Personally, I cannot say that I am a vegetarian. I eat meat almost every day without thinking about it, it is just something of habit to me. No one in my family is a vegetarian or vegan and none of my close friends are either, so I have not really been around that way of thinking often. Barbeque is a staple at my family gatherings; being from the south, it is a popular choice. At Christmas, at thanksgiving, birthday parties; any celebration we always buy barbeque from a local restaurant. After researching this topic and writing this paper, I know that I will second guess myself the next time my relatives get together whether I eat that meat that is so commonly consumed. There are too many reasons to abstain from all meats, not just barbeque in particular. 

Veganism and vegetarianism are becoming increasingly popular in today’s society. Some people think of them as just what is popular, or a fad; but people have been eating this way for as long as there have been humans. In actuality this lifestyle has many note-worthy reasons as to why this is a healthy diet to follow. There have been so many studies supporting this change in lifestyle that can help against numerous diseases that a lot of people suffer from. Not only will it help our bodies, but a new diet will help to keep our environment in better shape. Humans have been eating meat forever, and they always will; though a vegetarian or vegan diet is much better for the environment and all of the animals living in it, including us.

Vegetarianism dates back very far in the history of humans. The most notable figure of the classical world that practiced this diet is Pythagoras (580 BCE). Pythagoras had the opinion that all animals deserved to be treated with respect, just as humans are. He taught these ideals that animals are kindred to us and that we should abstain from consuming them. (Vegetarian Society) I think that this thought process has stayed true throughout time through organizations like PETA and others who are huge proponents for the non-consumption of meat and protection of animals. There is a problem with how the meat industry is run and there needs to be a change. There is an astonishing amount of cruelty to innocent animals for human consumption, which personally I think is unfair. Not only is this industry cruel towards animals, but as well as the environment.

The meat industry provides billions of jobs for people and also provides food to sustain a healthy lifestyle; but this industry is growing too fast. Experts predict that the worldwide consumption of pork, beef, poultry and other livestock will double by 2020. (StanfordWoods) This statement is shocking considering just how big the industry is today. I understand that the entire population is not going to stop eating meat altogether, though we can make some steps towards protecting the future consequences of our actions now. The reason for such an increase in meat production is the growing population. 

Harold A. Mooney, a professor of biology and a senior fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford, says that increasing gross domestic product per capita in developing countries boosts the demand even higher. He also says that in developing countries when people have more money, they increase the meat and animal products in their diets. (StanfordWoods) A colleague of Mooney, Walter P. Falcon, says, “The livestock industry is changing really rapidly in this country and elsewhere.” (Stanford Woods) Although people love to eat meat, and many people view it as a luxury, that should not cloud the facts of the impacts this industry is having on global warming. 

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) says that the production, processing and distribution of meat requires huge usage of pesticides, fertilizer, fuel, feed and water while emitting greenhouse gases, manure and toxic chemicals into our air and water. (Scientific American) A lifecycle analysis conducted by EWG that took into account the production and distribution of 20 common agricultural products found that red meat such as beef and lamb is responsible for 10 to 40 times as many greenhouse gas emissions as common vegetables and grains. (Scientific American) This being said, that does not mean that chicken, turkey, etc. production does not cause greenhouse gases and negatively affect the environment as well. 

This claim is also supported by the Livestock, Environment and Development (LEAD) Initiative who say, livestock production accounts for 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, including 9 percent of carbon dioxide and 37 percent of methane gas emissions worldwide. (Stanford Woods) LEAD also reported that more than two-thirds of all agricultural land is devoted to growing feed for livestock, while only 8 percent is used to grow food for direct human consumption. If globally, everyone consumed as much meat as the Western world does, the global land required would be two-thirds more than what is presently used. (Stanford Woods) 

Greenhouse gases are any gaseous compound in the atmosphere that is capable of absorbing infrared radiation, thereby trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere. (Live Science) Global warming is a frightening term that people are recently starting to believe is actually real. These greenhouse gases are leading to global warming, which in turn means that the meat industry is aiding in the cause of global warming. Global warming is when the sun bombards Earth with enormous amounts of radiation, which strike Earth’s atmosphere in the form of visible light, plus ultraviolet (UV), infrared (IR) and other types of radiation that are invisible to the human eye. (Live Science) 

Through the recent natural disasters, I believe that it would be a challenging endeavor to prove that global warming is not a real threat to our world as we know it. The recent wildfires in California is a very good example. Wildfires are caused by increasingly dry weather where droughts are present. In the last couple of months there have been two occasions of horrible wildfires in California, the first being all around Napa Valley in northern California. The second instance of a terrible and widespread wildfire is happening right now in the beginning of December which is taking place in southern California. I knew of both of these natural disasters just by following the national news, though I did not know this was also occurring internationally as well. Increasingly hot and dry climates have been causing wildfires around the world. This is the result of global climate change, global warming. A study published in the journal Nature Communications finds that fire season has gotten longer for more than a quarter of the Earth’s vegetated surface from 1979 to 2013 and that fire weather season has increased by nearly 19% globally. (Time—Climate Change) After knowing these statistics it should be clear that global warming is not just a hoax this is a reality for all of us, and we can each take action against in small ways to help overall. 

(Stanford Woods)(Stanford Woods)Health reasons are also very important to some people who choose to become vegetarian for this purpose. However, in my opinion I think that the most significant motive is to improve the environment and treat animals with the same respect as we treat each other. I understand that we have been eating meat as long as humans have been on earth, but that does not mean that we have to treat them cruelly while they wait for us to kill them for our own meals. The animals are not fed correctly, they are held in small areas where they can barely move, and they are transported in crates no bigger than they are. There are countless examples of animal cruelty directly caused by the meat industry that provides for us. 

The argument against my claim is a simple one, the producers of animal food products are committed to animal welfare and modern slaughtering methods are humane. This is the opposite of what I have been arguing so far in this paper. The American Meat Institute is an organization that represents the interests of the meat and poultry industries. It researches and educates in areas such as animal welfare and food safety. (American Meat Institute) They have stated that the livestock’s welfare has improved continuously since 1998 as a result of animal scientist Temple Grandin’s research, which was done to improve conditions for animals. (American Meat Institute) The meat industry is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the nation according to this organization and has mandatory inspections and voluntary self-audits to ensure human animal handling, stunning, and slaughter. (American Meat Institute) 

The Animal Agriculture Alliance is a group of individuals, companies, and organizations whose mission is to promote the benefits of animal agriculture, much like the Animal Meat Institute. Each segment of the livestock and poultry industries has their own specific guidelines, trainings, and programs focused on the proper care of the animals. According to the Animal Agriculture Alliance, in most of today’s production systems, animals are raised comfortable indoors. This arrangement allows producers and veterinarians to closely monitor herd health, control temperature, ensure a nutritionally balanced diet and keep the animals safe from predators. (Animal Agriculture Alliance) There is an act that regulates the meat packing industry in the United States, which is the Humane Slaughter Act. This act requires federal inspectors to ensure factories and plants are abiding by the standards; and if violations are found, immediate action is taken. (Animal Agriculture Alliance)

As good and progressive as this sounds, unfortunately these precautions for the animals are not always taken. “Treating livestock in packing plants humanely is ethically appropriate.” (American Meat Institute) One would think that this would be an obvious statement but it is unfortunately not to many owners and workers of a meat factory. The Animal Agricultural Alliance also says, “Farmers, ranchers and veterinarians have an ethical obligation to care for animals raised for food. It is their duty to ensure the safety, health and overall well-being of the animals. The well-being of the animal is critical to providing quality food products for their families, employees and all consumers. (Animal Agricultural Alliance) Yet, this picture is the alarming reality of this industry. Yes, there might be programs and training set in place to try and avoid this mistreatment, but these are not always followed like they were meant to be. 

There is also something wrong with this statement. It is implying that the well-being of the animal is only important to providing quality food products for families, employees and all consumers; the well-being of the animal does not matter for the animal’s sake. They mention nothing about this. The Animal Agricultural Alliance says, “The physical well-being of animals is very important to the broiler chicken industry, especially since only healthy animals can be utilized for human food.” (Animal Agricultural Alliance) This is another example of the industry thinking first and only about how the well-being of the animal benefits humans and not animals. This is like treating the animals as objects and not as living things. Even though they say that only healthy animals can be utilized for human food, that does not mean they have a happy life. Factories can keep animals healthy without giving them a good quality of life, for example having them locked in cages no bigger than themselves or crowded into small spaces with no room to move.  

Not only is it unsafe for animals in the factories, they are causing the earth to be unsafe for all animals out there and for humans also, as I stated earlier. PETA says that 51% or more of global greenhouse-gas emissions are caused by animal agriculture, more than 90% of all Amazon rainforest land cleared since 1970 is used for grazing livestock. (PETA) It takes up to 10 pounds of grain to produce one pound of meat, and in the United States alone, 56 million acres of land are used to grow feed for animals, but only 4 million acres are producing plants for humans to eat. (PETA) Another big environmental factor is the amount of water used, not just greenhouse-gas emissions. It takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef, 683 gallons of water to product just one gallon of milk, but only 244 gallons to produce one pound of tofu. A single cow used for milk can also drink up to 50 gallons of water per day, or twice that amount if it’s hot. (PETA) There are many more statistics show that going meat free can help get our environment back on track.

It is hard to argue against the environmental benefits behind not eating meat. The overwhelming amount of statistics and studies show that there is an actual problem that needs to be addressed within this growing industry. The problem with this statement is the term “growing”. The industry claims that they have a commitment to animal welfare, though I can still write this paper with a solid argument that they do not; there lies the problem. Not only are the animals in danger, but so is our environment as I have stated. When looking for all sides to this argument I could not find a source that refuted the fact that the meat industry is harmful to our environment, because it simply is. There are so many ways that we can help our declining environment and animal safety, and this change in diet can be the first step for many people to help the earth before it is too late. 
