Essay talk:Becoming Vegetarian

Here Tom goes with more of his vegetarian crap again.... Gooniepunk2010 ^{Oi! Oi! Oi!} 07:06, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

This isn't a debate, so I doubt this will co-opt a day's edits like the last one, don't worry. :) --Tom Moore^{fiat justitia} 07:12, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

"animal glue is the most widely-used adhesive in every building"

That's a new one on me. The MSDS for Liquid Nails shows what look like a lot of hydrocarbons. Of course there are other adhesives in buildings, but which ones come from animals? I don't think hide glue ever was used much in construction; that's more of a fine furniture or musical instrument application. Not trying to poke holes in your essay, been a vegetarian off and on myself, just curious what you and your vegan-taunting friends were on about, back then. Sprocket J Cogswell 03:36, 21 December 2009 (UTC)

That was true back when I said it, fifteen years ago or so. It is probably much less true, with synthetics now dominant. For what it's worth, an acquaintance in construction said animal adhesives were still widely used, but I don't have any hard data anymore.--Tom Moore^{fiat justitia} 03:50, 21 December 2009 (UTC)

I was working construction a dozen years ago, and paying attention to adhesives long before that; while there have been changes since then, to me it seems it's mostly been synthetics replacing other synthetics, or being added to the tool kit. Even the urea they use nowadays is synthetic. Animal glue is so... pre-industrial. No matter, be well! Sprocket J Cogswell (talk) 04:04, 21 December 2009 (UTC)

I'm certainly no expert. I thought gelatins were used in the production of MMAs for acrylic resin, but I have only ever taken one chemistry class since high school and can't even mix paint.--Tom Moore^{fiat justitia} 04:18, 21 December 2009 (UTC)

Now I'm curious, going to go see if PETA has anything to say about shellac. Sprocket J Cogswell (talk) 04:40, 21 December 2009 (UTC)