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Food is a large component of society holidays and gatherings revolve around it, food is
essential for survival, it nourishes and brings people together. Yet, people tend to not think of the
effects the production of our food has on the world as well as society. Meat and animal products
is a large part in the human diets, specifically Americans, and it makes up an industry that makes
millions off of meat consumers each year. Society does not know the harmful effects of the meat
eating habits have on those who live within that society and the world around us. If people regard
the effects of eating meat, they would began to notice the benefits a meatless society would reap.
The consumption of meat in a society, not only impacts one's health, but creates a conflict
of human morals and affects the global economy that reaches beyond the common dinner
plate.
The environment is heavily affected by the production of meat and animal products. With
global warming and the sea levels rising the human race is looking into the main sources of these
issues. Raising and selling meat is a process that includes growing food for the animals, shipping
the produce, slaughtering the animals, powering the farm, shipping and packaging the meat,
which all produce greenhouse gasses. In 2009 scientists “found the livestock industry to be one
of the main sources of carbon dioxide emissions”, thus one of the main factors contributing to
global warming (Preface to 'What Personal Nutrition and Dietary Choices Impact Health?). (See
chart below). Agricultural animals produce waste such as every living animal, which means in
large farming industries they accumulate an enormous amount of waste. As stated in a U.S.
Government Accountability Office report “800,000 hogs or 140,000 head of cattle could produce
more than 1.6 million tons of manure per year, which is one and one-half times more than the
sanitary waste produced each year by the city of Philadelphia” (Preface to 'Is There an
Environmental Crisis?). When it rains, the animal’s waste, considered an environmental toxin,
leaks into water supplies causing negative effects on people’s lives and the surrounding
ecosystems. Through the years the world witnessed a great deal of negative environmental
effects from this kind of run off such as in “Ontario, Canada, [where] runoff contaminated well
water and lead to an illness outbreak… that sickened thousands and killed six people” or when
come along with our ways life. By creating a meatless society humans would have solved a
Information sourced at: "Preface to ‘What Personal Nutrition and Dietary Choices Impact Health’?"
issue. A concern of a meatless society is that if there is no predator, humans, eating these
animals they would easily overpopulate the earth. This argument makes sense if you look at the
consumption of meat increases. Between 1980 and 2010 there was a 23 percent growth in the
cattle, pigs, goats, and sheep population (Rising Number of Farm Animals Poses Environmental
and Public Health Risks). This can be explained by the expansion of factory farming, as the
demand for meat increases so does the amount of meat animals as the “80 percent of growth in
the livestock sector now comes from these industrial production systems” (Rising Number of
Farm Animals Poses Environmental and Public Health Risks). Along with the farm animals the
environmental effects brought with the effects of livestock farming increases. In the words of a
P.H.D nurse “Meat production can have an effect on the environment and our environment can
In a meatless society, there is no longer the ethical dilemma of eating meat. Animals are
an important part of our lives beyond basic consumption. People could not imagine slathering
their beloved pets. Yet, people consume the meat of other animals. Society is far removed from
the killing of animals for their consumption. For many the process that made the hamburgers
they eat possible is something they would rather not think about. In present day society many
stress values of compassion. Many past and present generations teach children to respect and not
to harm others , but our meat consumption directly contradicts the core values people teach
children. Abuses of farm animals take place mostly in factory farms. Pigs in these factory farms
are subjected to “painful mutilations without anesthesia. Their tails are cut off to minimize tail
biting, an aberrant behavior that pigs demonstrate when they are unnaturally confined, and their
ears are notched for identification” when they are just mere piglets (Preface to 'Should Animals
Be Bred for Human Consumption’). While chickens are bred and mutated so that they become
bigger supplying more meat for a larger profit at the cost of the chickens welfare, they “grow so
heavy that their legs and feet cannot support their bodies, resulting in broken bones and painful
society would decrease the suffering of animals as well as teaching youth values of compassion.
These hormones and mutations not only affect the birds they are inflicted upon but the
humans who ingest them. In the past century, there is no debate that recent generations have
Cancer states "processed meat" is a Class 1 carcinogen and lists "red meat" as a Class 2A
carcinogen, (Meat industry messaging rubs carcinogen into wound). There is a link between
meat and cancer as there has been an increase in cancer as people’s consumption of meat has
increased along with the increase of the production of processed meats. According to a P.H.D
nurse a vegetarian diet reduces hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes,
high blood pressure, high cholesterol and cancer (Mayhew). Meat free diets not only benefit a
person’s physical health but their mental health as well. According to an interview with
Therapist Susan Gessner who specializes in eating disorders “B vitamins, folate, Vitamin C,
Vitamin K, magnesium, potassium, omega3-fats, and glutathione”, all found in fruits and
vegetables, are “associated with the reduction of the stress hormone cortisol which in turn
reduces one’s stress reaction” from this list of vitamins “Folate, magnesium and Vitamin K have
been associated with the reduction of anxiety and depression”. Vegetarian diets are full of plant
based food increasing these micronutrients could result in a healthier society mentally and
physically. An argument against a meatless diet is a concern that people would not be able to
attain adequate protein. Protein can be consumed in many plant forms.. “Grains, legumes, seeds,
nuts and vegetables” can all be sources of healthy protein (Tober). By adopting a meatless
lifestyle society could 5.1 million people could be saved per year because of the health benefits
The price of meat production is beyond the prices you pay at the supermarket. It is
estimated that if people continue the way they eat meat “it could cost the U.S. between $197
billion and $289 billion each year—and the global economy up to $1.6 trillion—by 2050”
(Davis). Health issues that arise with eating meat such as, cancer, and heart disease, (as described
in above paragraph) lead to tremendous cost in health care. It is estimated by the University of
Oxford that there would be a savings of .6 - 1.3 trillion dollars for a vegetarian society and .7 -
1.4 trillion for a vegan society in just health care alone (Martinko). The amount of land needed
to sustain farming is huge. “Cattle alone use one-quarter of the earth's land” (Vegetarianism).
Land that is used to raise animals could be used to grow a large amount of crops instead as “the
amount of land required to feed one meat eater could theoretically feed fifteen to twenty
vegetarians, in addition the crops used to feed livestock creates a “94 percent waste of food”
(Vegetarianism) Added with all the other environmental effects and clean up (as described in
paragraph 2) adds up to a large sum of waste of money. The same Oxford study also predicted
that the environmental savings would be about .6 - 1.6 trillion dollars for a vegetarian society and
.2 - 1.8 trillion dollars for vegans society (Martinko). Meat production cost comes straight out of
your taxes and directly subsidizes the meat industry. According to the author of Meatnonmic$
the U.S government spends about “$38 billion each year to subsidize the meat and dairy
industries” (Simon). Over all if society nixed animal products, the U.S could save $2 trillion - $3
trillion and the world could save $20 trillion to $30 trillion (Davis).
Consumption of meat is not a just an animal issue, it is a human issue. The effects of a
meatless society would be greatly beneficial. Major issues affecting the world today could be
solved such as the loaming environmental issues, human health because of meat and economic
crisis. As well as saving animals from tortuous lives and gruesome deaths. A society the
Davis , Lauren Cassani. “The Economic Case for Worldwide Vegetarianism.” The
www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/03/the-economic-case-for-worldwide-vegetarianism
/475524/.
ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CV2644150537/OVIC?u=centra
lp&xid=c19602ff.
Martinko, Katherine. “Study Reveals Tremendous Benefits of Eating Less Meat.” Tree
www.treehugger.com/health/study-reveals-tremendous-benefits-eating-less-meat.html
"Meat industry messaging rubs carcinogen into wound." Sydney Morning Herald
ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A491097634/OVIC?u=centralp
&xid=26ceb994.
Palmer, Sharon. "A Plant-Based Diet Has Impressive Benefits." Vegetarianism, edited by
Amy Francis, Greenhaven Press, 2015. Current Controversies. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,
ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010705254/OVIC?u=central
ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010132164/OVIC?u=central
p&xid=68334d58.
Animals, edited by Auriana Ojeda, Greenhaven Press, 2004. Current Controversies. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context,
ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010062129/OVIC?u=central
p&xid=3ceda30e.
"Preface to 'What Personal Nutrition and Dietary Choices Impact Health?'." Nutrition,
edited by David Haugen and Susan Musser, Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints.
ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010785105/OVIC?u=central
p&xid=2a907e2e.
“Rising Number of Farm Animals Poses Environmental and Public Health Risks.” World
and-public-health-risks-0
Simon, David Robison. “10 Things We Wish Everyone Knew About the Meat and Dairy
Industries.” Peta,
www.peta.org/living/food/10-things-wish-everyone-knew-meat-dairy-industries/.
Tober, Stephanie. "Vegetarians can get protein from a variety of sources." St. Petersburg
Times [St. Petersburg, FL], 5 Dec. 2001, p. 8D. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,
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xid=746850dc.
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lp&xid=53be287b.