subject: Some eye-opening vegetarian data [print this page] Numerous non-vegetarians and some vegetarians likewise question whether being a vegetarian actually makes any difference whatsoever. Some bring up blurry ethical situations to make it extremely hard to see a vegetarian way of life as moral.
If you are a potential vegetarian for moral reasons, but are not sure whether or not a vegetarian lifestyle is truly a more ethical choice, here are a few figures from EarthSave that may help you make your choice (for or against):
1. More than 1.3 billion individuals might be fed annually from the grain and soybeans which go to livestock in the USA. This implies that the whole population of the united states may be fed (without losing any vitamins and minerals) and there would still be enough food remaining to give food to one billion individuals.
Within a world where millions of people die annually of hunger, that kind of food excess and ineffectiveness may be thought to be unethical.
2. Livestock in the us makes approximately 30 times more excrement than people. While humans in the USA have complex sewage systems to gather and treat human waste, there are no such systems on feedlots. Because of this, most of this waste leeches into water. This means that large-scale, massive production and slaughter of animals isn't only unethical, but it also leads to serious environmental degradation.
3. It takes 7.5 pounds of protein feed to create 1 pound of consumable hog protein; and it will take 5 pounds of protein feed to make 1 pound of consumable chicken protein. Close to 90% of protein from wheat and beans is lost to feed cycling. Which means that a significant volume of resources are dedicated to making wheat and soy just with the objective of feeding it to animals, that will be slaughtered as "a source of protein"--even though they only provide about 1/5 of the amount they take in.
Not only can the fabrication of meat be regarded as an injustice against animals, but it may also be considered an injustice against human beings, as well as the environment.
generally. Another major concern for individuals trying to choose vegetarianism is the fact that vegetarian dishes aren't tasty. If you are in this situation I will advise you to check out this French document on no-meat dishes (ortie) so that you can find out more on this subject.
