Veganism, as previously known as ‘Vegetarianism’ are the people who abstain from eating dairy, meat, cheese, eggs, honey or gelatine (Suddath, 2008). Vegans do no longer eat something which comes from animals, nor wear whatever that’s crafted from animals either including leather and wool. The difference between a ‘vegan’ diet and a ‘vegetarian’ diet is that veganism is an extreme form of a vegetarian diet, although the term was created in 1944 but the “concept of avoiding flesh has been tracked back to the ancient Indian as well as East Mediterranean’s societies” (Suddath, 2008). This essay explores whether becoming a vegan could save the environment, and the impact our planet will have if we all became vegan?
MEAT PRODUCTION
From the meat production, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation known as (FAO) stated that “1.1 billion sheep and 1.4 million cattle altogether on the planet contribute towards producing 37% of the total methane which is generated through human activity”- “Methane is an organic gas which is much more effective in trapping the greenhouse gases as compared to CO2, therefore contributing extensively towards raising the greenhouse effect on Earth” (Tuffrey, 2012). Furthermore, The agriculture land is being used for elevating farm animals throughout the world, the significance of this is that agriculture takes up one third of the total land surface of the Earth, thus, eating all these meats must mean that it’s not a very sustainable and intelligent decision which could support the reasons being going vegan to aid our environment.
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A United Nations report states that land used for animal agriculture, both for grazing and production of crops fed to livestock, takes up an astounding 30% of land on Earth. (Meat Production Waste Natural Resources). To meet the industry’s demands, over 260 million acres of forest in the U.S were cleared to develop grain-fed to farm animals. (Meat Production Wastes Natural Resources). With that in mind, the meat trade to boot dumps disease-inflicting pathogens through the animal waste that pollutes water and forces the requirement for waste lagoons to be created, that are prone to leaky and flooding (Facts about Pollution from Livestock Farms). Silverman states that “scientists say that about 14% of the world’s greenhouse gases are released by said agriculture industries, which is a growing concern for climate change and global warming”. There is no doubt that farming animals encompasses a negative result on the surroundings and steps ought to be taken to mitigate air and water pollution risks. If animal agriculture was phased out, land used for animal grazing could be returned to forest land and a few of it reborn into fields for cultivating crops for humans. a worldwide shift toward veganism, leading to the elimination of the meat and animal agriculture industries, would defend the surroundings from numerous damaging effects.
WELFARE ON ANIMALS
The main reason behind becoming a ‘vegan’ or being a vegetarian has always been the welfare on animals, according to the ‘Vegetarian Society’, a charity in the UK stated that “more than 2 million land animals are being killed in the UK every just to satisfy the population’s taste for meat” (The Vegetarian Society, 2011). Suddath highlights that “what we choose to eat has great impact on the environment and concern towards the environment has been another major factor for the people turning vegetarian” (Suddath, 2008). Moreover, a research was conducted by R. K Pachauri, the previous chairman of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that “The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation has estimated that meat production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. These are generated during the production of animal feeds, for example, while ruminants, particularly cows, emit methane, which is twenty-three time more effective as a global warming agent than carbon dioxide. The agency has also warned that meat consumption is set to double by the middle of the entry” Pachauri statement vocalises on how significant it is to give up meat as it would provide a new healthier lifestyle for the individual and for the planet; so, isn’t it insightful to turn vegetarian?
Turning vegan can considerably facilitate in saving the earth and there are several reliable reasons that support to become a vegetarian. One reason that is extremely imperative is that if we tend to cut back our meat consumption by 30% it'd aid and be superior for the U.S and therefore the remainder of the world as recommended by analysis reports of Reuters.
Researchers within the United Kingdom and Australia are able to encounter some measures like reduction of fuel dependence just in case of farming techniques aren't enough to fulfil the targets allotted for emission reduction as reported by Reuters. (Reuters, 2010) To further the argument, Black highlighted that “if these steps of carbon dioxide reductions are combined with around 30% cutback of livestock which are breeding in the major meat producing countries along with a similar kind of reduction in consumption of meat, it will definitely lead to substantial amounts of health benefits for population at large and reduction in carbon dioxide emissions too at the same time” (Black, 2009). This would therefore really help in saving our environment.
Likewise, The Lancet Medical Journal revealed a study that highlighted that within the United Kingdom alone, simply 30% lesser intake of less saturated fats by adults can facilitate in reducing the amount of premature deaths that are caused by heart attacks in young age by 17%. It’s calculable that around 18% of emissions of greenhouse gases are attributed to the assembly of meat and meat merchandise as found in a very study done by world organization Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO)
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