vindication & vegetables.

Graffiti based on George Orwell's Animal Farm (1946). 

Although I have only recently converted to vegetarianism, I've already had to justify myself on a few occasions. There are several reasons I've decided to completely change my lifestyle. It's rare I find myself so passionate about something, but this is one of those topics for me. So as simply as possible--and in order from least to most important--here they are.

[[THE FLAVOR]]

    Plain and simple: I don’t like the taste of meat—beef, in particular. I must’ve gotten this from my mother. Unless it’s doused in a rub of various herbs, sauces, and spices, I just don’t care for it. Because of this, I consumed a ton of fish and chicken. And I got really tired of it. So, basically, cutting it out hasn’t been as impossible as you may think. 

 [[PERSONAL HEALTH]]

Cancer and Heart Disease

     Eating meat on an everyday basis is NOT healthy—in fact, it may even shorten your lifespan. Red meat contains a surplus of saturated fat and cholesterol. It is devoid of fiber and other essential nutrients. When consumed in excess (as many Americans do, especially with the convenience of fast food restaurants), your risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease (the NUMBER ONE killer in America) increases substantially. Carcinogenic compounds may also be formed during the cooking of meat. For example, heterocyclic amines (HCA, formed when meat is cooked at high temperatures) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH, formed during the burning of organic substances) have been linked to an increase in cancer risk. The longer and hotter the meat cooks, the greater the number of compounds that form. And it’s not only red meat. Grilled chicken has been found to have more of these compounds than any other meat. Also, processed meats such as bacon, sausage, pepperoni, ham, and hotdogs are loaded with salt and nitrates, which may not only contribute to cancer but high blood pressure as well—which, in turn, may lead to cardiovascular disease or heart attacks.

Obesity

    Sure, eating meat in proper portion sizes, in moderation, and in a well-balanced manner probably won’t kill you. However, our portion sizes have nearly quadrupled those of the 1950s. An astounding 96% of entrees at restaurants exceed the dietary guidelines for sodium, fat, and saturated fat. In turn, the average adult is now 26 pounds heavier than 60 years ago. All of these factors combined have contributed to the obesity epidemic, and it’s not okay. 

Here's an infographic to put it into perspective for you visual learners:

 For more information, watch the documentary Supersize Me. It can be viewed here.

Contamination

     A huge percentage of all the flesh from the chickens, turkeys, cows, fish, and pigs butchered every year in the U.S. is contaminated with E. coli, campylobacter, listeria, or other dangerous bacteria that live in the intestinal tracts, flesh, and feces of animals. Consuming these kinds of infectious bacteria can cause food poisoning with symptoms ranging anywhere from stomach cramping to diarrhea and vomiting to organ failure and death. There are over 75 million reported cases of food poisonings each year in America. Five-thousand of cases are fatal, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that 70% of food poisoning is caused by consumption of animal flesh. Not only that, but a recent study showed that there is a substance in both meat and milk that causes humans to be more prone to infection by dangerous E. Coli bacteria. Therefore, meat is a double-edged sword. Not only is it loaded with these bacteria, but it also makes you more prone to infection by ingesting them! Meat is also commonly treated with antibiotics, some of which contain significant amounts of arsenic, and hormones, many of which are prohibited for over-the-counter use by humans. Yet it's acceptable for it to be lurking in our milk and hamburgers? And should you ever come down with food poisoning, the antibiotics you're prescribed may be completely useless, as repeated ingestion of the antibiotics in meat will cause your body to build up a tolerance.

  For more information, visit www.PETA.org.

[[ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH]]

Sustainability

     Sustainability, or how biological systems remain diverse and productive, is essential for the environment and ecosystem--and, subsequently--the survival of humans and other organisms (read Thomas L. Friedman's Hot, Flat, and Crowded for more information). Factory farming, a kind of intensive farming involving the industrialized production of livestock including cattle, poultry, and fish, is a huge threat to the sustainability of our earth. Despite the seriousness of this threat, it is an extremely widespread, typical way of industrial farming in industrialized societies. According to the Worldwatch Institute, as of 2006, 74% of the world's poultry, 43% of beef, and 68% of eggs were produced this way. As of 2000, four companies (Tyson, JBS, Cargill, and Smithfield) produced 81% of cows, 73% of sheep, 60% of pigs, and 50% of chickens. Eighty million out of 95 million pigs slaughtered each year are also reared in industrial settings. 

Pollution

    These factory farms cram an inconceivable amount of animals into one crowded space, which creates an unmanageable amount of waste. To illustrate, a single hog excretes up to 17.5 pounds of manure and urine each day. On a factory farm containing 35,000 hogs, over four million pounds of waste are produced each week. That's over 200 million pounds each year. And where does it end up? Much of it is used for fertilization. On a sustainable farm, this can be a great tool. On factory farms, it's a major pollutant. The surplus often runs off into surface water and consequently into our major water systems. 

    Factory farms also emit harmful gases and particles like methane and hydrogen sulfide, which can contribute to global warming and harm the health of those living or working nearby. Air pollution results from the overuse of machinery, the mismanagement of manure, and the irresponsible feeding practices that characterize industrial farming. 

Click here for more information on factory farms and the environment.

Feed Crops

    Factory farms also harm farmland through their consumption of massive quantities of feed crops. The average cow eats roughly 30 pounds of food each day. The beef industry raises more than 30 million cows each year. The vast majority of these cows are raised in feedlots, where they eat corn and soybeans. This requires an extraordinary amount of grain. In response to this demand, conventional crop producers have adopted intensive growing practices. In 2005, American farmers used more than 22 million tons of chemical fertilizer, which has led to loss of soil fertility and erosion. 

Visit the Sustainable Table for more information. 

 

[[ANIMAL WELFARE]]

    Although initially written as an allegorical reference to Communism and the events leading up to the Russian Revolution, several lines of George Orwell's Animal Farm also coincide with animal rights. In my opinion, the most note-worthy are as follows:  

"Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals (p. 8)… Never listen when they tell you that Man and the animals have a common interest, that the prosperity of the one is the prosperity of the others. It is all lies. Man serves the interests of no creature except himself (p. 10)."

     I am--and always have been--a huge animal-lover. Even as far back as middle school, I had heard of some of the conditions that animals are put through on their way to slaughterhouses. But I've always had the same mindset: "I don't want to know what happens. I don't want to watch those videos or hear about it. It'll spoil my appetite." When I was forced to watch Food, Inc. in a health class my first year of college, I was enlightened with the truth. After learning more through various classes and my own research (including watching another documentary by the name of Earthlings), I don't think I'll ever turn back.

In factory farms, animals:

• Are contained in closed confinement systems (cages, crates) or indoor sheds for life
• Experience discomfort and injuries caused by inappropriate flooring and housing
• Are restricted and denied normal exercise and most of natural behavior
• Are restricted of natural maternal nesting behavior
• Rarely see daylight or fresh air, and there is poor air quality in animal sheds
• Experience social stress and injuries caused by overcrowding
• Contract health problems caused by extreme selective breeding and management for fast growth and high productivity
• Have a reduced lifespan (breeding animals like dairy cows, breeding sows)
• Contract fast-spreading infections encouraged by crowding and stress in intensive conditions
• Are debeaked (beak trimming or shortening, while FULLY CONSCIOUS) in the poultry and egg industry to avoid pecking in overcrowded quarters
• Forced and over fed (by inserting tubes into the throats of ducks)

Not to mention how they're treated in the actual slaughtering process. But I'll leave you to your own devices with that one. This is a real, serious issue. 

So hopefully all of these reasons are justification enough. After all, knowledge is power. Educate yourselves and make the best decision for you and your body!