An interesting if not enlightening article from The New Yorker titled “sorry, vegans: brussel sprouts like to live, too” looks beyond the salad bowl – that safe haven of sorts for vegetarians and vegans alike – to begin understanding how tasty plants stave off predators and adapt to environmental surroundings in hopes of…you guessed it, survival.
Here’s an interesting snippet from the article:
“Plants are lively and seek to keep it that way. The more that scientists learn about the complexity of plants — their keen sensitivity to the environment, the speed with which they react to changes in the environment, and the extraordinary number of tricks that plants will rally to fight off attackers and solicit help from afar — the more impressed researchers become, and the less easily we can dismiss plants as so much fiberfill backdrop, passive sunlight collectors on which deer, antelope and vegans can conveniently graze.”
What is the compassionate vegan to say when chomping down on a hearty plate of arugula? It begs for a whole new riddle along the lines of: which is smarter, the chicken or the mesclun mix? It’s laughable until you realize these are well-heeled academics making the case, not just a bunch of radical, wannabe botanists.
Imagine a whole new group of plant-friendly warriors fighting for the safety of plants. Imagine the “strict” members of this enclave swearing off all products that incorporate plants or any plant byproduct.
Sounds ridiculous, but then again…
At this rate, soon there will be nothing left to eat.
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