(basically, an friend of mine recently posted an comment on Facebook stating she wanted to reduce her carbon foot print.

so being the nice vegan I am, i replied saying she should drive less and go vegan.

she replied with the general argument you can't be vegan and healthy...going as far as saying vegans look sickly.

so i'm composing a thorough response. my only concern is that i don't want to come across as an asshole vegan looking to pick a fight. as i said, we were never very close friends. so i'm wondering if i should just drop it and let her continue to think her false info is correct. but the righteous vegan in me is making me feel like i should post it. I want other's opinions and think it's a well enough written response that others might want to use it.) Please respond with any and all comments, I'd like all perspectives.....

XXX is really starting to worry about her carbon footprint this year. ....

Bernard Jones at 10:18am March 16....

Driving less and eating less animal products (veganism) will have the greatest impact to reducing your cfp. :)
http://www.ecostreet.com/blog/sustainable-lifestyle/2007/09/11/7-big-ways-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint/....

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XXX at 12:21pm March 16....

Yeah, it's just really really hard to be vegan and be healthy. You have to do it so carefully and so well, and I'm not into that-I have a hard enough time staying healthy. And I don't drive much-I live in ....England.....

Bernard Jones at 10:03am March 17....

It's not THAT hard to be vegan and healthy, especially with all the great food options available today. Just like with everything meaningful in life; staying in shape, reducing your carbon footprint, making a positive difference in your community, etc, it takes practice and determinate...anyone can do it! :) I've been doing it for 12 years and have never been healthier. If I can eat healthy vegan in a small town in northern ..Norway.. I’m sure it can be done in ....England..... If you want to see what’s in your area, check out: http://www.happycow.net/europe/england/
Cheers!....

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XXX at 9:24am March 18....

Well, all I can say is that I've never met a vegan who really looks healthy. You're probably an exception. :) But I have seen girls' reproductive systems get messed up/delayed, and it would be really hard to give the right nutrients to a baby if I decided to have kids. I lived with vegetarians for a while and they were incredibly careful and educated about it, and it was really hard to do it right and get all of the amino acids...and most of that family now eat meat and fish again. Plus, soy products have a lot of health risks which are underplayed, particularly for women. I do try and eat meat/fish only a few times a week, rather than every day, but I'm just too health-conscious to give up such a good source of protein, vitamins, iron, omegas, etc. Anyway, I buy green energy, and use public transport, and recycle in a country where it's tough to recycle. So that's my way of helping out. We can only do our best, and that's different for each of us.....

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MY PROPOSED RESPONSE:

(not sure why I did this, I guess I was just bored and couldn’t sleep)

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My response below is not meant to convince you to become vegan, but rather to show you some other reliable sources of information that may not agree with you’re current understanding of nutrition in hopes that you and/or your veg*n friends will be healthier. And while most of what I’ve referenced is from Wikipedia, I’m not implying that it is the only or best source for generally accepted information, but rather that it was quickest to find and the info is regulated to be from a neutral perspective by the public.

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It makes me concerned to hear you’ve never met a vegan that looks healthy. You should check out photos of my friends either on FB or MS, because many of them are vegan and they all look very healthy. In fact they often look healthier than some of my meat/fish/dairy eating friends. Perhaps is a ....UK.... thing to look sickly since it’s apparently hard to even recycle there or simply a vegan stereotype?

http://www.recycle-more.co.uk/

It’s pretty widely known that there’s no consensus on the nutrition argument for animal vs. plant based diets, but to say that one NEEDS to consume animal based proteins/vitamins to be healthy is a blatantly false statement.

While soy does contain estrogen, it’s also a complete protein, meaning it contains ALL the essential amino acids that body can’t produce alone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soy

And the ‘health risks’ you speak of are as of yet clinically unfounded and largely based on the popular misapprehension that estrogen and testosterone have a simple, inverse relationship in sexual hormone systems and sex-related behaviour

There are also many other great sources of protein for vegans including legumes, some grains, quinoa, and spirulina.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complete_protein

Actually, the ONLY vitamin a vegan can’t get from eating every day whole foods is B-12, but almost all cereals and soy/rice milks are fortified with it so it’s a non-issue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B12

To hear that your vegetarian friends now eat meat or fish out of nutritional concerns shows they were never very educated to begin with about their real nutritional needs because a vegan diet is healthier in many ways to other omnivorous diets. The list of health benefits is nearly endless.

If you’re of the belief that animal based sources of vitamins like iron, calcium, folic acid, vitamin D, or omega-3’s are the best or only sources you might want to read more about it. Most everyday grain based foods are already fortified with these nutrients. In fact flax seeds are 6 times higher in omega’s than fish and the heavy metal contamination in certain types of fish actually make it an unhealthy choice, especially for babies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron#Nutrition_and_dietary_sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium#Nutrition

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folic_acid#Dietary_fortification

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_d#Nutrition

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-3_fatty_acid#Dietary_sources

And since it’s totally unnecessary and very unnatural that people continue to drink milk after weaning, which is why so many people are lactose intolerant. Furthermore, the health risks from a diet high in dairy has significant and verified health risks, partially because of all the hormones and chemicals pumped into cows so they produce unnatural amounts of milk.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk#Nutrition_and_health

What nutrients do you think that a baby needs that are only animal derived? Breast feeding is the only real option for infants and if a woman simply eats a healthy well balanced vegan diet, LIKE EVERYONE SHOULD, there’s no excuse why vegan babies can’t be healthy too.

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/134/5/1220S

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article4131103.ece

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/pregnancy.htm

Many misconceptions about vegan babies are based on sensationalized media and from reports like the author of this article that clearly hasn’t done her homework or read half the information I just posted above.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/21/opinion/21planck.html

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/05/vegan_diet_no_g.html (check out the responses towards the bottom of the page from vegans and non-vegans alike regarding the nytimes article)

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As with any new or unconventional ideas (hypothesis), there will be opposition until the knowledge becomes widespread and/or verified enough to be accepted by the general public (theory), much like Newton’s  or Einstein’s ideas about gravity or relativity.

Good luck and I’m glad to hear you buy local, organic, and use green energy whenever you can like I do.

What can I say about Portland? Perhaps rather what needs to be said about Portland? Out of all the cities I've visited throughout the US and Europe, I'd have to say Portland reminds me the most of Philadelphia. While I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, it definitely had a familiar presence to it. Saying that it's more like a cleaner cooler Philadelphia might be more accurate however. Between bridges over the interwoven rivers, the downtown city architecture, the bike friendly layout, the way areas of the city are referred to as north, east, south and west, and the easy of which you can reach most places around the inner city in about 15 minutes.

I'd have to say Portland does have Philadelphia beat in 2 fairly notable areas that I find somewhat important; vegan food options and goth/industrial clubs. There seems to be a place you can go clubbing almost every night in Portland. It should also be noted that for some reason, per capita Portland has the highest number of strip clubs of any city in the country.

However, to coin a phrase the hippie hitchhiker I picked up along the way frequently used; the vegan food is "off the hook"! The sheer number of restaurants, with not simply good but amazing vegan options, was impressive. From biscuits and gravy to mock muffin sandwiches to all night vegan donut shops and vegan pirate bars Portland is, dare I say, a vegan utopia???

Now, you might ask what is Portland lacking…and I'd say good question. I could say a vegan barbershop, a vegan bar, a vegan tattoo shop, a vegan upscale restaurant, even a goth/industrial strip club. However, I'd be WRONG!!! Each of the things I mentioned either already exists in Portland or will be the end of the year. As unimaginable as that sounds, it's true. Probably the only things preventing me from choosing Portland as a final destination would be the rainy winters and strangely enough, the Philly vibe. Having lived in and around center city Philadelphia for over a decade now, I'm not sure I'm looking for a change to something that's so familiar…call me crazy.

So, I've decided to stay another week on the west coast. Yes, it's that good! I'll be heading back down to SF today or tomorrow and will arrive back in Philly the morning of Monday July 9^th.

Since this is a holiday week, I figured why not spend another week in beautiful CA and enjoy some more nice weather. Sadly, the Duo Tour De Gorge has ended with Deans return to Philadelphia earlier today. However, I will do my best and try to make my vegan bro proud while I dine at Maggie Mudds, Greens, and anywhere else I can find along the way.  This started with a late night visit to VooDoo Donuts and buying an entire dozen last night.

I'm delighted to say that my testing aboard the F-310 finally finished today and it was a complete success!!! That means I'll be arriving back in SD tomorrow and should definitely be finished on Friday. I'm really psyched and so happy that my road trip/vacation will start this weekend when Dean arrives. (Vegan donuts here we come!!!)

I can't go into any details about my testing, but I can say there was great jubilation, cheering, clapping, and congratulating onboard. It was actually a pretty moving experience to see all the hard work pay off today. Especially after all the challenges myself, the test team, and the rest of the crew have faced over the past several months leading up to these events. It looked particularly bleak yesterday afternoon, but we persevered and turned today into a spectacular success. BULA BULA!!!

While I still won't be returning home for over 2 more weeks, I can say that already this trip has been one of the most educational, challenging, fun, painful, emotional, maturing, and tasty I have ever been on. The crew has been awesome and I'm really looking forward to seeing them one last time in Baltimore the week I return home before they sail back to Norway. I hope CA, OR, and WA is prepared, because ready or not, here Dean and I come.

As of today, I've officially been on travel for one full month. I should be home again after one more month, around July 1^st probably. Thus far my trip has been filled with fun, injuries, hyjinx, amazing food, huge amounts of work, lots of new friends, unbelievably beautiful weather, clubbing (both 80's and goth/industrial), tasty drinks, not enough sleep, and an overwhelmingly excited expectation of the upcoming Vegan Duo "W.E. F.U.C. G.O.D." tour de force road trip. Tentatively schedule to begin in San Diego on June 16^th and end in Seattle around July 1^st. It should be an amazing 2 weeks of increadible vegan food, awesome clubbing, amazing landscapes, old and new friends, as well as bonding with my vegan bro Dean, bff if you will!

The weather out here has been one of the most enjoyable parts of the trip. And after hearing about the bad storms, high heat and humidity back east; I've really started to consider a move out to the west coast. Perhaps this will die after my return, similar to how it did following my last trip out here for work 2 years ago. However, I'm hopeful that this time might be different. After living in Philadelphia for over a decade, I think I'm ready for a change of scenery. I've grown quite tired of the hot and humid summers and cold rainy winters in Philly; I'd much rather have cold snowy winters if it's going to be cold.

I'll be looking forward to seeing everyone when I return home and hope that I'll be able to get some vacationing and work done on my place this summer. There will be lots more photos taken on my trip before I return and will be certain to share them both on myspace and in person once I return.

Just found out I'll be going out on a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (small speed boat) during some ship exercises in less than an hour! Should be a splashing good time; I just hope I don't get too wet or sunburned. I also just posted a photo of what the small boat looks like.

Well, the RHIB was all I expect and more. Probably the best ride of my relatively short life. The good news is I didn't get too wet or sunburned. However, I majorly hurt my back when the boat crashed down over the crest of a wave. I went to the ships doctor, and I NEVER go to doctors. I'm in quite a bit of pain now, but it was well worth it; they even let me drive for a while!!!

Then tonight after dinner I attended the ships first Norwegian Navy Karaoke party with SingStar the PS2 game. It was pretty crazy to see 2 male Norwegian sailors singing "I Will Survive" and making obscene poses together. Be sure to check out some of the pics and videos I just uploaded! I was even told I would be singing some Elvis Presley by my best friend on the ship Bent, but someone else ended up singing it instead. I was half relieved and half disappointed. I probably should have sung because I've never done it and what better place to be indoctrinated into Karaoke than with a bunch of Norwegian Sailors in the middle of the Pacific?!?! All in all, today was a good day. The second best day of the trip so far actually!

If anyone is going to be in the LA area the 2nd and 3rd weekends in June, feel free to stop by while I'm working in Oxnard, this is where I'll be staying! And I know what you're going to say, but trust me, I can handle it!

http://embassysuites.hilton.com/en/es/hotels/index.jhtml;jsessionid=LRKYQX2L1J5KSCSGBIX2VCQKIYFCXUUC?ctyhocn=OXNCAES

The happy hour starts at 5pm every day!

It's a tough job I know, but someone has to do it!

Not to sounds like a spokes person for PETA, but you really need to read between the lines on this website http://petakillsanimals.com/index.cfm and see that just as much, if not more, of it is incorrect, over exaggerated or out right wrong when compared to PETA's website. The main difference is that PETA's goal is to stop animal suffering while this websites goal is to put down, discredit and berate an organization that is trying to end suffering, all be it by misguided means at times.

http://petakillsanimals.com/index.cfm

Below is just some of the nonsense on this site:

When terrorists struck on September 11, 2001, PETA issued a press release emphasizing the "animals left orphaned" and the dogs and cats in nearby buildings who would be "highly traumatized." The press release berated Mayor Giuliani for his "poor record when it comes to animals" and urged him expend time, energy, and human resources "to set up a task force to locate and rescue animals" at Ground Zero.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS STATEMENT? THE ANIMALS THAT WERE LOST DURING THIS ATTACK SHOULD BE RETURNED TO THEIR OWNERS, JUST AS THE HURRICANE KATRINA PET RELOCATION EFFORT DID! OBVISOULY THIS WAS SIMPLY A REQUEST FOR THE MAYOR TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND TRY TO HELP GET THE ANIMALS BACK TO THEIR OWNERS!

When Newkirk heard that Palestinian militants had strapped explosives to a donkey in the hopes of exploding it in a crowded Jerusalem street, she faxed a letter to Yasser Arafat, pleading with him to "leave the animals out of it."

AGAIN, WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS? THIS IS A GOOD THING!

Bruce Friedrich, PETA's "vegan campaign director" and third-in-command added, "It would be great if all the fast-food outlets, slaughterhouses, these laboratories and the banks who fund them exploded tomorrow."

I WHOLE HEARTEDLY AGREE!!!!!!!!

From July 1998 through the end of 2004, PETA killed over 12,400 dogs, cats, and other "companion animals" -- at its Norfolk, Virginia headquarters. That's more than five defenseless animals every day. Not counting the dogs and cats PETA spayed and neutered, the group put to death over 85 percent of the animals it took in during 2003 alone.

FINALLY, I TOTALLY SUPPORT THE EUTHANIZATION OF UNADOPTABLE/UNSOCIALIZEABLE HOMELESS ANIMALS. THERE IS NO WAY TO POSSIBLY FIND EVERYONE A GOOD HOME. AND IF THE UNADOPTABLE ONES THAT ARE TAKEN IN BY SHELTERS ARE NOT EUTHANIZED HUMANELY TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE ONES THAT CAN BE ADOPTED, EVEN MORE ANIMALS WILL SUFFER. IT'S A TERRIBLE SITUATION, BUT UNTIL PEOPLE START TAKING RESPONSIBILY FOR THEIR PETS AND LOCAL STRAY ANIMALS, THIS WILL BE THE UNFORTUNATE REALITY.

The bottom line is that the people running this site http://petakillsanimals.com/index.cfm

have no better, and in my opinion a worse motivation, than PETA. What and who are they helping? NO COMPANY IS PERFECT! But at least PETA has a goal of helping animals and many do get helped…far more than get hurt.