Over 16,529,279 people are on fubar.
What are you waiting for?
English paper, March 2009
Vegetarianism comes in many forms these days. Some choose to eat no meat whatsoever while others will still eat fish or poultry. All vegetarians have one thing in common; they eat no red meat. This means they do not eat the meat from cows, pigs, or sheep. There are many reasons why one would choose to renounce eating meat. Many vegetarians chose their way of life because of health reasons. Some did so because of their moral standing on using animals for food. Vegetarianism also has benefits that most vegetarians do not even realize. For instance, vegetarianism also helps the global environment and leads to the saving of money and energy. Overall, vegetarianism is the responsible and healthy choice for those who do not necessarily have to depend on meat as a source of nutrition.
If done correctly, the vegetarian lifestyle is one of the healthiest lifestyles known to man. Those following a vegetarian way of life, and have done so for most of adulthood, generally have fewer health issues than those who eat meat on a regular basis. Studies of longevity consistently show that the oldest people usually eat very little, if any, meat. Vegetarian diets contain far less cholesterol and saturated fats than do "normal," meat eating diets. Further, the protein one receives from vegetables is a far healthier for human bodies than protein received from an animal. Animal proteins have been found to increase the likelihood of developing certain diseases such as diabetes and several forms of cancer. And finally, by steering clear of meat, vegetarians greatly reduce the number of potentially harmful chemicals ingested. Because most meat is now raised on factory farms (an issue to be discussed later), the number of chemicals that humans are exposed to has increased dramatically. While it is true that some plant farms use chemicals in the growing of crops, this can be avoided by eating organically or naturally.
Another popular reason for becoming a vegetarian is to protest the use of animals for food. This is a multi-faceted issue. Some cite this as a reason because of factory farming and the suffering that animals in such conditions suffer, others because of the belief that animals have an independent moral worth and should not be used by humans for any purpose.
First we will explore the issues behind factory farming. Over ninety percent of all animals used for human consumption (including dairy products, eggs, and meat) in the US are raised on factory farms. Animals raised in factory farms suffer miserably their entire lives. Animals are given chemical injections to make them grow faster. Chickens, for instance, are injected with chemicals that cause their breasts to grow at nearly four times the normal rate. The rest of their bodies cannot keep up with the rate of growth and so the animals sometimes cannot walk or even stand. Their beaks are shaved down to pencil points to prevent injury due to the extreme overcrowding in cages and living areas. When it comes time for the animals to be killed, the chickens are literally thrown into transportation cages oftentimes resulting in broken bones. After being tossed around by factory workers, the chickens are then shocked via electrolysis to numb them before having their throats slit. Some of the chickens are not numbed by the electric shock and thus feel every ounce of pain from having their throat slit open (Kentucky Fried Cruelty). To most of us, this is not acceptable, and for some, it is cause enough to change our lifestyles, to not support such practices by completely removing products of factory farming from our everyday lives, thus, vegetarianism.
Similarly, there are those that choose vegetarianism as a way to respect the moral worth of animals. It seems rather hypocritical of humanity to say that only some animals have moral worth and yet it is done every day. Most cringe in horror at the thought of someone eating a cat or a dog but find it perfectly acceptable to eat a double bacon cheeseburger at the local fast food restaurant. There really is no good argument to support this viewpoint. If one animal has enough moral worth to not be eaten, then all animals should be treated with the same respect. Vegetarians simply treat all animals with equal amounts of consideration and respect by refusing to use them for food when there are plenty of other options available.
One of the biggest debates lately has been that of the global environment. Though it may not seem like it at first, one of the ways to help the environment is to become a vegetarian. Contrary to popular belief, animal farming is the number one cause of deforestation in the world and it always has been. Why does this matter? Deforestation is the second greatest cause of atmospheric carbon dioxide, releasing about a quarter of total carbon dioxide emissions each year. Deforestation also causes soil erosion and consequent flooding. Also, the water for animal farming, which is more than human usage, is quickly depleting our limited underground water sources. And while it may be amusing, methane from the flatulence of farm animals is one of the leading environmental pollutants, and methane is more than twenty times as effective as carbon dioxide for trapping heat in the atmosphere. Furthermore, animal farming results in the deposit of far more excrement than can be absorbed onto farmland, resulting in pollution of lakes and rivers and destruction of valuable farmland.
Finally, plant farming is vastly cheaper and much more efficient than animal farming. It produces ten to twenty times the amount of protein per acre, five to ten times the calories per acre, and as much as fifty times the proportion of food calorie output to fossil fuel calorie input (GoVeg). Animals consume many times the amount of food that they yield. Replacing animal food production with plant food production in first world countries alone would yield enough surpluses to feed the entire world's population on a healthy diet with room to spare.
Not everyone can be a vegetarian. There are some that do not have access to a variety of nutritional supplements and must depend on meat for sustenance. There are many, though, that can. Most of us live in an area where there are plenty of choices for our nutrition and for those people, vegetarianism is the healthiest and most responsible option. There are literally zero dietary needs that cannot be met through a vegetarian diet. As more and more people convert to vegetarianism, there will be an increase in products for vegetarian consumption and with that, more and more people will have the ability to live the vegetarian lifestyle.
Whatever the reason for converting, every vegetarian is making an impact on the world. We are helping the environment and saving animals from a lifetime of suffering. We are becoming healthier while saving money and energy in the production of our food. We are making the most responsible choice possible. Every person counts and every person can help make a difference. Vegetarianism is just another way for us to evolve as human beings, to make the choice to move past the days of killing for sustenance and into a healthier way of life.
