the supply and ease at which to consume it go up. Domestication then resulted in an area in which people could make money and so people looked at how they could increase production and get the most product out of what they had with no regard to the impact it could have. Meat is seen as something that must be added to every meal and I think this is increased by the views of men. I am sure we have all heard it been said before about how "men need their meet" and I feel something that could be said as a joke has some truth, in a sense, as any time the topic of vegetarianism is brought up you can be sure you will have one man say "oh I need my meat". And it has always been men that have held most positions in society so their influence has been passed down. I think in todays world it is just something that is accepted and not thought about and that a meat free meal is something weirdly different and lacking in all the nutrients. I feel that doing the challenge my views of change have changed as I am aware that it is not as difficult as it may seem. I have been influenced by other peoples challenge of reducing their transport. I am more aware of the impact a small trip in the car could have instead of getting the bus if needed or simply walking. I am also being more aware about my plastic intake and reducing the amount of products I am consuming for the sake of saying oh well I can recycle it anyways. From doing the challenge I now have the experience to talk about change and can try to influence people I meet. I can also use my experience to say how easy it can be. Often when I am volunteering at the zoo and talking to people about how they can help protect wildlife I often don't mention going vegetarian and why it can help as I couldn't put any experience behind it and I didn't feel that it was right to tell people about a diet change when I didn't even do it but now I can. Respond
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