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Laura Diaz
Mrs. Abbadessa
ENG-105
10 March 2015
Whats the Beef with Vegetarianism?
Did you know that newborn calves are taken away from their mothers immediately after
birth? Did you also know that from these calves, those bred for veal are kept in incredibly small
dark containers for the remainder of their short lives? Conditions like these have unfortunately
become commonplace on factory farms throughout America in order to meet the world's
demand. Livestock production has steadily increased in the last 50 years and it's only growing
faster. Its reported that by 2050, both meat and dairy consumption are expected to increase over
60% (Bailey, Froggatt, Wellesley). Due to this, we must consider the countless environmental
and ethical reasons to limit, or completely forgo, our livestock consumption. Prevention of
environmental disintegration, reaped health benefits, and farm animal cruelty are a few reasons
why.
Less meat and poultry in our lives can go a long way. Unbeknownst to the general
public, livestock production directly impacts the environment, and considering that this industry
is rather large, doesnt make addressing this issue any easier. The negative ramifications that this
industry has on water quality and greenhouse gas emissions can be disastrous. Livestock
production is the largest producer of methane and nitrous oxide, two very powerful greenhouse
gases apart from carbon dioxide (Bailey, Froggatt, Wellesley). Formation of nitrous oxide is the
result of manure and fertilizers, which are both used in feed production, and methane formation
is caused by a process called enteric fermentation, in other words, livestock burps and flatulence

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(Bailey, Froggatt, Wellesley). Since greenhouse gases have been linked to climate change, rising
emissions of GHGs like nitrous oxide and methane will only speed up global warming. The
livestock sectors greenhouse gas emissions constitute 14.5% of the worlds total emissions,
more than the transport sector, which includes automobiles, airplanes, and other forms of
transportation (Bailey, Froggatt, Wellesley). From this information, we can only assume that
limiting the amount of greenhouse gases that the livestock industry releases, by refusing to eat
meat for example, would influence matters such as global temperatures and ocean levels.
Water usage and quality are also affected by livestock production. The agricultural
industry is infamous for its water inefficiency and pollution (Bailey, Froggatt, Wellesley). Can
we consider first and foremost how the livestock industry manages animal waste? Just imagine
manure and other forms of excrement from cows, chickens, and pigs channeled into disgustingly
large waste pools. These waste pools can very well leak and release toxic bacteria into water
supplies and endanger the surrounding areas animal and plant life. If this occurs, our drinking
supplies become at risk of contamination from the harmful chemicals that these waste pools
release. Let us not forget how many diseases can be traced back to waste-riddled drinking water.
Other aspects involving the environment that livestock production puts at risk are land
usage and biodiversity (Bailey, Froggatt, Wellesley). Three-quarters of the worlds agricultural
land and a quarter of its arable land is devoted to raising animals (Bailey, Froggatt, Wellesley).
Considering that meat, dairy, and poultry consumption is expected to increase in the near future,
the livestock production industrys share of land will only expand along with it, an undesirable
outcome that wont benefit anyone else other than the industry itself. The worlds biodiversity is
also a victim of this acquisitive industry. Livestock farming has greatly affected various
ecosystems around the world, claiming 30% of global biodiversity loss (Bailey, Froggatt,

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Wellesley). To keep up with increasing demand in the future, the livestock production industry
will only acquire more land, resulting in more biodiversity loss. Even though the consequences
that arise from livestock production are blatantly obvious, there are still those who argue that
theres nothing wrong with the expansion of the livestock industry; both world population and
livestock production should be positively correlated. But should smog, rising sea levels, and
biodiversity loss be the price we pay for a simple cheeseburger?
Not only does restricting the amount of meat and poultry we consume have the ability to
affect the environment favorably, it can also benefit our health. Vegetarian diets consists of
cereals, fruits and vegetables, nuts, and may include dairy, while stricter vegetarians, known as
vegans, dont eat any foods that originate from animals (Key, Davey, Appleby). Removing meat
and poultry from our diets wouldnt be as bad as everyone might think. Even though meat and
poultry are both great sources of protein, vegetarian diets offer a myriad advantages. To begin,
there seems to be irrefutable evidence from countless studies suggesting that vegetarians and
vegans are, on average, thinner than those who regularly eat meat (Key, Davey, Appleby). The
reason for this is because people who forgo meat and cheese typically have a lower BMI than
non-vegetarians, and lower BMI translates to a lesser likelihood of obesity. Vegetarians are also
at lower risk of ischemic heart disease and high cholesterol (Key, Davey, Appleby). This can all
be attributed to the unhealthy amount of flats in meat. All parents should keep this and the
decreased prevalence of obesity and high cholesterol in children who stray from meat in mind
since the childhood obesity problem in America is becoming more of an issue everyday.
Along with being typically thinner and healthier, vegetarians may also have a lower
incidence of diabetes, constipation, gallstones, and colon diseases (Key, Davey, Appleby).
However, there are still people who remain myopic and believe meat is essential for a healthy

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life. Yes, meat and poultry play a large role in the economy and can provide important nutrients
like iron and vitamins, but it's not necessary. A vegetarian diet can just as easily meet protein
requirements, but in a much more healthier fashion.
Though the environmental and health reasons for renouncing meat and poultry are
significant, the strongest reason for adopting a vegetarian diet should be ending the cruelty
animals experience in slaughterhouses. Innocent animals are consistently being treated as
machines to keep pace with rising demand. For example, a typical dairy cow is forced to produce
340% more milk today than she would have had to produce in 1950 ("Vegucated"). Since cows
can't produce milk without giving birth, dairy cows are artificially impregnated; after giving
birth, the baby calf will immediately be taken away from its mother so her milk can go to
humans ("Vegucated"). After all is said and done, the dairy cow will be reimpregnated and the
cycle will continue. Animals in this industry also experience painful procedures with no
anesthetic. A normal steer raised for beef will experience procedures like castration and branding
without any painkillers and birds raised for meat habitually have their beaks and toes cut off
without anesthesia.("Vegucated"). Some may argue that animal cruelty isnt a viable reason for
any argument because theyre just animals after all. However, numerous studies show animals
have emotions and feel pain and fear not unlike humans.
To help fight the environmental consequences brought on by the livestock industry and to
help stop animal cruelty in factory farms, everyone should abandon their meat-based diets and
become vegetarians. There are millions of Americans going vegetarian and vegan every year. It
will benefit your health by decreasing the chances of obesity, diseases, and high cholesterol;
benefit the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and recovering global

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biodiversity loss; and, on the plus side, we'll feel happier knowing we saved the lives of
innocent, blameless animals from the immoral horrors of livestock production.

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