Should We Be A Vegetarian?

As more and more of the planets population grows, more foods are in demand to keep everyone in the world fed. Foods such as meats, vegetables, fruits, and more are produced by the millions throughout the world, but many consumers have no clue how much energy is used to produce them. One of the food groups, the production of meat, is the biggest threat to the environment next to cars. Additionally it is known that production of meat has led to methane, and carbon dioxide emission, large amount of land and water use, and unhealthy eating habits that can lead to obesity. Now imagine a society where red meat is not available for consumption, and everyone converted to vegetarianism. People will be overall healthy and fed, carbon emission would drastically go down, and many acres of land will be available for use. In my utopian project, in a span of 25-50 years, I will propose a plan to completely ban the consumption of meat and incorporate more fish farms and futuristic farming to the United States. This plan will result to less carbon dioxide emissions, less water use and completely change the health of the citizens in the United States. My vegetarian/pescetarian utopia will be successful in addressing the issues of the overall health of both the planet and the people of the United states.

Following a vegetarian diet means eating no meat, and sometimes, no animal products at all. Many Americans scoff at the idea of cutting out meat from their diet, but Kathy Freston writes an effective argument on why people should be vegetarians in her selection, “Vegetarian Is the New Prius”. Her argument focuses around the negative effects eating meat has on the globe (like global warming), and offers another logical option: going vegetarian. First, Freston establishes her ethos by appearing as someone that is concerned about the future of the earth, and someone that has completed extensive research due to the statistics she uses. Next, she acknowledges the fact that there are other ways to slow down global warming-like buying a Prius-but

Brought up in the southern of China, I often heard about that people from there “eat anything with four limbs except tables, anything that flies except aero planes, and anything that swims except ships”. Nevertheless, I eat more fruit, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains but less meat to make careful choices for environmental protection. Similarly, Kathy Freston argues that animal agriculture is one of the top contributors to global warming. In her Huffington Post selection “Vegetarian Is the New Prius,” Freston lists how many emissions of greenhouse gases people make when they eat meat and illustrates the consumption of tree in animal agriculture. She effectively convinces her audiences that the livestock results in the most serious environmental problems and encourages people to lead a greener diet to protect our environment. However, ardent craving, poor health, and perpetual hassle and cost prevent all Americans from being vegetarian.

“Meats, Dairies, and Eggs, Oh Why” (2014) is an argumentative essay written by Rebecca Dent that explains the benefits of eating a plant-based diet and advocates for the better treatment of the animals affected by the meat industry. Dent supports her assertions by discussing the negative health effects of an omnivorous diet, addressing reasons some might be hesitant to convert to a plant-based diet, describing the advantages of substituting meat for vegetables for both the consumers and the animals, and finally, by including expert opinions and statistical facts. Dent’s purpose for this essay is to highlight the benefits of vegetarianism in order to convince readers to convert to a plant-based diet. The intended audience for this argument is those who currently eat an omnivorous diet so that they would assess and change their eating habits.

There are many reasons why people become vegetarians, but is it really as healthy as it seems. Can simply eating veggies supply you with all the vitamins and proteins your body needs to survive. An estimated 6-8 million people do not eat meat, poultry, or fish. Harris Interactive poll commissioned by the Vegetarian Resource Group (Journal of the American Dietetic Association, July 2009).Having your diet mainly consist of fruits and vegetables allows you to consume less saturated fats and cholesterol. Also since you be consuming more plants you will be taking in mote vitamins like vitamins C and E, More fiber, potassium and magnesium. Resulting in a stronger immune system, as well as, lower cholesterol and blood pressure. “Traditionally, vegetarianism focused mainly on potential nutritional deficiencies, but in recent years, the pendulum has swung the other way, and studies are confirming the health benefits of meat-free eating. Nowadays, plant-based eating is recognized as not only nutritionally sufficient but also as a way to reduce the risk for many chronic illnesses”.

For me, my biggest benefit has been my energy and weight loss. Since becoming vegetarian, I have lost twenty pounds and I do not feel out of breath from walking up a couple flights of stairs. There is a large portion of research based on the effects that meatless diets have on our bodies. In her book, The Vegetable Passion, Jan Yager mentions some of the main benefits. She elaborates on how plants provide vital nutrients, fibers, and vitamins needed in our daily diet. She also discusses how our bodies’ need for protein. Without these proteins, it would be impossible for our bodies to create new tissues, or even function normally. She goes on to talk about the misconception that the only source of protein is meat. Spinach, nuts, and, most cereals give almost as much protein per serving as a serving of meat (Barkas 168). And what most people do not know, a lot of tofu contains protein and if I know vegetarians, we all love

For years vegetarian and vegan diets have been gaining popularity. This rise in popularity is due largely to the belief that a vegetarian diet has numerous health benefits and the animals being raised to be slaughtered are not being treated humanely. These are both good reasons for adopting a meat-free lifestyle, but there is an even more pressing reason. The current rate of meat consumptions, especially in developed nations, is consuming natural resources at a rate that is not sustainable. The amount of resources such as land, water, and crops consumed to support meat production is staggering. In addition to the resource consumption, meat production is also contributing to critical global environmental issues such as deforestation and ozone depletion.

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.

“You are what you eat”, a famous saying says. If this were truly the case, then the majority of Americans would be unhealthy, chemically processed, commercially grown slabs of animal meat. And although this is not a particularly pleasing thought, it is the epitome of a standard American diet that consists of Big Macs and Taco Bell. There are a select few who stray from this typical diet, and have altered it to where they can substitute meat with other nutrients. This type of diet is called vegetarianism, and is considered the way to live without poisoning oneself with the harmful and hazardous treatment that animals go through before becoming the next meal on your plates. While vegetarianism was once thought to be a movement without much action,

In a study conducted by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2003, it was estimated that there are approximately 2 billion people that live primarily on a meat-based diet while approximately 4 billion people live primarily on a plant-based diet (Pimentel, 2003). With this information we can deduce just how much of a difference in environmental effects there are between a vegetarian diet and a diet that consumes meat. For example, in this study it was found that the average amount of fossil fuel energy used for 1 kilocalorie of animal-based protein was 11 times more than that for 1 kilocalorie of grain protein. This statistic shows that the mass production of animal meat-based foods requires a much larger amount of the already limited amount of fossil fuels that are on Earth than plant-based food. By examining this fact, it is not a broad leap to assume that in reducing the worlds extravagant use of animal meat for consumption we could not only preserve the natural resources we have but also assist in reducing factors that add to climate change. Although the argument could be made that because both the vegetarian diet and a diet with meat in it use a large amount of resources there would be no difference in reducing the effects that the agriculture industry has on climate change but that is simply not true. While it is true that both diets use a large amount of resources, across the board the meat-based diet uses a much larger amount of resources. In fact, in the study conducted by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition it states, “The meat-based diet requires more energy, land, and water resources than the lactoovovegetarian [vegetarian] diet.” Although both are considered unsustainable, this study provides very valid evidence that the vegetarian diet is more sustainable than that of a meat-based

A large part of a person’s lifetime is spent on their consumption of food, which is often done while neglecting the impact their diet has on their health. Is there a reason for us to be conscious of our diet? Are potential health benefits really worth the effort? Vegetarian have shown many health benefits in comparison to meat eaters such as decreased chances of developing type 2 diabetes, less risk of heart disease and prostate cancer, lower blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure to name a few (Mangels et al., 2014). Plants provide antioxidants that are only present in small amounts in meat products, these phytochemicals help protect cells from damage and thus have reduced odds of developing some cancers (Leitzmann, 2014). One of the

It is becoming more popular than ever to turn to a vegan diet. Why? There are many reasons people decide to go plant-based. Many people choose it for health, morality, social justice, or simple logic. Sure, there is a long list of health benefits, such as increased energy, healthier skin, and reduced risks of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Yes, many oppose the injustices of animal slavery. Yet, many people do not seem to realize that the most beneficial results of being plant-based are based around the environment. We are going to discuss how the vegan diet would fight against negative environmental changes created by factory farming and dairy industry. We will cover the aspects of climate change, land sustainability, and water pollution.

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

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.

A vegetarian is an individual who doesn’t consume meat or, sometimes certain animal products. Although there are many different types of vegetarian diets the overall idea is the same: to avoid meat, primarily beef and poultry. Vegetarians do this for many reasons, but one of the main reasons is to gain the many positive health effects that are promoted (“Vegetarianism in America”). “The positive health aspects that vegetarians receive is a larger amount of vitamins C and E, dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, and phytochemicals such as carotenoids and flavonoids” (“Becoming a Vegetarian”). These nutrients gained might not sound that important, but in reality