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The consumption of meat effects on the planet
The consumption of meat effects on the planet
Eating meat affects our environment essay
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People understand that becoming a vegan would help them live a healthier lifestyle, but vegans don’t understand the environmental consequences of a meat-eating diet. The single greatest human-caused source of destruction to the environment is raising food for animals and our way of saving the environment is if everyone lives a vegan lifestyle. A vegan lifestyle can reduce the harmful greenhouse gas emissions in the air. It requires less water than animal production farms. Also, a vegan lifestyle demands less land. Although people enjoy eating meat, there are many ways that a vegan lifestyle is better for the environment. Veganism is the practice of removing all animal products from one’s diet. It’s a ways of life that alters diets and clothing …show more content…
Everywhere you look today, people are seeking to conserve water, “people washing their cars less often... installing low-flow shower heads and sink fixtures and low-flow toilets. You see people using drought-resistant landscaping . The vigilant turn of the water at the sink when brushing their teeth”(Robbins, 238). These measures are sensible and obliging, but combined they don’t save nearly the amount of water you would save by altering to a vegan life. They are also a waste of money. “It takes more than 2,000 gallons of water to 1 pound of meat. Vs. 1 pound of wheat takes 25 gallons... a vegan diet requires 300 gallons of water per day vs. a meat- eating diet which requires 4000 gallons per day”(Valentine). This quote clarifies that the. production of meat is a waste of water and if looking for a more availability of fresh water is by switching to a vegan diet. Ultimately someone would save more water by not eating a pound of meat than not showering for half a year and that better saves the availability of fresh water for the environment. The last reason a vegan lifestyle is better for the environment is plant-based farming does not demand and abundance amount of land. Meat-eaters May argue that there is more land being used for crop production, but in fact more crop production is being used for the over flowing demand of animal feed. “Two-thirds of crop production for domestic markets are consumed as animal feed”(Impact of a Vegan Agriculture System on Land Use). Animals consume more
People can be classified into two categories, meat eaters and non meat eaters. Meat eaters or carnivores are common in society so there has to be a tremendous amount of meat production to meet these needs. But has anyone ever thought about the amount of fuel and energy it takes to make it and how it would ultimately destroy the Earth? Many have and it revealed to them that the cost of being a vegan or vegetarian is far less than continuing their carnivorous ways. Two authors have their opinions to offer, even if they are on the same side of the argument and want to convert people to being a vegan. In “Eating Green” Margaret Lundberg states why becoming a vegan is healthy, not only for the person, but also the environment. John Vidal’s “10 Ways Vegetarianism Can Help Save the Planet”
.... People do not have to become vegetarians, but people should consider other meat and food as alternatives. Ultimately, if a majority of people chose organic farms and foods it would put a heavy hit on the meat production business. People will be eating healthier, and they will be doing their healthy part in the ecosystem and that will help to lower greenhouse gas emissions and greatly improve treatment of animals. The prices of organic food just need to come down dramatically for people to buy it. Methane from liquid manure, nitrous oxide from manmade fertilizers, carbon dioxide from machines are why people have put themselves and animals into a dilemma and made it into a never-ending continuous cycle.
In the article, “Eating Green,” by Margaret Lundberg, the author states that she believes a vegetarian diet would benefit the health of our bodies as well as the health of our planet. In her thesis, she says, “I believe that our personal and global health is tightly interconnected, and what benefits one will benefit the other” (570). Lundberg’s point in this article is to share her beliefs as to why Americans should become vegetarian. She also explains how pollution, global warming, agriculture and our love for meat is killing our bodies and our future. Lundberg did not provide enough persuasive evidence as to how us becoming vegetarians or vegans would help our planet, she just gives her view
Between watering the crops for farmed animals, providing drinking water for these animals, and cleaning away their waste that is found in factory farms, transportation trucks, and slaughterhouses, the farm-raised animal places an enormous strain on the water supply. Nearly half of all the water used in the United States goes to raising animals for food (Meat Production). According to PETA, one would save more water by not eating a pound of meat than they would by not showering for six months. As seen Fig4. it takes many more thousands of gallons of water to produce meat, while growing the same amount of fruits and vegetables requires significantly less water. An article in the New York Times asserted that “by changing one’s diet to replace 50% of animal products with edible plants like legumes, nuts, and tubers results in a 30% reduction in an individual’s food-related water footprint. Going vegetarian reduces that water footprint by almost 60%” (McWilliams). Armed with this knowledge, one can clearly see that vegetarians save tremendous qu...
Regardless of a vegan's reasons for going vegan, and there are several, there's little doubt of that veganism, or minimally a mostly plant-based diet, can offer a reduction in the contribution of harming the ecological balance of the earth.
What is Veganism? Veganism is a diet where a person does not eat or use any animal-produced product. Veganism is described as an extreme form of vegetarianism. It is known that vegans were once called Pythagoras, first being mentioned by Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras. The term vegan originated from Donald Watson, the founder of the Vegan Society. The rise of Veganism is often contributed to the media and religion; however, it can also be contributed to the overwhelming positive environmental health benefits.
With the ever-growing population of animal lovers on earth, a more viable, humane solution for food consumption needs to be made, but why make a solution when there has already been one? Meat consumption has been proven time and time again to be unnecessary, but that doesn’t stop the average person from eating a double cheese burger with bacon. Unfortunately, many people are apathetic to what happens to animals in farm factories and continue to support them by buying their products, however, consumers should consider switching to a vegetarian diet because it’s more humane to animals, less farm factories being built can save the planet from deforestation, and with a proper balanced vegetarian diet anyone can maintain a healthy life without the
According to vegansociety.com, “ Veganism represents a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, other animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, other animals and the environment.“ People that follow this way of living are called vegans. The vegan diet is more a lifestyle choice and a philosophy than just a diet. The vegan life is the best way to live because it’s healthier, helps the environment, and is kinder to animals.
Imagine living a life without eating anything with an animal product in it. No meat, fish, milk, eggs, honey, not even gelatin. Vegans are people who adapt a lifestyle where they live without any animal based goods; some do this for the health benefits that come with eliminating meats and dairy. Many become vegan as a way to protest and eliminate animal cruelty which is extremely apparent in the meat industry. A vegan diet is based largely on fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and soy. Many people would say this is unhealthy, that a person cannot live like this. Much of this skepticism comes from being misinformed, and under informed about veganism. It is safe to live a vegan lifestyle. On a vegan diet a person can get all the vitamins
A United Nations report states that land used for animal agriculture, both for grazing and production of crops fed to livestock, takes up an astounding 30% of land on Earth. ("Meat Production Wastes Natural Resources") To meet the industry’s demands, over 260 million acres of forest in the U.S. have been cleared to grow grain fed to farm animals. ("Meat Production Wastes Natural Resources") With that in mind, the meat industry also dumps disease-causing pathogens through animal waste that pollutes water and forces the need for waste lagoons to be constructed, which are susceptible to leaking and flooding. ("Facts about Pollution from Livestock Farms”) Scientists say that about 14% of the world’s greenhouse gases are released by said agriculture industries, which is a growing concern for climate change and global warming. (Silverman) The meat industry uses one-third of all the fossil fuels consumed in the United States. (Moore) There is no question that farming animals has a negative effect on the environment and steps should be taken to mitigate air and water pollution risks and future deforestation. If animal agriculture was phased out, land used for animal grazing could be returned to forest land and some of it converted into fields for cultivating crops for humans. A global shift toward veganism, resulting in the elimination of the meat and animal agriculture industries, would protect the environment from various detrimental effects.
One of the biggest controversies with livestock production is that the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that get released into the atmosphere. Its assumed that cars produce most if not all the greenhouse gas emissions however livestock has a big say in air pollution. According to Cassandra Brooks, writer for the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, 18 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions are due to livestock production. This is nearly 20% and can be greatly reduced if people reduced their demand for meat. The Environmental Working Group used a tangible variable for Americans stating “if everyone in the U.S. ate no meat or cheese just one day a week, it would be like not driving 91 billion miles – or taking 7.6 million cars off the road” (Goffman 9). Instead of taking the bus to work, switching your diet around could make just as much of an impact on the environment.
The vegan diet can be a very healthy way of life. There have been some research studies that have shown vegans are significantly lower in weight, they have lower blood pressure and lower levels of cholesterol than normal vegetarians and meat eaters. These health benefits are apparent because vegans consume more dietary fiber, about two to three times more than their meat-eating counter parts, which have been shown to reduce cholesterol, blood glucose levels and protect against colon cancer. Their diets are higher in potassium, magnesium, folic acid, vitamins C and E and the health-promoting phytochemicals which have all been proven to reduce the risk for heat disease, arthritis, prostate and other cancers, and may improve bone health (Vegetarian Diet). Vegans are less likely to suffer from heart disease, stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers because they consume such high levels of plant foods (Vegan Diets: The Pros and Cons). Whatever the reasoning becoming vegan can be a very healthy way of life. ...
...ming I will be willing to contribute in any way that I can, and becoming a vegetarian will help the environment a great deal. Becoming a vegetarian can also lead to becoming a healthier person and living a healthy lifestyle. And lastly, the way animals are killed and treated in factory farms are unethical and they should not be treated the way they are just to create a meal for the next person.Consider that the animal you are eating was a vegetarian and the meat contains all the minerals and vitamins of the plant foods it ate when you eat it. Along with fats yourbody needs in substantial amounts to stay healthy.....more on the fats later. Meat is as close to a complete meal as you can get because of this.
Every person has the ability to make their own choice of whether to eat meat or not. However, eating meat is directly tied to negative health effects, pollution leading to a depletion of ozone, and the depletion of hundreds of thousands of acres of land “wasted” on animal production when they could be used to solve the hunger crisis or lower emission levels. What humans eat is no longer a matter of choice; it has become a matter of life and death. Literally, the future of the whole planet rests on the decision of whether or not to eat meat. If humans chose to eat less meat the world that wouldn’t have to suffer the consequences (outlined above.) Vegetarianism is one possibility, as is Veganism; however the world would be
Promoters of the vegan lifestyle emphasize that chronic diseases are diminished, protein can be obtained through vegetable sources, and animals would not have to be slaughtered if they have their way. They also list the following advantages of being a vegan.