The process of raising animal is the major source to these harmful gases. It is vital to save the world from the worst impacts of climate change by reducing meat consumption. However stopping this meat eating system is extremely difficult, given that we had been consuming meat ever since our ancestors domesticated animals for that purpose. Over the decade Animal agriculture has been getting worse and worse. In 1973 when the Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz announced ‘’ what we want out of agriculture is plenty of food’’, overproduction was encouraged and lowering the price of meat was carried out; this originally started when there was a massive increase in corn (Wolfson).
This is a very staggering number when a lot of research is being done to make vehicles more environmentally friendly when we could make a huge impact just by changing the way we eat. It is even more astounding that it takes the same number of fossil fuels to produce one hamburger as it takes to dive one car 20 miles (Peta How Does Eating Meat Harm the Environment). The production of this meat is also a big cost. It takes more than 80 percent of the corn we grow and more than 95 percent of oat are feed to livestock. The world’s cattle alone are feed the equal amount that would be needed to feed 8.7 billion people.
Isabella Weich Philosophy 101 MWF 10:00 Analysis of “Is It Possible to Be a Conscientious Meat Eater?” In their article, “Is It Possible to Be a Conscientious Meat Eater?” Sunaura Taylor and Alexander Taylor’s conclusion is that the production and consumption of meat is unethical. Their main arguments for the conclusion are that there is not a sufficient amount of meat to feed everyone in the world and that the concept of equality is based on suffering. In this paper I will analyze these two main points and explain why I believe meat should not be eaten as a staple. Taylor and Taylor’s first argument is that there is not enough meat to feed everyone in the world. The unstated premise here is that if there is not enough meat to feed everyone, then the consumption of meat is unethical.
Also, growing concerns over environmental protection, personal health, and moral and ethical beliefs often lead to vegetarianism. According to national polls, in the U.S. alone Athere are 12.5 million vegetariansB 7 percent of the population@ (Finn 1). Concerns are rising about the relationship between meat production and our environment. Beef production is a very inefficient way to produce protein. The amount of grain which is needed to Aprovide four people with one serving of hamburgers could feed one person for over a week@ (R.F.B.V.
Unfortunately, the high demand and shortcuts made living conditions for the animal unsuitable. The meat produced today is much different than it was then. Most meat now are filled with hormones to raise them plumper. Animal rights and health issues is a enormous problem in the meat industry. We may mindlessly eat meat, but have we ever gave a thought where it came from or how it was treated when it was still alive?
The trend of abstaining from eating meat and other animal products is a rapidly growing one. According to David Bender in Animal Rights Opposing Viewpoints, “Today, nearly twenty million Americans are vegetarians, and many more have greatly reduced their meat consumption” (139). One meat-eating person may ponder why these non-meat eaters would deprive themselves of the wonderful taste of meat and animal products. Another concern is over nutrition, mainly protein intake. Many meat eaters believe that a vegetarian diet does not and cannot supply the protein necessary for the body to function properly.
The burning of fossil fuels accounted for nearly two- thirds of the 815 billion tons of carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere in 1987. The other third came from the increased burning of the forests and grasslands. When the trees are cleared and burned to make room for cattle pastures, they em... ... middle of paper ... ...m to market. There are many health problems linked with eating beef and dairy products. Harvard scientists found that women who had beef, lamb, or pork as a daily main dish ran two and a half the risk of developing colon cancer as did those who ate the meats less than once a month.
While gas guzzling transportation systems and mass amounts of waste have contributed greatly to climate change, there is another key factor that affects the environment even more so. Animal agriculture has detrimental affects on our environment as a result of greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation (Meat the Truth). The work of world wide agriculture has allowed animal products land on plates in developed countries and in the developing as well. This force of globalization has a negative impact on the environment due to the world’s growing demand for meat. Eighteen percent of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by livestock farming, while all the transportation systems combined only come out to thirteen percent (Meat the Truth).
The Threat of Global Warming Through the eyes of most scientists, global warming is seen as a very serious and severe threat. The actions taken by humans, such as industry and consumption of fossil fuels plus the increase in population and agriculture have played a big part in global warming. If something is not done soon the results could be very bad. By the middle of the twenty first century, there is evidence that the Earth will be warmer than it has been at any time in human history, and quite possibly since the end of the dinosaurs, some 65 billion years ago. If we stay at the rate we are now (fossil fuel consumption / growth in population) then within the next two century the Earth's air might not be fit to breath.
After the meatpackers have packed the beef, they sell it to retail stores, which in turn sell the meat to us, the consumer. Industry Trends: There are a variety of trends that directly influence the beef industry. To begin, changes in consumer lifestyles include less time for home-cooked meals and society’s increased pressure for time; thereby, having a big impact on the decline of consumption of beef. In addition, consumers have increased dietary considerations for health and nutritional issues that lead them to consume alternative meat products like pork and poultry. Furthermore, the marketing strategies of the pork and poultry industry have done a better job advertising than the beef industry.