Anyone who watched Sesame Street remembers Oscar the Grouch: green, grumpy, garbage eater. Who would have guessed he’d win over so many followers?
Yes, there are garbage eaters in this modern non-Muppets world. The Sacramento Bee reports that a group of 20-something crazy kids are calling themselves “freegans” — people who will eat non-vegan food only if its free. In practice, this means that “freegans” will scavenge for food from dumpsters, nonetheless but won’t directly support a non-vegan industry or create a direct demand for non-vegan products.
According to the Bee, “Freeganism is rooted in a political philosophy that condemns over-consumption and waste in American society.” So freegans — mostly young, anti-capitalist types — have decided to use what everyone else throws away.
Hmm. While it’s nice to minimalize one’s impact on the environment, we’re wary of the freegans and are more likely to agree with David Martosko of the Center for Consumer Freedom: “If they really believe that they can eat and nourish their bodies without impacting the environmnent around them, I think they’ve probably been smoking something they found in a dumpster!”