Question:
Write an essay on “Vegetarianism Could Save the Planet”.
Vegetarianism is the exercise of refraining from consuming meat, which includes poultry, red meat, insects, the flesh of any animal and also seafood (Kids Health, 2016). It also includes refraining from consuming the by-products of slaughtered animals. There are different types of a vegetarian’s diet. Lacto-Ovo Vegetarians do not feed on meat, fish or poultry. They, however, feed on dairy products and eggs. Lacto-vegetarians do not feed on meat, fish, eggs or poultry, but feed on dairy products. Ovo- vegetarians do not feed on poultry, fish, dairy products or meat but feed on eggs. The last kind of vegetarians are the vegans who only feed on plant-derived foods (Kids Health, 2016). Other individuals are semi-vegetarians refraining from red meat but consume fish or poultry. Vegetarianism is a choice. However, there are queries as to whether a vegetarian gets all the required nutrients. Medical experts confirm that a well-organized vegetarian diet is a very healthy way to eat. Vegetarianism is chosen due to various reasons. Some individuals due to the respect of sentient life, others health related issues, political, cultural, personal preference and also environmental issues. Vegetarianism is a good thing especially for the protection of the environment as consuming meat wastes and pollutes water sources as well as destroying land and the rain forests, through deforestation among other factors like adding to global warming and the wastage of resources.
There are claims that non-vegetarianism does not harm the planet. They state that issues like civilization is what has brought about the damage to the environment that includes water pollution. Meat eaters claim that the agricultural foods that is vegetarian foods, which are promoted to save the planet lead to the pollution of water. They give reasons such as salts runoff from irrigation, that include pesticides and fertilizers, lead to salinization of surface waters; that is pesticides and fertilizers runoff to the surface water. This pollutes the water. They also claim that ground water also contains residue of agricultural practices from pesticides and fertilizers (Natural Resources Management and Environment Department, 2016). Another example meat eaters give is that effluent outfalls from factories, waste treatment plants, and refineries pollute the water and by them consuming meat they do not affect the water sources.
Agriculture also involves animal farming. The fact that irrigation may be the cause of water pollution is not entirely the whole truth. Poor farming methods, which are avoidable through education, are the reason as to why there is no proper use of pesticides and fertilizers. One of the biggest attributes of water pollution is keeping animals for food. The number of bacteria, antibiotics, and pesticides concentrated in the flesh of these animals is also contained in their feces. Much of these waste excrement from abattoirs and factory farms flow into rivers and streams leading to their contamination. Rivers carrying livestock waste dump excess waste into gulfs and bays leading to the death of huge zones of the marine areas. Effluents from factories also arise mostly as a result of processing meat and other non-vegetarian products when compared to vegetarian products. According to Peta India, 20, 940 litres of water are used in the production of 1 kilogram of meat as compared to the 503 litres of water required for the production of 1 kilogram of wheat (PETA India, 2016). It is, therefore, evident that most of the planet’s water go to animal agriculture. Other statistics also indicate that in a day a pure vegetarian diet only requires 1,137 litres of water, while 15, 160 litres of water are required for a meat-based diet (PETA India, 2016). It clearly indicates that keeping animals as a source of food exerts pressure on the inadequate water supply on the planet. There is, therefore, more efficient use of water when directed towards producing crops. When individuals consume less meat, the number of herds will decrease and thus reduce this pollution.
The Gulf of Mexico not only faces the crisis of oil pollution but also faces dead zones due to excess quantities of animal waste, sewage, and waste from factory farms. Algal blooms develop and take up all the oxygen living inhabitable areas (PETA, 2016). There are about 400 identified dead zones from the Scandinavian fjords to the South China Sea that range in size from 1 to above 70 000 square kilometers. The Natural Resources Defense Council claims that large livestock farms that accommodate hundreds and thousands of cows, chicken and pigs emit a lot of waste which is 130 times more than people do (Worldwatch Institute, 2016). The Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S. states that waste from livestock has polluted rivers for more than 27, 000 miles and also soiled groundwater in a majority of countries (Worldwatch Institute, 2016). Yacoubou encourages the improvement of waste management through technology, such as, the use of readily absorbable feed ingredients that are not excreted. Furthermore, the improvement of manure collecting process is critical through better housing, manure storage, and processing. Timely manure dosing should also be performed in agreement with the crops requirements (Yacoubou, 2009).
Other claims that non-vegetarianism does not harm the planet arise on the issue of land and deforestation stating that by consuming meat land and deforestation does not occur. They blame it on the need for space for industrial and urban needs. They also claim that individuals are adding in number and that is why forests are being cleared to acquire extra space for settling. Their main point is that this land is cleared for commercial, residential and industrial uses. Urbanization that involves the construction of roads is highlighted as among the major contributors of deforestation (Conserve Energy Future, 2016). The claims further suggest that forests are cleared to grow crops for vegetarians placing more emphasis on soy, which is the main ingredient for making tofu. Tofu is a staple food for vegetarians (Mocana Productions, Inc., 2016). Here they stress that being a vegetarian is leading to deforestation as land is required to grow soy for the vegetarians.
It is true that soy has covered about 11 million hectares of forest land across South America. However, farmed animals are the ones eating a majority of these soybeans. It is stated in the Encyclopaedia Britannica that about 98% of America’s production of soy goes to feeding the farmed animals (Mocana Productions, Inc., 2016). It is, therefore, safe to say that the deforestation claimed to be by vegetarians is mainly by meat eaters. The expansion of production of livestock is a major factor in deforestation and land degradation. It is clearly evident in Latin America especially, where they experience the greatest deforestation effects. About 70% of the Amazon’s previously forested land is now occupied by feed crops and pastures (Vegan Outreach, 2016). The World Bank also stated that about 90% of the Amazon rainforest has been cleared since the 1970s and is used for meat production (Friedrich, 2015). It indicates that the forest is being cleared to pave the way for both livestock grazing and to grow their feeds. This is not only about cattle. Feeds for chicken and pigs is also grown.
A study carried out by the Union of Concerned Scientists discovered that a lot of land is needed for the production of meat. The production of meat globally has also increased and the new land for production has been acquired through clearing forests. The study found this to be a leading factor of deforestation. Beef was also viewed to require more land than pork and chicken that use lesser land to produce similar quantities of protein. The study also discovered that about 60% of agricultural land globally is used for beef production, which offers less than 2% of the calories consumed worldwide (Mishler, 2012). Beef has been termed as an inefficient use of feed resources as it requires 10 kilograms of grain for the production of 1 kilogram of beef. The study pointed out that the food that is raised for livestock, such as, soybeans, corn and alfalfa do not go directly to human consumption. It goes to the livestock that is slaughtered to produce lesser food for fewer individuals. Another study from the Cornell University discovered that about 13m hectares of land was used to grow rice, beans, potatoes, fruits and vegetables in the United States. On the other hand, 302m was used for livestock. The issue was that farm animals have been identified to be inefficient converters of food to flesh. Broiler chickens are considered the best as they only require about 3.4kg to produce 1kg of flesh. Pigs, on the other hand, require 8.4kg to produce 1 kilogram. Various academics have also calculated that if the grains fed to animals were consumed by people directly rather than animals, twice as many individuals would be fed, possibly more.
From the above, it is clearly evident that vegetarianism is a good thing especially for the protection of the planet’s water sources, land, and forests. Vegetarianism is a choice as stated earlier and individuals are free to eat whatever they want. However, they should take into account that eating meat may end up depleting the resources that the children of their children will require to survive, more rapidly than if they became vegetarians. To cater for the reasons offered as to why individuals eat meat and that there are those who cannot stay without eating meat, there are different types of vegetarians mentioned above to choose from. The UCS study also recommended consuming chicken or pork to replace beef, or even purchasing beef from cows living on already deforested land (Mishler, 2012). They found beef to be the most hazardous to the environment. Some Dutch researchers made observations that global vegetarianism would result to expanses of new land (Anderson, 2014). Today, the grazing land used for livestock rearing accounts for 26% of the world’s land surface. The researchers predict that land used for grazing amounting to about 2.7 billion hectares would be freed. Also, the land used to grow crops for the livestock that amounts to 100 million hectares, would also be freed (Anderson, 2014). Not to be assumed, is the fact that there are individuals living in the dry areas where they cannot grow any crops. Rearing animals for meat becomes their livelihood. For them, education is critical as they can utilize the manure from the animals and in time revitalize the lands and grow crops just as Yacoubou states above.
References
Anderson, L. V. (2014, May 2). Could vegetarianism save the world? National Post: Apetizer.
Conserve Energy Future. (2016). Deforestation: Compromises of a Growing World.
Friedrich, B. (2015). Why Vegetarianism Is the Best Way to Help the Environment.
Mishler, J. (2012, June 29). Environmental Study: Consume Less Meat to Fight Deforestation
Mocana Productions, Inc. (2016). Blaming Deforestation on Vegetarians.
Natural Resources Management and Environment Department. (2016). Control of water pollution from agriculture.
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