Prince Harry and a vegan diet.

Sunseeker. Meghan's preferences were made available by the lady herself.

I suppose Harry has got off lightly if it's only his diet.

Remember the cricketer Shane Warne after Elizabeth Hurley decided he needed a make-over?

merlot ?

goodness yes

Mind you, give it time

I would have put Harry down as a steak and chips man myself, washed down with a good ale.

Perhaps Harry will be missing Duchy Organic British beef rump steak before too long

And Charles put quite a lot of effort in supporting the eating of mutton

Can I just ask about the better for the planet thing. Ecowatch raises a couple of questions about this.

One is the increase in the need for manufactured chemical fertilisers if the farm animal population declines. I must admit, as a country girl, I have wondered how the soil will be kept in good heart.

Another is the impact on poorer countries whose staple diet is mostly one crop, such as quinoa, which is now being exported to the wealthy, health conscious West. We all belong to the planet. How would a switch to a vegan diet be managed if we all did it?

Lastly, just my own observation of the effects of a mainly vegan diet. It would reduce emissions from animals but it sure would increase them from human beings! Given that there are billions of us would there be a reduction in emissions? Has anyone done the Maths?

Just curious about the practicalities, not the ethics. Everyone is entitled to their belief.

I’m all for it!
I love a good rare steak now and again and I’m quite keen on fish now and then too. However on the whole I do favourite a plant based diet on a day to day basis as I seriously believe it’s healthier and I enjoy a lot of what I eat.
Also just look at the shape of those gorgeous gorillas aren’t they closely related to humans.

Some good points Eglantine
especially about the human emissions - would that contribute to global warming and subsequent climate change? Dry earth turns to dust and blows away, providing fewer nutrients to grow all the produce required for a vegan diet; with no nutrients from animal waste we could end up in a vicious downward spiral.

Fully-grown male gorillas can eat more than 40 pounds of food per day.
mostly fruit and plants but also some insects.
That's quite a quantity of food

However, we are more closely related to the chimpanzee and bonobo and chimpanzees do eat meat.

And is Harry still wearing leather shoes?

Or pure wool jumpers?

I am not sure why a vegan would not wear a pure wool jumper because the sheep (presumably kept for their wool only) or alpacas need to be shorn every year to keep them comfortable.

As I understand it from a vegan it is still an animal product. Cant understand the thinking.

I understand the thinking is that it is exploitation.

I think it's helping the sheep to keep cool in summer otherwise they can suffer.

Especially this summer Julima.

No-one is saying everyone should be vegan or you have to be perfect vegans in every regard if you wish to stop eating animals. It makes sense from an environmental point of view to cut down on meat eating, even if you haven't a problem with the ethical issue of eating animal products. Many people want cruelty free cosmetics and clothing, but we don't live in a vegan world so we can't avoid all animal products. No-one is perfect, but if we choose not to eat animals, for what ever reason, its a legitimate choice. Meat eaters seem to be more hostile / critical of vegans than the other way round.

I agree the west eats an excess of meat but Im still worried about the impact that the promotion of veganism in the west is having on the third world. It’s quite clearly not better for some of the planet. Just the richer bits!

And like I said, I’m not sure anybody has actually calculated the impact of a trend towards veganism on the planet as a whole. Better for the planet just seems like a mantra that hasn’t actually been thought through to me. A kind of repeat it often enough and it must be true. I’d like some well researched facts.

Any comment on my questions above?

I know many vegans, don’t eat flesh, don’t wear / use leather etc, only buy cosmetics not tested on animals, never known one to refuse medication or even ask hospital staff “ has this drug been tested on animals”

All medication for humans will have been tested on animals, again, some fanatics will refuse medication, but why criticise people for not being perfect when they just don't want to eat animals? Or they want to cut down on eating meat or dairy? Surely cutting down isn't a bad thing? Is eating a load of processed junk, like many in the west do , preferable?

My vegan niece brought her daughter up to be vegan,she also cooked chicken for her cat !!My great niece has been called "transparent" because of her thin frame and white transparent skin.Due to her diet, her GP says, so she has supplements .

www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-impact-on-earth

Yes we can certainly find vegans who don't eat well, but we can also point to people who eat junk food, processed burgers etc , which makes them obese, give them heart disease etc.,of which I would guess there are far more. So its not as simple as vegan diet =bad, meat eating =good.

That was a very interesting linksuzied. Thank you. I certainly think he made a good case for drastically reduced meat consumption. I don’t think total is a possibility without some kind of world domination!

Do you have anything on, I don’t quite know how to put this, but “wild” meat eating. Like sea fishing for instance. Or rabbit. Could people look to this for a limited amount of animal protein? Are we part of the balance of nature as hunters?

I hope you understand what I mean.