Trevor Matczak

Bowers
Comp
6 de Mayo, 2016

The Hunger Revolution

After years of mindlessly stuffing my face with burgers, tacos, and
concoctions of a whole bunch of other unknown processed foods, Ive began to
wonder why it is we eat these foods when it seems to be such common knowledge
that they are terrible for our health. Often we may say things like I dont care how
its made, it still tastes good, or I can eat whatever as long as I stay active.
Masses of individuals who are clearly just ignorantly blissful chase the cheese every
day, but dont see the trap aiming for their health and homeland progressively
drawing closer every day. We are all subject to mass marketing, often falling victim
to what we are told to do, how to live and what to eat. Seemingly everywhere we go
now, theres a burger joint or a supermarket around the corner home to cheaper,
quicker, and less nutritionally beneficial food. These restaurants and processed
products are notoriously one of the leading causes to our nations health problems,
yet we still continue to the meat industry, and the driving force behind it all- a
monstrous industry known today as animal agriculture.
It is theorized by some that humans are really just the virus meant to exhaust
the earths resources, and while that may be awful harsh, there are indications we
are headed that way The earth is mother to all species on our planet, and not only

are we putting our people, but also the planet that gives us a place to live, in
danger. Living in a society that has conditioned us to eat what we do, it is awful
hard to see outside the box for many, as it was for me at first. However, inflicting
harm on my planet and its people all in the name of some unnecessary diet is no
longer on my daily agenda. With a growing world population estimated to be 9
billion by 2050, our dietary habits are being subject to question. We do not have to
be the means to an end of our planet, rather we can learn from our past mistakes
and progress towards a better tomorrow. After extensive eye opening research, I
believe it is impeccable that we make effort to move the masses toward adopting a
plant-based diet; as it is our worlds chance to sustainably prosper, all while keeping
its inhabitants healthy and alive.
Most people dont put any thought into why we eat meat, after all, its just
what we eat right? Thats what I thought, until I started asking my own questions.
With a world population exceeding 7 billion people that is only growing, and many
cultures (especially ours) with a growing appetite, obesity and heart problems are
seen galore. While we can feed our people so easily, it is awful confusing why the
people of third world countries cant get with the program. After all, its as easy as
being free from the oppression placed upon them by more powerful, wealthy
countries, gaining control of enough land and currency to fund companies and then
mass producing animals and products with somewhat safe health regulations.
Right? So you know, we dont really have to feed ALL the people, so consequently
this is not our problem But what if we could?
What we know as animal agriculture- the branch of agriculture concerned
with the care and breeding of domestic animals such as cattle, hogs, sheep, and

horses- produces food for us to eat. Below is a prime example of the careful care,
domestication and pristine living conditions given to our lovely farm animals.
This industry is slowly turning what used to be a wildly spectacular, flourishing
planet into one humongous farm occasionally broken up by sparse forests, large

cities, and large aquatic dumping grounds known to some as oceans. In an eye
opening documentary Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, we find out livestock
covers 45% of the earths total land for the purposes of keeping all 7 billion of us
fed rather, some of us more than others. That much of the earths total land being
used should make way for a well fed world. However, copious amounts of this land
is used- not for naturally occurring foods possessing everything nutritionally
necessary (i.e. fruits, grains, vegetables) to be directly fed to human beings- for
supporting the chickens, pigs and cattle that we eventually eat. It is scary to see
this happening while eighty-two percent of starving children reside in nations
where livestock animals are fed. Seeing as there isnt enough land in our home
countries to keep up with the needs of our hungry citizens, crops are outsourced to
these third world countries that cant even feed their own. As well as exploiting less
fortunate countries for their land, we pillage into what many call our worlds lungs:

the rainforests. Animal agriculture is a devilish force behind habitat destruction, and
is responsible for up to 91% of Amazon destruction(Cowspiracy). If we continue to
produce the way we do, and attempt to keep up with the demand of a world only
growing in numbers, it is hard to say what else we might need to eradicate for the
selfish purpose of eating an artery clogging burger. Call me a dreamer, but it almost
seems as if this land could be used more efficiently.
With a growing world population, our need for grub is only going to increase.
Eventually, we will begin coming upon a conflict between having land to live on, and
land to produce our food. It is said that 1.5 acres can produce 37,000 pounds of
plant-based food [, and] 1.5 acres can produce 375 pounds of meat (Mccarthy),
nearly 100 times the amount of food produced. Even considering the fact that plantbased foods often take larger amounts of consumption to fill up a belly, this still
means not only could privileged countries similar to us feed their own, but we could
assist in feeding those in need of a nutritious diet. Meanwhile, to meet our needs for
a lavish consumerist lifestyle, we tear into our earths natural resources,
consequently destroying air quality and tearing apart natural habitats. Meat is not
necessary in our diets, it is beneficial, but not necessary. We as Americans eat over
150% of the recommended numbers of meat, and why is that? Our society portrays
meat as the only source for protein, a delicacy, a mans meal, and so many other
things that make us psychologically dependent on an omnivorous diet. What many
dont know, is every nutrient needed for a healthy lifestyle is available from a
completely plant-based diet. Protein, vitamins, all that. What may seem like a thing
of fairy tales, holds to be self-evident that we can feasibly feed all of our people, &
world hunger could be solved by us ceasing our consumption of one of the most
popular food sources. No longer are we hunter-gatherers, no longer do we use

animals for the sole purpose of respectably satisfying our needs of hunger and
clothing, but we can now sit back and relax as we realize most everything we need
simply requires a seed, some water, and a little bit of sunlight.
Our society likes to think it is obsessed with going green. We slightly
acknowledge the fact we might be negatively affecting our earth, and are lightly
recommended to make a valiant effort toward saving our planet. Driving more fuel
efficient cars, recycling this, turning off lights here, carpooling, recycling, and the
list goes on. We are told of many things effecting our earths environment and
atmosphere, all except for one that is. The combination of all transportation exhaust
world-wide is the case of thirteen percent of all greenhouse gas emissions as
revealed by Cowspiracy. That number seems extraneous, and most of us are led to
believe it is the number one culprit to greenhouse gas emissions. Once revealing
the veil placed in front of our willingly blinded eyes, we find that animal agriculture
is responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, more than the combined
exhaust from all transportation (McCarthy). Not only are we tearing into the
bountiful land Mother Nature has provided us with, but we also are destroying the
air we breathe, and warming the atmosphere around us creating an effect globally.
This is not just the hippy nonsense many perceive it to be, as methane emissions
from livestock and natural gas are nearly equal(Cowspiracy), and it is believed that
a world-wide effort to reduce these pollutants would promptly impact the increase in
global temperatures.
Although we are conditioned to eat the way we do, it is not hard to open our
eyes and realize mother earth has bountifully given us everything we need to
thrive. We are being systematically removed from the idea that we are natural
inhabitants of this naturally occurring earth. A sense of entitlement is lingering over

the human race, and denial of a holistic, natural health regimen is progressively
causing more and more problems for our home. We are losing sight of the concept
of animals as living, breathing creatures and beginning to perceive many of them as
mere objects or tools to be used however necessary. The world is slowly waking up,
and before it is too late we need to man and woman up by deciding to make a
change for the better. By adopting a purely plant-based diet, we would not only be
saving our bodies, rewarding ourselves with naturally occurring foods that our
bodies recognize as so, we would be taking steps toward healing our earth, feeding
our people, and being more humane towards the earths creatures. This world is
yours, hypothetically, but let us not forget the subsequent generations that will also
need a home. Humans are not disposable objects, and nobody has the right to
declare other animals are. They live, breathe, love and walk this earth just as we do,
so ought we not treat them equal, as earthlings?