How has a dependency on animal products created negative environmental effects, and what

are the steps we can take individually to stop it?

Topic Overview

1. What are the most important/ key facts about your topic?
Greenhouse gas production - about 18%, ( 51% according to environmentalists
http://www.worldwatch.org/files/pdf/Livestock%20and%20Climate%20Change.pdf)
methane from animals, carbon from equipment, deforestation
Meat eating diet - 7.2Kg of CO2 vs. Vegetarian or fish-eating 3.8Kg , Vegan 2.9Kg per day
More than 25% of water consumption goes to the growth of the livestock and the
grass that they feed on
Water contamination
waste travels downstream
antibiotics
30% of land is used for farming to feed livestock, creating 40% of agricultural
income
low quality feed in some areas results in larger consumption
Beef is the largest offender, pork and poultry are more efficient in consumption
to output ratios
Population boom and the shift away from the carnivorism in an effort to preserve
the food for the later generations to be able to survive if there is a population boom
eating less meat lessens many health risks such as heart disease
and cancer
reduce carbon footprint more than using cars less
About 70 percent of all grazing land in dry areas is considered degraded, mostly
because of overgrazing, compaction and erosion attributable to livestock activity
Government dictation of the American diet is highly controversial, influence is
given from health and nutrition advice and rising meat prices
Industrial Farms are one of the largest defectors of biodiversity
Consumption of livestock will double by the year 2020

2. What are the arguments supporting it?

Environmental concerns
livestock leave a large carbon footprint, especially cattle
consume produce that could directly feed more people
Health concerns
meat contains chemicals or unbalanced nutrition that can cause
health risks
Antibiotic treatment, carcinogens
Heart disease, liver disease, cancer
Animal rights concerns
treated as products rather than living creatures
genetic engineering and selective breeding
hens have been bred to produce more than 250
eggs per year vs. wild Jungle fowl laying 10-15 - leads to Osteoporosis
Chickens bred for eating are bred to grow
abnormally large very quickly, many cannot bear the weight of their own
body as a result
confinement of pigs ruins their complex social
behaviors and introduces health problems such as decreased lung
function

 calves usually enjoy free range but are dehorned,

branded, and castrated without anesthesia, weaned early, and stressfully
transported
small, densely packed, and confined living spaces

3. What are the arguments against it?

Diet heavy in meat is part of American culture - why are people resistant to
change?
Lack of education on the facts and statistics surrounding the
industry
Feel it would be a lifestyle sacrifice
incorporate foods that are familiar but plant-based
Meat has health benefits
Meat can give the body vital amino acids, which when ingested
can be used to rebuild muscles and gain antibodies to help prevent infections
later on. Meat also provides the body with many needed nutrients such as
vitamins and minerals, primarily Iron, for the body to use in conjunction with
hemoglobin to help the blood move oxygen throughout the body with greater
ease
Raising livestock helps to fix carbon to an ecosystem
Grass fed takes double the time to bring to slaughter weight Grain fed releases less Carbon as a result
Grazing styles help facilitate plant growth - earth was once
populated by many varieties of grazing animals
Benefits require high quantities of cattle and a high projected
consumption increase
4.) What steps can YOU take?
You dont have to completely avoid meat, just cut down
Meatless Mondays
How to maintain a balanced meatless or animal product free diet
Protein - plant based sources include soy products and legumes
B12 - still a component of eggs and dairy, vital for brain function,
supplements
Iron - spinach, kale, broccoli, supplements
Support local farmers with safe and secure procedures rather than big brand
companies
research where your food is coming from