“Think globally, act locally” is a well-known approach to enabling change in the deep structure of our society. Perhaps the ultimate local action is what food we choose to place into our bodies. While deciding on a personal diet may seem very specific, in the aggregate, there are profound global consequences arising from such personal decisions. In particular, for our world to be capable of sustaining our civilization, humanity must live in balance with the resources available from our planet.
Food, water, and energy are fundamental resources that require our wise use for sustainable production practices. However, there are vast differences in how different types of food production draw upon these resources. Meat production is particularly profound: regularly eating meat results in an extremely high and unsustainable resource drain. In contrast, a vegetarian diet is far more sustainable on a global scale. Want to save the world? Become a vegetarian! There are many reasons to change your diet - including increasing the availability of freshwater, sustainable land use, clean air, and more optimal use of energy.
Maximizing Clean, Fresh Water Abundance
Growing a pound of wheat takes between about 25 gallons of water, while growing the grain required to feed an animal requires between 2000 and 8500 gallons per pound of meat. In a world with increasingly scarce freshwater, producing meat requires using more than 80 times the water to produce a pound of grain. Indeed, in the United States, animal production consumes an aggregate quantity of water about equal to the sum of all other uses of water combined.
Further, industrial-scale meat production deeply pollutes our groundwater. Fertilizers and pesticides used to maximize grain harvests for use in animal feedstock result in substantial chemical contamination. Beyond chemicals, the manure created from the growth of animals ultimately killed for food often spills into freshwater bodies like rivers and lakes, disturbing an already delicate aquatic ecosystem. Agricultural runoff kills millions of fish, and is a key mechanism in the impairment of more than 60% of America’s rivers and streams.
Maximizing Clean, Sustainable Land And Air Use
A meat-based diet requires 7 times more land than a vegetarian diet. As a direct result of increasing demand for meat worldwide, livestock farming now consumes more than one third of the earth’s land surface. And as land use becomes increasingly dedicated to mean production, deforestation arising from the development of ever more and larger pastures results in increased greenhouse gas emission. Representing 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions, livestock production is now changing our climate more than all the cars and trucks in the world combined. In total this pollution is further exacerbated by the need to create even more arable land to grow the crops to feed the animals, requiring further deforestation and more greenhouse gas emission.
Displacing Inefficient Energy Consumption for Greater Sustainability
Livestock farming uses 10 to 20 times more energy per ton of meat than the energy required for grain production. This massive misuse of energy arises from the energetic demands of ploughing, fertilizer production, pesticide production, feedstock harvesting, pumping irrigation water, meat processing, transportation of meat products, and refrigeration of meat before it is eaten. In stark contrast, most vegetables, grains, and many fruits require no pesticides (if grown organically), no processing, minimal transportation (if consumed where grown), and minimal refrigeration. Eating meat consumes an enormous amount of energy: The production of about one pound of beef consumes the same amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for nearly ten days.
Save the world! Become a Vegetarian!
You can ignore the cruelty of slaughtering animals. You can ignore the devastating health impact of eating animals. You can ignore the great expense of buying meat products. Simply focusing on the devastating impact of meat production on the abundance of clean water, sustainable land use, and clean air should be enough reason for even the most ardent carnivore to reconsider their diet.
For more information, you might find the 2006 study published by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, “Livestock’s Long Shadow,” worthwhile reading.
By HeatherEllen at 11:08 AM ON 08/20/08
When this topic is brought up I hear people comment that they do not believe that a human can Sustain thier bodies in a healthy way with out meat in their diets. My own mother is a testament to how false this belief is. Due to digestive problems my mothert has never been able to consume meat products without becoming dangerously ill. So after 52 years of consuming no meat products and still being compleatly healthy, I would say my mother is living proof that a human need not consume meat products to live a heathy life.
By Coconutfarmer at 10:35 AM ON 08/21/08
Another article that becomes about us versus them. Is the world really so black and white that we are great minds are unable to balanced solutions? Theoretically it was the consumption of meat by primitive humans that allowed us to have the leisure time to sit back and contemplate life outside of survival. Prior to this humans spent most of their time foraging for food to eat since farming didn't exist. The nutrients gain from meat consumption are greater than any equal amount of vegetable matter. Not only that but many regions in the world were unable to grow the diversity of nutrients to make eating meat or fish unnecessary (does your definition of vegetarian include eating meat?) I agree with the facts and figures of your arguement but I would propose that each individual is created differently. Some of our ancestors grew up eating a diet that largely consisted of vegetable, while others grew up with a diet largely consisting of meat. Altering literally 10s of thousands of years of evolution is not necessarily healthy to attempt in one single lifetime. Yes, for the most part humans consume too much meat. So much so that it affects the sustainability of our ecosystem but why is giving up meat entirely the answer here? What if each individual made a conscious effort to understand the needs of their own body and filled it with the nutrients it requires instead of a one diet fits all proposal. Yes, there are substitutes for meat so why not suggest reducing your individual meat intake while finding suitable alternatives, which do not have a negative impact on the body. Personally my back ground is that of an ominvoire. My ancestors ate a lot of basic vegatables and usually some meat everyday. When I tried to go vegetarian I suffered from many health problems. Even after I tried to correct the low iron, low protein, lethargy, muscle loss, and constant hunger, through changes to my vegetarian diet I was still unable to achieve the same levels of health that I had obtained through eating meat. If I'm not mistaken, the suggested serving of meat for humans is 3-4 6oz portions a week, currently most humans consume meat with every meal 7 days a week. If we just cut down to the suggested consumption alone would we not make a significant impact on the sustainability of our planet? The whole fish debate is another issue but the same holds true. Industrialized, especially first world nations, need to stop eating so much food period.
By Coconutfarmer at 10:36 AM ON 08/21/08
By the way I apologize for the sloppy post. A larger comment window and some editing tools would really be helpful if this site wishes to build a participating community.
By darwin's offspring at 7:23 PM ON 08/21/08
coconut farmer i appreciate your comments but they are a little mis-informed.
I don't know what you were eating when you tried being a vegetarian, but it must not have been a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds and nuts. Perhaps you replaced the meat with dairy and the increased amount of genetically modified animal proteins made you sick. I would recommend reading "The China Study" if you want to find out the results of the largest study of nutition and the human diet ever conducted. Animal flesh is high in some nutrients but they all come from vegetable sources and are processed through the animal. Animal flesh also accumulates toxins from the environment and food that is fed to our modern farmed animals. Much of their diet is genetically modified soy, corn and other monoculture grains. They are also fed animal protein to make them grow faster. Pigs actually eat more fish than humans do at this point. The results of humans dragging the ocean and finding uses for the "waste" sea life that is caught.
I will tell you this. The meat and processed food diet that most industrialized cultures eat now is a far greater jump from evolution than eating a plant-based diet.
In my vision of evolution I see humans coming out of their ignorance and finding compassion for our environment, the animals that share it, and our selves. Vegetarianism is the best way to save the ecosystems, but it is also a huge step towards an evolution of our species that will lead us away from being war like barbarians and towards a saner world where people take care of each other and our surroundings. If we have these complex brains for any reason beyond dumb luck, perhaps it is to help us be the architects of our own evolution. Do we want to be killers or do we want to truly change the world? Where does the violence come from? Can we be nice to one another while we kill other beings every single time we eat? These are the questions that have led me to be a vegan.
By Coconutfarmer at 12:41 PM ON 08/22/08
Darwin's Offspring: First let me reply by saying, thanks for sharing your opinions and for your reply. From my perspective it appears we both want the same thing. That is, as you said, 'to see humans coming out of their ignorance and finding compassion for our environment, the animals that share it, and our selves.'
What I disagree with is simply the method and time line of getting there. Once again, I'm not going to dispute your facts regarding the state of farming animals for mass production... I too believe this is wrong. However I do believe that there is a sustainable, humane, healthy way for individuals who choose to eat meat to continue to do so.
I would also argue that the same tragedy that has occurred in modern animal farming methods, exists across the entire agriculture industry. When did we start having to worry about ecoli in spinach, bean sprouts, strawberries? what about pesticides from 3rd world countries that cause birth defects. Or soy products that cause degenerative brain diseases?
The problem of sustainability isn't about being an omnivore or a vegetarian, but instead it is about the irresponsible pursuit of profits over people or more simply put greed, ignorance, and a lack of accountability to other individuals.
Don't get me wrong. I did say that I believe that we would be healthier and happier by consuming a lot less meat. I should have also pointed out that I have friends who have benefited tremendously from eating a vegetarian/mostly vegetarian diet (many vegetarians still eat fish). I do hold on to the fact that this isn't for everyone, at least not cold turkey. I did eat a balanced diet. I ate a prescribed diet from my doctor. I do not eat a lot of dairy and drink only soy milk, except for coffee. I don't know why my body reacted that way but it does and until I find substitutes that allow me to give up meat completely (that includes taste and texture)I defend my need to be an omnivore. Everything we consume is living matter. You are aware that plants have compleex nervous systems and react to everything from things like psychical pain and cold to emotional variances such as yelling versus, soothing speech or music. Would you say that because an plant has no voice and no face it has any less a right to live on this planet than a cow, a fish, a squid, a clam, or a grasshopper? That's the part I struggle with. In our effort to live in harmony with every living thing around us I honestly believe we must respect them all equally. Unfortunately that means eating all of them equally as well since in our ecosytem we are all food for each other and when I die I will become food for all of the things in our ecosystem. Through the complex breakdown and distribution of nutrients and matter, plants will consume me as will animals as will humans... Its the cycle and I think its beautiful, not barbaric.
We don't have to be war like barbarians... I can honestly tell you that I'm far from it, we don't have to take pleasure in killing what we consume, but we can accept that part of being human is our need to consume the nutrients of living matter, regardless of what it looks like.
cheers
By TheGuyde at 3:49 PM ON 08/22/08
I congratulate both Darwin and CoconutFarmer for being so civil.
I have been consumed lately by issues I though were much more crucial.
Sorry Darwin, I believe in moderation. Much like Coconut, extremism is not my nature, although the more I frequent the extremist pattern of behavior, the more I am apt at becoming an extremist myself. It is a law in nature that for every action there is an equal an opposed reaction. Whether we are aware of the reaction is the only question.
So I am an omnivore. That is the way my parents fed me as I grew up. Our pets may be food for some other cultures, and some of our food may be sacred entities for yet other ethnic groups. Does it make one or the other better? No.
I suspect the theory on water consumption is a partial story. A lot of that moisture is returned to the environment in every breath. The only problem with the excrements is the concentration attributed to localized production or consumption. Be it small or large city, or big factory, If every human being eat with moderation, they will consume as wide a variety of foods as possible. Diversification is the key to enlightenment. Anyone trying to keep you in the dark is robbing you of knowledge, and down the road, of the capacity to improve your own lot.
That said, I gave up meat for six months, when I was in my early thirties. It took me a decade of vitamin complements to finally recover my health. You are right Darwin; I did not consume the balanced and varied vegetable diet I should have. Do you know why? That is because I do not like most vegetables. You mention your mother not being able to eat meat products due to digestive problems. In my case, even the smell of cooked greens usually makes me want to throw-up!
Thank you for sharing in a subject where I can steer clear of name calling, the inevitable byproduct of listening to today’s pseudo-leadership.
By Coconutfarmer@gmail.com at 10:48 AM ON 08/25/08
Cheers, TheGuyde... I share your sentiments completely. To me its all about respecting the individual even if you do not agree with their position.
I have nothing but respect for Darwin's Offspring or anyone else that engages in lively, civil, informed debate about issues they are passionate about. I too am tired of extremist ideologies because in the end the path of extremism can only lead to division and eventually violence. In my opinion, the path of violence will always equal the failure of diplomacy and civil behaviour. Two human traits that have allowed us to so much technological advancement and social freedoms.
Cheers
By SideC at 9:41 AM ON 08/27/08
I believe all of you have touched on things that have great merit. I personally have found a very good balance as a vegetarian, but that was me and my body, and that being said the process was a pretty long one in itself. As far as what coconutfarmer has said though in regards to individual and personal choice I would have to agree with him. To say the world needs to give up meat as a whole would be devastating to the ecological system as a whole because things wouldn't be dying, burning, or just generally giving back the nutrients that we need to grow the plants that we would all be eating. I don't know, I could be missing the bigger picture, but that's just my two cents.
By iviyth at 12:36 AM ON 09/03/08
my mother always told me, everything, in moderation.
By TM at 12:43 AM ON 09/07/08
Something that I have learned is that "Everything is In-Between". That means that nobody is strictly a vegetarian or a meat-eater... we are all somewhere in-between. Having said that, the issue is where you lie in-between... how much meat have you or do you eat?
Because I agree that part of the long-term solution is being (more) vegetarian, I am becoming vegetarian. Basically that means that my goal is to become vegetarian, but that I recognize that I will never fully reach that goal. All I can do is to try to eat less meat every week/month/year. As Mr. Sagar writes, it is the intelligent thing to do.
FYI Meat-eaters... one of the questions before you donate blood is "Have you lived in Great Britain for more than six months?" I asked why they had that question and the reply was because of the Mad Cow disease problem. So eating meat is becoming as dangerous as traveling in areas with malaria mosquitoes. That should be food for thought (pun intended). Eating less meat reduces meat-related health problems AND helps us live in a more sustainable manner.
By christig38 at 11:01 AM ON 10/31/08
i ahve an idea to help green house gasses i saw that there is part of my idea already being developed it is a device used to clean the air like a big purifier only my idea is adding oxygen to the air with a big nuculer stack like plant to put the right amount of enviromental elements back into the air sort of doing the job of millions of trees at once with out the trees because we loose so many trees everyday and the rain forest as well so i think my idea of an artificial oxygen machine plant may work i have no back in science nor do i have the means to try any of my ideas but i do love solving problems and i think if i gave my idea to the right people maybe they could try something like it out please let me know if my idea is even possible thank you
christi gardner
By Kyleigh at 5:13 AM ON 11/07/08
Good post.
By Scarlett at 2:35 PM ON 11/09/08
Good words.