Is Veganism A More Humane And Responsible Lifestyle Essay

In the world today there are 16 million vegans. But what are Vegans? A Vegan is a herbivore, meaning they do not eat any animal products such as, meat, dairy, poultry, fish or honey and for some who are more extreme, do not use leather, silk, fur, wool, and any other product that contains animal byproducts. So why might someone want to be Vegan? There are a number of reasons for someone to pursue veganism. For some it is ethical, and others environmental or health reasons, but there has been a recurring question on whether Vegans are getting enough iron and protein. Organic Authority said, “that per calorie kale has more iron than beef.” In regards to protein, a 100 calorie portion of steak, contains 5.4 grams of protein, whereas a 100 calorie portion of broccoli, contains 11.2 grams of protein (Hite 2013). Clearly eating a Vegan diet does not mean that there will be a deficiency of protein, iron or any vitamins besides B12, which has to be supplemented. Environmentally, agriculture is very damaging as well. As stated by Cowspiracy “64% of greenhouse emissions, are a result of livestock, their byproducts, and transportation of the

In fact, more and more people are turning to a vegan diet for the health benefits which include increased energy, younger and healthier looking skin and eternal youth are just some of the claims from enthusiastic plant eaters. However, there are many dilemmas about consuming enough protein to feel strong and energized. Matt Frazier explains that there are plenty of ways to obtain protein without eating meat. A good source of protein comes from soy, which might include lentils, black beans, tofu, quinoa and other grains. Once people realize there are many other food sources that have protein, they will be more convinced to live a vegan

As Americans become increasingly more health conscious, vegetarian diets are becoming more and more common. Produce-aisle signs stating eat 5 a day for better health are beginning to pay off, along with the USDA-DHHS Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which state: Many American diets have too many calories and too much fat (especially saturated fat), cholesterol,and sodium. They also have too little complex carbohydrates and fiber. Such diets are one cause of America’s high rates of obesity and of certain diseases-heart disease, high blood pressure,stroke, diabetes, and some forms of cancer http://www.childsecure.com/veggie.htm

Meat has been a staple food in the diet of mankind since the early ages of civilization. In the article “Is Any Meat Good to Eat?” by Sarah Boesveld, she interviews author Jonathan Safran to share his opinion on eating meat and factory farming. He believes that “...if [people] just ate according to the values they already have, then factory farming would disappear.” Whether or not people realize the sources from which meat in modern day society comes from, they cannot deny the fact that meat is delectable. Sadly, many people who are aware of where their meat comes from will argue that it is unethical to eat meat that is grown purely to satisfy the hunger of people. The ethics of eating meat should not be considered because of the extreme

Morally, one may feel obligated to exercise Vegetarianism due to the inhumane treatment of animals throughout the farming process. The issue is that roughly ten billion animals are raised for United States food consumption alone. Animals such as cows, fish, chickens, pigs, and turkeys are subjected to

To eat a cow or not to eat a cow, that is the question. Americans eat more meat than people in any other country. But eating meat causes air pollution, water pollution, and may cause health problems. People should become vegetarians to prevent these problems.

If I could only use one word to describe myself as a person, it would be healthy. When I say healthy I do not mean your average american’s portrayal of the word. Healthy as in no animal products in my system whatsoever. Yes! That means no meat, no dairy, and no eggs; this is also known as veganism or plant based. Some may say that it is an extreme and completely unnecessary way to live, but for me it is a form of activism for the animals, our health, and our dying planet. Whether the word “veganism” has a bad taste in your mouth or not; I still would like to share my personal experience and how it has positively changed me mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Like the majority of teenagers today, I was just browsing YouTube when I stumbled upon a video that has since changed my life. “Earthlings.” The documentary revealed how millions of animals are mercilessly slaughtered in factory farms. Just watching such brutality- void of any type of humanity- was immobilizing. Somehow I made it to the end and came across copious recommended videos, including “Forks Over Knives” and “Cowspiracy.” While they weren’t as graphic as the first, they were definitely informative. After watching these documentaries, I decided to go vegan. This decision wasn’t made lightly, and it wasn’t just for myself. Veganism has long been disputed over, but animal rights activists, environmentalists,

Bill McKibben, as environmentalist and widely published author observes, that the more livestock produced in unethical ways, the more green gases emitted into the atmosphere. In McKibben view, “Going vegan is fifty percent more effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions than switching to a hybrid car according to a University of Chicago study.(201)” McKibben claims that becoming a vegan is one of the only choices someone can make that can actually help the environment. Livestock produces most of the world’s greenhouse gases, when they belch and because the livestock is stuck in one place, all the manure is in one place just emitting gases. Vegans want people to stop eating meat, because the more people eat, the more meat needs to be produced, producing more greenhouse

Agriculture for meat and beef, eggs and dairy products are responsible for eighteen percent of all the greenhouse gas emission per year, which is more than the emissions of cars, planes, and trains together. And livestock and their byproducts are responsible for fifty-one percent of the greenhouse gas emissions worldwide and for up to ninety percent of water consumption in the U.S.. Thousands of gallons of water are used to produce beef, eggs and dairy products. More than half of the oceans are fished and two acres of the rainforest get destroyed every second for food production. Switching to a vegan lifestyle can decrease all these factors and make the world we live in now exist longer.

As we can now observe, vegetarianism has become something fashionable, and the number of people who reject eating meat is constantly increasing. In Britain, for instance, over 5 million people have done it so far. It is obviously connected with the recent animal diseases, but this tendency is likely to spread on the other regions of the world. However, it is not only a fashion or fear of illnesses. I myself became a vegetarian about 2 years ago, and I can see a number of reasons why people should stop eating meat. They are mainly of ethic, economic and health type. Those who think in an ecological way should also be aware of how this meat consumption ruins our environment. I don’t have an intention

Meat has been in our diet since the start of mankind. We eat meat everyday mindlessly. It is hard to avoid meat since it is everywhere we go. Meat is the majority of today’s food. There are very few vegetarian or vegan options in the food industry. Although, it has been growing more and more popular since it has become a lifestyle. The reason is to be the horrifying truth of today’s meat industry. For those who cannot bear the truth, pick up the vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.

Furthermore, Americans should adopt a vegan lifestyle because it can prevent climate change from continuing to rise. Animal production is one of the main factors that cause climate change. According to Chris Brazier, “A turning point came when it became evident that the livestock

Consumption of meat by humans creates several problems. First and foremost, raising animals for food compromises the environment. For example, it takes a large amount of natural resources to sustain the meat industry. The use of water, land, and food to raise animals for human consumption is not an efficient use of our limited resources. In contrast, it is more efficient to feed humans directly than to use land, food, and water to feed animals to be used as food. There are shortages of fertile land, clean water, and food in several third world countries. Many of these countries’ resources are allocated to produce feed for animals in developed countries around the world. As a result, the citizens of these countries are stricken with water and food shortages, while their crops are feeding cattle from across the globe. However, this problem can be solved by adopting a vegan diet. The vegan diet will allow a more efficient use of resources that in turn can be used to feed starving men, women, and children throughout the world. Consequently, more people in the world could be fed if the land used to grow feed for animals was used to grow food for humans.

The primary issue with a vegetarian diet is that foods produced for vegetarians are impacting the environment in a harmful way. Some people feel as if vegetarian foods are completely harmless. According to the Carnegie Mellon University research team, “Some diets containing large amounts of ‘plant-based foods’ had the highest levels of greenhouse gas emissions” (Whoriskey). Plant based foods can actually harm the environment just as much, if not more, than farming livestock. The Dietary Guidelines suggest a vegetarian diet because “…a vegetarian diet is associated with lesser environmental impact than is the current average U.S. diet” (Whoriskey). However, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University found that “Shifting to the diets recommended by Dietary Guidelines for American would increase energy use by 38