Animal Agriculture

Animal Agriculture and The Environment

Everyday Americans are lectured on the importance of taking care of the environment. Teachers, parents, celebrities, and even the President frequently speak about how essential it is to take care of the planet. Americans believe that the best way to reduce environmental degradation is to recycle, drive fuel efficient cars, or take shorter showers. This, however, is not the case. The leading cause of deforestation, air pollution, water pollution, and waste is, believe it or not, animal agriculture. Dairy and animal farming and its by-products produce 51% of greenhouse gas emissions, while all forms of transportation accounts for only 13% (“The Facts”). In terms of waste and water pollution, livestock produce

In 2014, nearly 400 million fewer animals were killed simply from people consuming less meat (Andrei). This spared anywhere from 800 million to over a billion acres from deforestation. With the plant-based movement becoming more and more popular, every vegan can save 1,100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 sq ft of forested land, and 20 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent PER DAY (“The Facts”). Adopting a plant-based diet would also not only decrease pollution, but help and support the environment by allowing disrupted ecosystems to become regulated again. Oceans would become repopulated back to normal rates, and lands that were formerly used for agriculture would once again become habitats for wild

These misconceptions, however, are a myth. Broccoli, can actually provide 3.7 more grams of protein per 100 calories of a serving of meat (Radke). Meanwhile, iron can be found in spinach, soy products, and quinoa (Ruscigno). Vitamin b12, what nutritionists are most concerned about with vegan diets, can be found in soy products such as tofu and soymilk (Whitbread). A plant-based diet can also be more satisfying than an American diet. While those who eat animal products must count calories to avoid over-eating, vegans are able to eat virtually as much as they want. Because plant foods generally contain less bad fat than dairy and meat products, those on a plant-based diet can eat more to fulfill the amount of calories needed in a day, all while receiving adequate nutrition. In terms of further over-all health, plant-based diets are extraordinary at preventing and treating the growth of cancerous tumors (Freston). It has been shown through multiple studies involving mice, who are anatomically similar to humans, that the consumption of dairy products causes breast cancers. When these mice were taken off dairy, the tumors not only stopped growing, but began to shrink (“The