Persuasive Essay : Why Humans Should Not Eat Meat

Animal testing has been one of the issues that people are fighting overtime because of its moral. Even though some results of tests are successful on people, many people are still fighting for the animal’s rights. They believe that animals should have their own rights to live a free life where they belong, just like their species. In scientists point of view, animals have been one of the main subjects to test on, but a lot of them are currently looking forward to use and develop alternatives for the cruel act of animal testing.

Industry is about efficiency; ideally, turning the most profit from the least expense. Therefore, how can we trust an industry to make an ethical choice that will potentially hurt their business model? As exhumed by the articles “Escape The Western Diet” by Michael Pollan and “Don’t Blame The Eater” by David Zinczenko, the health care and food industries are not interested in suggesting we shift our diets towards a what they define as a “healthier”, more natural one, but rather they are set upon developing and distributing a variety of processed, nutritionally-overloaded supplements and cheap foods that conveniently further their return of profit.

In the article, “Escape from the Western Diet” by Michael Pollan, he argues that, “people that eat the Western diet are prone to a complex of chronic diseases.” Since meat is available everywhere in the United States, everyone is able to get their hands on meat and processed meat on a daily basis. We can eat more than double our weight of meat in the entire year, that just shows us that we tend to eat a heavy meat diet on a daily basis but we are too stubborn to change that. Pollan also states that, “the flood of refined carbohydrates has pushed important micronutrients out of the modern diets.” We live in a world that wants stuff to be done as fast as possible and well that includes food. Since we mass producing meats with the use of drugs and other forms of processing it causes some of the important nutrients that we need to leave the food. In Pollan’s article, it states that, “since healthcare is an industry, it stands to make profit on new drugs and procedures to treat chronic diseases than people changing their eating habits.” Not only are we harming ourselves in not making the proper eating choices but the healthcare industry will stay idly by in order for them to release a new drug to make money. In order for us to improve our health we have to take the first move into that direction

People in Houston were told to evacuate their homes and to leave everything behind, due to the hurricane, but they couldn’t leave everything so they compromised and only brought with them the things that were an absolute necessity. Not a lot of people are able to compromise so easily. For some people this is a hard subject to grasp. Food is a major thing to in society today that not many people can agree on. Food is such a huge part of our everyday lives, but when two people are asked what they want to eat it seems that no one can come to an agreement. Food, however, is, “something beautiful to be shared with people” (M.F.K. Fisher), not something to cause problems and arguments when a decision about the food can’t be made. More often than not it’s really hard to compromise, but when it’s for the greater good and taking in account people other than yourself, there’s a certain satisfaction earned. In order to be considered a “well-rounded person” in society, it is inevitable that one has the ability to compromise. I had to experience compromise first hand in the humid, swampy, hot, seafood loving, Louisiana. “Four regions of south Louisiana were settled by the Cajuns.” (Ducote). So it’s probably pretty safe to say that Louisiana houses some pretty good, traditional Cajun food. This experience has helped me to realize my place in our culture when in comes to being a cordial, agreeable person.

Over fifty-six billion animals are slaughtered yearly for consumption, but because we are conditioned from a young age to view animals as resources, we neglect that they are passionate and intelligent living beings. Cows want to enjoy their lives, pigs want to enjoy their lives, and many other farm animals want to enjoy their lives but instead are abused and confined in small cages. Ironically, though, when someone does likewise to a cat or dog, they’re prosecuted. The sole solution to these inhumane acts is Veganism. Veganism is the ideal diet because plant-based foods are plentiful, and it recognizes the unethical treatment of animals.

Research shows that in countries where people eat a pound or more of fruit and vegetables a day , the rate of cancer is half what it is in the United States. Pollan argues that vegetarians are less susceptible to most of the western diseases, and as a consequence live longer than the rest of us(164). Apparently, we can’t live without plants, but we don’t need to eat meat in order to obtain the nutrients we need for growth because they can be found elsewhere (Pollan 165). Since plants are less energy dense than other foods, by eating a plant-based diet one will likely consume fewer calories which is itself protective against many chronic disease (Pollan 165).I agree with Pollan that a plant-based diet can help reduce the risk of obesity, Diabetes, and Heart Disease.

However, Food Inc. doesn’t recommend the idea of veganism, but rather changing the way America produces their agricultural-based products. The producers even added ways to change and better our food industry. Joel Salatin argued that we could modify the food industry slowly,“Imagine what it would be if, as a national policy, we said we would be only successful if we had fewer people going to the hospital next year than last year. How about that for success? The idea then would be to have such nutritionally dense unadulterated food that people who ate it actually felt better, had more energy, and weren't sick as much”(Food Inc.).

Being vegetarian or vegan is not only beneficial to the animals that are being slaughtered but it also beneficial to the earth and helps to reduce global warming. According to Wikipedia, there are more than seven billion people and out of those seven billion people only three hundred and seventy five million people are said to be vegetarian or vegan. This mass slaughter of animals and livestock is also one of the leading causes of global warming. People may think that the earth is slowly dying but that is not the case anymore as global warming has caught up with us. According to NASA, there are 406.94 parts per million of carbon di oxide in the atmosphere the highest it has ever been in 650000 years. The global temperature has risen by 1.7 °F and sixteen out of the seventeen warmest years on earth have been recorded since 2001. The arctic ice minimum has decreased by 13.2% per decade and in 2012 arctic summer sea ice shrank to the lowest extent on record. The global sea level has also grown by 3.4 millimeters per year and the global average sea level has risen nearly 178mm over the past 100 years. These statistics show you how quickly global warming and climate change are having an effect on earth and who knows what the stats will be in another 50 to 100 years the earth may become uninhabitable and humans will be the sole reason for this.

Imagine one minute running freely on the vast green terrain surrounding you, then the next locked up in a cold, hard, cage. It sounds horrible, right? Who would want to be locked up with minimal area to stretch your legs, and have people staring at you constantly? I for one, would hate that. I imagine that most animals locked up would share the same feelings. I personally, am against animals being caged. They do not deserve that kind of lifestyle and should not have to live with it just because humans pay money to see it. Animals are suffering greatly from being locked away. When an animal is bought, traded or given to a zoo, the animals rights are stripped away from them.

Most American have been raised with fairly similar philosophies- that a meal is not complete without meat, dairy, and possibly eggs (MyPlate). Especially when the government is backing up these ideas, it is natural to assume that this is the healthiest way to eat. However, evidence has shown that eating less animal products and more plant foods can actually be best for us. Despite the potential of nutrient deficiency, especially compared to the standard American diet or low carb diets, a plant based diet is the best and most nutritional diet for everyone, especially those with health issues.

In today’s society, our bodies have become the front image in all aspect of our lives.. Healthy living styles and tips have exploded all over media across the United States. Veganism is one of the upcoming lifestyles that thousands of families around the countries have adopted into their eating habits. Beyond the health benefits of cutting out any and all animal products, veganism has become the face to animal abuse, especially in the produce, handbag, and makeup industry. Companies like People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) create projects and advertisements to encourage people to go vegan. Recently, PETA has connected with Traci Bingham,a famous TV actor, to launch a digital and poster advertisement. The advertisement displays Bingham’s naked body painted like the parts of farm factory animals used for produce in supermarkets. The advertisement “All animals have the same parts” seeks to use ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos to argue that animals such as cattle have the same body parts as people, and therefore are of equal value to human. Traci Bingham’s credibility with the sponsorship of PETA use the image of a naked woman to draw the desire of veganism to both men and women in an era of health, fitness, and equality.

Imagine a world where killing animals for food was outlawed, and yes while for a second that seems idealistic, if you dive a little past the surface some terrible facts begin to emerge from the depths. Now imagine trying to obtain millions of vegetables, many of which are vulnerable to disease and are very hard to grow, or telling a sick patient that they cannot be cured, when the simple solution would be to add meat in their diets. The fact is our chances of solving world hunger would plummet, millions of people would be out of jobs, and hospitals would be over run by people who can’t live on a diet without meat. Only because people believe eating meat is unethical. Does this world still seem perfect? For years people have been fighting about whether or not we should eat meat, and the truth is not only is it okay to eat meat, but it is better than not eating it, for you, the environment and the world.

The quote “A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral” from Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy, encompasses what vegetarianism is about. Veganism and vegetarianism is generally associated with leafy green salads but there is a long list of health benefits attached to that way of eating and a reduction in livestock farming benefits our environment. Diving into the benefits of becoming a vegetarian or vegan, there has been extensive research done on how a teak in diet can reduce risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Plant-based dieting is a lifestyle that is beneficial for health, moral and environmental reasons.

The circle of life is common in our life; as one life passes the next begins. It happens to every living thing on earth and has happen since the beginning of time. As time passes different species will evolve and others will slowly become extinct. It is common for a species to become extinct over time but in today’s time more species are becoming endangered faster than they should. It may be possible for humans to be responsible for these animals to become endangered. Everyday humans are growing in population and more space is needed which would result in needing more land. This would result in humans destroying animal habitats for more space. Also the use of hunting for sport and poaching is very common but unfortunately also puts animals at risk of endangerment. Even the killing of animals to provide food and clothes may also be a reason for a species to become endangered however most of animals that are used for food are yet to be endangered.

Imagine living in a society where slavery still exists. People of power take ownership of others of lower status, having complete control over this individual. Believe it or not, this is still happening today. Not all with humans, but animals, which are raised in overcrowding confinement in poor living conditions which prepare them for arrival in our stomachs. Many make the argument that consuming meat is natural and necessary for survival, but it’s not. Not only should we allow nonhuman animals to live a life free of suffering, we should also be aware of the effects eating meat has on our environment. The entire production process—animal to meat to consumption—has a direct correlation to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to global warming. Animal rights should have a seat at your dinner table so consumers become aware of the harsh impact their meat consumption has on the environment.