Hi, I know its not directly related to homoeopathy but I thought I might update people on the toll from foot and mouth in the UK following earlier discussions.

The total number of animals slaughtered so far is around 4.5 million! That's 3.25 million directly related to the disease and about 1.25 million on the so called welfare scheme where farmers who can't move or feed their stock can get them slaughtered instead.

There are still outbreaks despite the mass slaughter, the latest in Yorkshire and Lancashire; there isn't much left in Cumbria to catch the disease now.

Any thoughts on karmic payback?

Take care

Dave

welfare statistics: http://www.maff.gov.uk/animalh/disea...stics/lwds.asp
disease statistics: http://www.maff.gov.uk/animalh/disea...statistics.asp

[ 30 May 2001: Message edited by: davegreen ]

Hi,
What percentage of the total food animals in the UK does the number disposed of now represent, do you know? The previously posted percentage was shocking to me, it seemed like such a low number in view of the masses already or then waiting to be killed.

The number of food animals lost to foot and mouth is amazing (to me) mostly because it represents such a small portion of the total food animal production. Yet the horror of the dead carcasses roused such emotion. (Folks just don't want to have to SEE such things.) How many cows, sheep, goats and pigs remain in the UK for a less public slaughter? For these, too, shall almost all, meet the same fate as they are food for humans, a disposable/renewable commodity. But the consumer won't be obliged to witness the procedure.

Wonder what the average number of slaughtered animals is per day/week normally is? Pre-epidemic.

As for Karmic payback....well, this slaughter was just public and the disposal of the bodies repugnant and economically wasteful.......but those animals were always going to be killed for food and financial gain. So Karmic "paybacks" shouldn't see any increase! It was the same old business carried on in a different manner.....not for profit. (Will there be a government emergency refund payment to farmer's for lost income? At tax payer expense?) In my opinion, a thoughtful reassessment of the entire practice of eating another being's flesh....and refusing to participate in the future, would be a wonderful, responsible result..... good Karma.

__________________
Sometimes on Earth, you can find something that resembles a little piece of Heaven. And sometimes on Earth, a little piece of Heaven can find you.

HI gpm

I don't know the annual slaughter figures for food in the UK, I have seen a figure of half the national herd per annum, i.e. about 25 million bandied about but whether its accurate or not?

One big difference with this FMD slaughter is it is decidely less humane, animals penned together literally standing on and falling over dead bodies while waiting for their own demise. It also includes a large number of young lambs and calves, some too young to be shot are being injected in the heart, also pregnant females etc etc.

Without entering the meat versus veggie debate I think there is a difference between senseless slaughter and killing for food, although I take your point that maybe if more people had to visit slaughterhouses then there would be a lot more veggies about With FMD it is solely an economic argument.

Take care

Dave

Can't say I've noticed a shortage of meat in the supermarkets but then I don't eat the stuff!! The British are not starving so don't worry. However I thnk the farmers maybe and it is no joke for them to have lost their livelihood. Yes they will get compensation from the government but just think about starting up again!! Meanwhile , somehow they have to live. There is a fund to which Price Chrles has given a lot and the RSPCA have not despite having a lot of mo

Well, your description, as this being different from normal slaughter...."FMD slaughter is it is decidedly less humane, animals penned together literally standing on and falling over dead bodies while waiting for their own demise" is pretty much what happens during shipping and in holding pens at stock yards! Have previously done the description of the terror and pain of dragging "down" animals into the shoots to hang, alive, by hind legs.........etc., on the other thread. So, unless standards are far different in the UK than here in the states, shot where they stand sans shipping to holding pens, etc. is actually more humane. Isn't that sad.

__________________
Sometimes on Earth, you can find something that resembles a little piece of Heaven. And sometimes on Earth, a little piece of Heaven can find you.

Dave,
there was 2 cases of FMD here (officialy & as it stands). Apart from the unofficial Boraxing of herds there is a general consensus that widespresd solidarity between people kept it at bay.

Happy voting today!

I was talking to the daughter of a homeopath who turned vegetarian as a 12yr old & became severely anaemic (her diet would have been good)a problem which she hasn't been able to completely resolve since (even with homeopathy)and for this reason won't allow her own daughter to become vegetarian until after puberty.

Louise.

There is no need for anemia to occur due to a vegie diet. The food may have been *good* for the homeopath's daughter but that doesn't mean the proper foods for B 12 were included. Or a B 12 supplement, if needed. Trouble with these kinds of statements is they can be misleading. Was it determined prior to the vegie diet if the child was already anemic? She well may not have become so but already been so.

__________________
Sometimes on Earth, you can find something that resembles a little piece of Heaven. And sometimes on Earth, a little piece of Heaven can find you.

She says she had no anemia prior then just crashed after the change. The family is very into nutrition, but I don't know the details of their diets. They bake bread fresh daily which I think is pretty impressive. ok maybe I'm easily impressed.
Louise.

Hey Louise,
Good to hear from you and I'm glad that the FMD has never got the hold in Ireland that it has over here.
Regarding your friend as a nutritionist I sympathise with her parents' perspective. Puberty is no time foe anyone to be nutritionally deficient. Anaemia is a difficult thing to get a grip on simetimes, the common perception is that it an iron thing or B12(pernicious anaemia which is extremly dangerous.) In practice it can be down to many factors and it can in my experience be difficult to get GPs to do the blood tests as they see the answer to be simple - go and eat some meat. Their best bet is either to arrange for tests themselves (in the UK this costs money) or consult a good nutritional therapist (again this costs money). Its a difficult one as so many young people are sensitive to the plight of farmed animals and have no desire to take part in their farming and slaughter.
Take care
Dave
PS. One more thought is sparked by your friends baking their own bread. There is evidence that wholemeal bread and certain other foods will bind with iron and some other minerals which could cause anaemia. The solution is to eat your mineral rich foods away from meals with bread in.

[ 08 June 2001: Message edited by: davegreen ]