Summary: The Abominable Pig
Kimberly Ma
NUFS 144: Section 10
Word Count: 510
The Abominable Pig
What reasons does Harris give that pork aversion is irrational?
Harris argues that pigs are, “the greatest potential for swiftly and efficiently changing plants into flesh”. Pigs can convert 35% of the energy in its feed to meat compared to other animals such as sheep and cattle. Harris believes that the pig is utilized for human nourishment and delectation because of its meat content. However, he questions why the animal receives a bad connotation despite its practical use of feeding humans and allowing it to become a part of their diet. In addition to that, some other reasons that Harris argues include pigs birthing more babies at a faster rate, pigs are cleaner than we assume, and pigs are not as filthy as other animals. Despite these statements, certain cultures have banned the consumption of pork because swine is considered the “dirtiest of all animals”.
What are ruminants and why are they better adapted to the Middle East than pigs? …show more content…
These animals include foods such as grass and straw in their diets. Ruminants are better adapted to the Middle East because the animals eat materials from the land that humans do not. However, pigs are not suitable for this job because the pigs would lose weight eating the same thing all the time (lose nutrient values). In addition, Harris also argues that we must also consider the idea that pigs are not meant for agricultural purposes and cannot be supported by its extreme environmental conditions. For instance, a pig would not adapt well if the terrain only offered plants and grass. Even though the pig’s diet may consist of different types of plants, it is not nutritious to only feed it grass everyday. For this reason, pigs are more difficult to adapt to the Middle East and its
NUFS 144: Section 10
Word Count: 510
The Abominable Pig
What reasons does Harris give that pork aversion is irrational?
Harris argues that pigs are, “the greatest potential for swiftly and efficiently changing plants into flesh”. Pigs can convert 35% of the energy in its feed to meat compared to other animals such as sheep and cattle. Harris believes that the pig is utilized for human nourishment and delectation because of its meat content. However, he questions why the animal receives a bad connotation despite its practical use of feeding humans and allowing it to become a part of their diet. In addition to that, some other reasons that Harris argues include pigs birthing more babies at a faster rate, pigs are cleaner than we assume, and pigs are not as filthy as other animals. Despite these statements, certain cultures have banned the consumption of pork because swine is considered the “dirtiest of all animals”.
What are ruminants and why are they better adapted to the Middle East than pigs? …show more content…
These animals include foods such as grass and straw in their diets. Ruminants are better adapted to the Middle East because the animals eat materials from the land that humans do not. However, pigs are not suitable for this job because the pigs would lose weight eating the same thing all the time (lose nutrient values). In addition, Harris also argues that we must also consider the idea that pigs are not meant for agricultural purposes and cannot be supported by its extreme environmental conditions. For instance, a pig would not adapt well if the terrain only offered plants and grass. Even though the pig’s diet may consist of different types of plants, it is not nutritious to only feed it grass everyday. For this reason, pigs are more difficult to adapt to the Middle East and its