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The consumption of meat effects on the planet
Environmental impact of meat essay
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Picture your pet. A friend, a companion and member of your family. Pets are defenceless, loyal and love you unconditionally. In the United States alone, pet owners spend about 35 billion dollars making sure their pets are happy – after all, they are our babies. Now imagine your little furry baby being poked and prodded with needles, being kicked and abused, confined in a tiny cage or even slaughtered. This little animal doesn’t understand what is happening but it is scared. Wouldn’t you be terrified if someone was hurting you and keeping you captive? Imagine the cries of your cat or dog as it is surrounded by metal bars, not being able to move or turn, swimming in a pool of its own blood. Why do we call some animals ‘pets’ and other animals ‘dinner’?
“Why on earth would you be vegetarian?” I was asked the other day by my friend -followed by a
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look of disbelief. “Meat is sooooo good.” I sighed, as this was about the millionth time I had been asked this question in my life. “Well, because I love animals and I care about the environment” I replied nonchalantly. Then I thought about it, turkey for Christmas dinner, 20 pack of chicken nuggets, ice cream for dessert. It’s normal for most people isn’t it? In today’s society we are so far removed from the murder and suffering behind the meat and dairy industry that we don’t think about the animals’ journey to our plate. In Western culture, pigs, fish, sheep, cows and chickens are cast as ‘food animals’, making it okay for us to eat them. To make it even easier for us to digest these animals we have relabelled them. A calf is known as veal, pig is identified as pork and cow is branded as beef. Advertising on the packaging of these products show happy chickens and cows peacefully grazing. This disconnects people from the reality of the miserable life these animals have, in overcrowded filthy factories and cages. There is nothing happy or peaceful about that. Until I stumbled across the PETA website (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) about eight years ago I rarely thought about the supposedly ‘happy’ chickens on the egg carton. However, the content of the photos and videos on the PETA website absolutely horrified me. They showed animals being mercilessly abused and tortured by factory workers – for what? A fur coat? A hamburger? A glass of milk? From that day on I said to myself, never again will I be indifferent to suffering and ignore the pain that comes with a simple chicken nugget. Through our culture, the media and the multimillion dollar meat and dairy industry it has been made socially acceptable to murder vulnerable animals and exploit their by-products. As Paul McCartney once said “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.” Beyond the walls of a factory farm, laying hens are constricted to harsh wire cage smaller than an A4 piece of paper. These poor hens are kept in very dark, damp and cramped conditions never being able to see the light of day. This life of torture is the cruel reality for 82% of egg-laying chickens in New Zealand. Even most ‘free-range’ hens do not make it outside either, with some farms having ten hens for every square metre. To make it worse, once the farmers are done exploiting the hens, usually after 18 months. They send them off to slaughter to be gassed or macerated (minced alive) (SAFE). The way we take advantage of innocent chickens is unacceptable and something needs to be done about it. Breeding pigs are confined in metal sow stalls barely bigger than their bodies. Like chickens, they will never be able to breathe fresh air as the sheds they are kept in are windowless and overcrowded. However, people are able to think this is okay because they are classed as ‘food animals’ and people do not associate pork with a life of misery. Have I turned the walls into glass to expose the truth behind the meat and dairy industry yet? If the factory farming angle doesn’t make you think twice about eating meat think about the impact on the environment.
The impact of eating meat on the environment is staggering and it is scary how fast we humans are exploiting our planet. Eating meat is not sustainable. A shocking 30% of the worlds entire land surface is used for raising live-stock. This significantly adds to global warming and over 51% of greenhouse gas emissions are due to animal agriculture. Pollution due to animal waste running from factory farms into our waterways are killing marine life and tainting our fresh water. Did you know we spend more time, money and resources fattening up the animals we eat, than we do feeding humans who are dying of hunger? (Anderson) – no wonder there are 925 million people that don’t have enough food. Not to mention 60% of the world’s grain is fed to farmed animals, if less live-stock was bred then couldn’t we give that grain to the people who are starving? On top of this it takes almost 20 times less land to feed someone on a plant-based (vegan) diet than it does to feed a meat-eater (PETA). How can you argue with
that? Look, I’m not preaching we should all turn to full on veganism but I do want you to stop and think the next time you order meat. People are too far removed from the silent pain and suffering that happens to millions of animals. Are we in need of a reality check? If you wouldn’t kill the animal yourself or if you feel disgusted and sad when seeing animals get slaughtered – why are you still eating them? Even if you are indifferent to the cruelty of animals, surely you can’t deny the impact eating meat has on the environment. Open your eyes and stop detaching yourself from the suffering of animals and decimation of the environment. The future is in your hands. Next time you think about ordering meat, go for the vegetarian option – after all “are vegetarian meals any weirder than eating the ground up body parts of animals?” – SM.
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”
Millions of animals are consumed everyday; humans are creating a mass animal holocaust, but is this animal holocaust changing the climate? In the essay “ The Carnivores Dilemma,” written by Nicolette Hahn Niman, a lawyer and livestock rancher, asserts that food production, most importantly beef production, is a global contributor to climate change. Nicolette Niman has reports by United Nations and the University of Chicago and the reports “condemn meat-eating,” and the reports also say that beef production is closely related to global warming. Niman highlights, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides are the leading greenhouses gases involved in increasing global warming. A vast majority of people across the world consumes meat and very little people are vegetarian, or the people that don’t eat meat, but are there connections between people and meat production industry when it comes to eating food and the effect it has on the climate? The greenhouse gases, methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxides are not only to blame, but we should be looking at people and industrialized farming for the leading cause of greenhouse gases in agriculture and the arm-twisting dilemma we have been lured into, which is meat production itself.
In the article,Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler, Mark Bittman discusses the devastating effects the meat diet has on the planet. As the population continues to increase, the consumption of meat also increases. According to the article, it states that “Americans are downing close to 200 pounds of meat, poultry and fish per capita per
We care so much about what the food is and how it is made that we overlook about where the food had come from. According to the reading selection, “Killing Them with Kindness?” by James McWilliams, an American history professor at Texas State University, states “animals raised in factory farms have qualities that make them worthy of our moral consideration…[and yet, we] continue to ignore the ethical considerations involved in eating meat” (311). This exhibits that when Americans are so engrossed in healthy eating, our morals about animal rights are neglected. Most of what we eat are animals, and animals like we do have emotions, interests, and possibly goals in life. We pay no heed of the animal’s interests and it should not be that way since our interests are no more important just because we are more superior, intelligent beings should not give us the right to perceive animals in such a manner. In addition to paying notice of the origin of where the animals come from, we need to be aware of what killing animals will do to the earth. In the TedTalk, “What’s Wrong with the Way We Eat,” Mark Bittman states “10 billion animals are killed each year for food and they represent 18% of the harmful greenhouse gasses” (Bittman). This reveals that our careless consumption would not only lead to the suffering of animal deaths but the suffering of our world and our imminent death. As we increase our progression with our unhealthy obsession over healthy eating, there will not be any positive effects for the body, the animals around us, or the world. If we were to be conscious about the source of our food and the consequence of eating then we will be able to eat healthily and
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...
Is it possible to be an ethical meat-eater? Well, in my opinion, it is not ethical. There are many animals that suffer in the process of being slaughtered. Federal law requires mammals be stunned prior to slaughter. Typically, electric current is used to induce a heart attack or seizure. Then a captive bolt gun is used to deliver a blow to the skull or to shoot a rod into the animal’s brain. Eating meat is not ethical; animals suffer, they are tortured, because there are not enough Federal regulations protecting the animals, and there are environmental issues, as well as the health issues concerning the consumption of meat.
Every day across America millions of people wake up to start their morning. Throughout the day the vast majority of these people will consume meat, but 3% will replace the pig, cow, and chicken products for vegetable or fruit made meals (Harris). These vegetarians all have many different reasons to make this choice. This decision is a huge change in one’s life and is not without questions. Some people may wonder why would anyone abstain from the amazing food that contains meat. This essay will briefly explain the history of vegetarianism, the reasons for vegetarianism, and answer questions about vegetarianism. Vegetarian diets are all around better than diets containing meat because of three main reasons; the abuse of animals, the environmental damage, and the health benefits for humans.
Personally, I partially disagree with the argument. I support the idea that farm animals should be treated in a more humane way, but I do not think that we should stop consuming animals. They have been part of our diet for ages. Their meat is packed with essential nutrients, like proteins and
Being vegetarian opens up so many doors for people. For those who do not know what a vegetarian is or are confused on what they do or eat let me inform you that being a vegetarian simply means that you go off of plant-based diets. Although there are several kinds of vegetarian diets, it is all based on what type of food you are consuming. For example, a strict vegetarians or vegans avoid all foods of animal origin, including meat, poultry, fish, diary products, and eggs. Many people become a vegetarian for different reason according to the Calorie King he states, “being vegetarian means different things to different people, and people follow a vegetarian diet for different reason including health, religion, and ethical beliefs.”(Deusen p.1)
Meat has become a part of our culture in our country, where it is expected as part of each meal of the day. But the production of the meat raises questions on whether eating meat is ethical in people’s eyes. Studies in recent years have shown that the growing impact of our meat eating culture, has negatively affected different aspects around us. The problem is not about whether people should or should not eat meat, but that we should focus on how the production of meat can have negative affects and how we can limit those problems.
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
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.
This is a much bigger deal than people think. In fact, according to an article by Peta, How Does Eating Meat Harm the Environment, it has such an effect on the environment that the Union of Concerned Scientist list meat eaters as the second biggest environmental hazard facing the earth. The number one affect being fossil fuels produced by cars. It was also found in a report published by the Worldwatch Institute that nearly 51 percent of all greenhouse gasses are produced from animal agriculture. This is a very staggering number when a lot of research is being done to make vehicles more environmentally friendly when we could make a huge impact just by changing the way we eat. It is even more astounding that it takes the same number of fossil fuels to produce one hamburger as it takes to dive one car 20 miles (Peta How Does Eating Meat Harm the Environment). The production of this meat is also a big cost. It takes more than 80 percent of the corn we grow and more than 95 percent of oat are feed to livestock. The world’s cattle alone are feed the equal amount that would be needed to feed 8.7 billion people. That’s more than the entire world population. If we cut back on our consumption of meat we could take corn and oats that we produce and feed the world. When producing meat many of our natural resources are used. We use water, fossil fuels and top soil, and we are
...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