In America, there are about 37 percent of younger people who are veggies, and vegetarianism is also popular in Europe and Japan. This tendency has hit Beijing and the Peking University has its own union of veggies.
Wang Wenli, the chairman of the Union of Veggies in Peking University, said that after watching a video of the “New American Diet,” he decided to set up the union. Their target is to promote the idea of loving creatures and protecting the environment.
The Union of Veggies issues a bulletin entitled Caigengtan (the articles of vegetable). Li Jie, its editor, said that the union has got their influence from the schoolyard and they issue 1,500 copies of the journal. At the same time, the school also opened a special window for veggies in the dining room.
Wang Zhouyi, another veggie, said that humans should love other creatures. Vegetarianism fosters non-violence and a warm heart. The cost of one kg of animal protein is 7.5 times greater than that of one kg vegetable protein and half of the global fresh water is used for livestock, she added. Vegetarianism should be promoted to save the resource and protect the environment.
There are also disagreements of their views in the campus. Some students regard the veggies as extremists. Some parents are afraid that only eating vegetables will affect the students’ health. After months, the veggies are all healthy. Then, the parents are no longer anxious. A member’s girlfriend doesn’t join in the union, but she doesn’t reject her boyfriend’s choice. After some time, she herself seldom eats meat, either.
Cai Yuanpei, almost the most outstanding headmaster of the Peking University, promoted vegetarianism many years ago. It is uncertain that eating vegetable is beneficial to man’s health, but it surely true that it will improve the relationship between environment and human beings.
(CIIC 02/20/2001)
