Day 034 - 11 Oct 94 - Page 70


     
     1        A.  I do not have a full awareness of all the things they
     2        do but, in general, I support better treatment of
     3        animals.  They also promote vegetarian diets which is
     4        certainly a very helpful thing and I support those aims.
     5
     6   Q.   Does PETA make a financial contribution to your committee?
     7        A.  They have done in the past.  It has never been a
     8        substantial part of our budget, and I regret to say
     9        I cannot tell you how much it was.
    10
    11   Q.   Your devotion to vegetarianism then, if I have understood
    12        you correctly, Dr. Barnard, springs entirely, does it,
    13        from a concern for human health and not from a concern for
    14        animal welfare?
    15        A.  I think one would have to say that the ethical aspects
    16        are important as well.
    17
    18   Q.   There is quite a lot in the beginning of your book, is
    19        there not, about that sort of aspect of vegetarianism not
    20        just in relation to the protection of animals, but in
    21        relation to the use of the earth's resources?
    22        A.  No, I do not think I would say a lot.  I think I put
    23        in ----
    24
    25   Q.   I am sorry, there is some.
    26        A.  I think I have put in one paragraph to mention that
    27        most, well certainly many, thinking people, if I may say
    28        it that way, have noticed that there are many difficulties
    29        in animal agriculture that influence the animals and also
    30        environmental consequences of it.  I briefly alluded to
    31        that, but that is not the subject of the book.  That,
    32        frankly, was not my interest in writing it, but
    33        I recognise that those are legitimate concerns.
    34        I certainly support people thinking about them and,
    35        perhaps, acting on those concerns as well.
    36
    37   Q.   I will put the question so you can deal with it.  I would
    38        be wrong then, I take it, to infer, Dr. Barnard, that your
    39        concern that people should not eat fish arises,
    40        principally, out of a concern for the welfare of the fish?
    41        A.  Could you repeat that question, please?
    42
    43   Q.   When you tell people not to eat fish, it is not the fish
    44        you are worrying about, it is the people; is that right?
    45        A.  That is correct.  As I describe in great detail here,
    46        we have serious problems regarding contamination,
    47        regarding the cholesterol and fat that is in fish and
    48        other factors.  It is not my job to tell people what to do
    49        or what not to do, but I do see it as my job to give
    50        people information so that they can decide what risks they 
    51        may wish to take or may wish to avoid. 
    52 
    53   Q.   You can achieve your object of persuasion, and I take it
    54        you would agree that the object of this book is
    55        persuasion, yes?
    56        A.  Information, I would say, rather than persuasion.
    57
    58   Q.   I do not see the point then.  What is the point of the
    59        book if you are not trying to persuade people that you are
    60        right about it?

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