kehus will never read this, maybe somebody else will.
Renee Mikon Advanced Placement English 12-1 Senior Position Paper Marcella J. Kehus, Ph.d. 5-24-05 Vegetarianism They are moral, they are righteous, and they think veggie burgers are “cool.” They are vegetarians, and their population across the globe is growing rapidly. Sometimes one will see them cringe at the sight of a slaughtered animal, or even at the mere thought of a barbeque. They are humane. Vegetarians understand the consequences of a meat-centered diet, not only to human health, but to the world as well. The question is why. Why should a person become a vegetarian? The answer certainly is not one-word or by any means simple. This is because vegetarianism is not only a diet, but a way of life. Vegetarianism relates to global issues in ways one can hardly imagine. Society must become educated. They must learn to see the hamburger on their plate as not only a tasty entrée, but as the animal that was killed for their own selfish pleasure. One must think before he or she bites into that hearty burger. It is time to consider another option. Vegetarianism is not only a healthy and environmentally friendly diet alternative, but and ethically correct choice as well. Defending Vegetarianism Nutrients There are many fallacies surrounding the vegetarian beliefs. Many believe that vegetarians do not receive proper nutrients in their diet. One important nutrient in particular is Vitamin B12. It is important because it is necessary for the synthesis of red Blood cells, the maintenance of the nervous system, and the growth and development of a child. The shortage of B12 in a person can cause anemia. Vegetarians often claim that B12 is produced by certain fermenting bacteria in the intestines. This is true, but some doctors will insist that in this form it is unusable by the body because it can not be absorbed (Byrnes, 2000). The truth about B12, however, is that when it is from fortified foods or supplements it is nearly as reliable and absorbable as the B12 from animal products. Present research even reveals that supplements and dairy products are more effective sources of B12 than that of meat (Walsh, 2002). For example, a half pint of milk contains 1.2 µg of B12, and a boiled egg contains 0.7 µg of B12. These dairy sources make it very feasible for a vegetarian to receive a healthy amount of B12 each day. See Table 1 for an exact description of the Recommended Daily Amounts of Vitamin B12 based on age. Age RDA 0 to 6 months 0.3 µg 7 to 12 months 0.4 µg 1 to 3 years 0.5 µg 4 to 6 years 0.8 µg 7 to 10 years 1.0 µg 11 to 14 years 1.2 µg 15+ years 1.5 µg Breast feeding women 2.0 µg Table 1: The Recommended Daily Amounts of Vitamin B12 based on age (Walsh, 2002) Other nutrients essential to life are Omega 3 and Omega 6. Those who argue against the vegetarian lifestyle may argue that these fatty acids are primarily found in meat and cannot be synthesized (Byrnes, 2000). Although this is true one must not ignore the other sources they are found in. This includes flaxseed oil, rape seed oil, walnuts, and tofu, a very popular meat alternative (Vegetarian Society, 2005). Lastly, there is Vitamin A, which enables the body to use proteins and minerals properly. This vitamin is principally found in animal products. Plants contain beta-carotene, a substance that the body can convert into Vitamin A. However, it takes forty-six units of carotene to make one unit of Vitamin A. Vegetarians may not intake as much Vitamin A as a meat-eater, but it is entirely possible to obtain a sufficient amount of the nutrient from old-fashioned butter (Byrnes, 2000). Here is where the difference between vegetarians and vegans can be defined. Vegetarians do not eat any meat products, but they do eat dairy products such as butter and eggs. Vegans consume no animal products, which would exclude dairy products from their diets. Therefore, Vitamin A can be received in adequate amounts within the vegetarian diet as long as a conscience effort is made by the vegetarian. This is also the case for the other mentioned nutrients. When there is thought put into what one eats as a vegetarian the proper nutrients for a healthy lifestyle can be obtained. World Hunger Some have argued that meat-eaters contribute to world hunger. Meat-eaters would strongly oppose this statement. It has been argued that cows and sheep require pasturage that could be better used to raise grains to feed the million of starving people in Third World countries. Those who eat meat would argue that this theory is too simplistic. They may also mention that a large portion of the Earth’s dry land is unsuited for cultivation anyway, and that the animals requiring pasturage are irrelevant, but this argument in return is too simplistic (Byrnes, 2000). Since the quantity of meat consumed around the world is growing this means there are going to be more animals needed to supply this demand. It may seem straightforward and uncomplicated, but it is a fact. These animals will require pasturage, and will unknowingly destroy the already small amount of land suited for cultivation. With these simple facts it is obvious that the vegetarian lifestyle will help provide more pasturage that can grow grains and other crops to feed the hungry around the globe. Furthermore contributing to world hunger is the amount of meat being transported to places that do not suffer from hunger. For example, the amount of meat imported to the United States from Central and Southern America annually is 300,000,000 pounds, while the number of Central American children under the age of five that are undernourished is a shocking seventy-five percent (Robbins, 2001). World hunger is a serious problem, and the massive amount of meat consumed in specific areas around the world is only contributing to the problem. It is imperative that society stop now and look towards vegetarianism as a solution. If there were more vegetarians in this world there would be more food available to those who need it most. Spirituality and Humanity It would be impossible to disagree that most meat-eaters do not consider eating meat a “less spiritual” or inhumane way of life. In fact they may even protest that many world religions place no restriction on animal consumptions (Byrnes, 2000). These people are ignoring not only the beliefs of Judaism, which has a strong inclination towards vegetarianism but also Buddhism (Schwartz, 1999). Buddhists claim that eating meat, essentially an animal, is somewhat equivalent to murder. For a person who eats meat on a regular basis like the majority of the world this belief may seem quite extreme. It is possible though that this idea is based on the principles of humanity rather than the principles of a particular religion. Realizing that eating an animal takes the life of something once living is taking responsibility for ones actions and by doing so this person is humane. It is an individual’s own choice whether or not to eat an animal, nonetheless those who do not can indeed be considered more humane. Somebody who does eat meat may argue that there are laws which humanely exempt commercial livestock from cruel treatment, such as deplorable living conditions and common sickness and suffering amongst the animals (Byrnes, 2000). Yes, there may be laws, but the validity of these laws must be questioned. Under Bill C-15 new animal cruelty laws are being reintroduced, however these laws are highly objectionable to the slaughter house industry. It is also well-known within that industry that these laws are not easily enforced. Meeting the demand for meat is first priority (Reader, 2001). By eating meat a person is agreeing to the means in which their meat is produced. Eating meat which was put on the table by an inhumane manufacturer consequently makes the consumer themselves inhumane. Human Health Someone who enjoys the taste and satisfaction of a juicy steak would be pleased to know that meat-eaters do not have a higher rate of obesity, heart attack, or cholesterol when compared with vegetarians. The following health risks mentioned are all associated with the twentieth century, yet people have been eating meat for thousands of years. Natives around the world eat animal products but do not suffer from these diseases (Byrnes, 2000). However, is this proof? Is this proof that meat is not a cause of these diseases simply because some meat-eaters do not suffer from them? No, this would be avoiding reality. The reality is that people all over the world are beginning to eat insanely unhealthy like Americans. By eating like Americans, people all over the world are beginning to look more like Americans, particularly in one respect. The United States now has the highest obesity rate of any industrialized nation in the world. More than half of all American adults and about one-quarter of all American children are now obese or overweight. These staggering proportions have soared during the last few decades, along with the consumption of fast food, which is well known to have a predominately meat-oriented menu (Schlosser, 2002). As well known as the meat is on the menu at a fast food restaurant is the direct relationship between meat-eaters and poor health. The most common death in the United States is a heart attack. The risk of having a heart attack for a meat-eating male is fifty percent, while the risk for a non-meat-eating male is much less at fifteen percent. Also, the average cholesterol for a male with a meat-centered diet is 210 mg/dl, and a male with cholesterol at this level has greater than a fifty percent chance of dying (Robbins, 2001). For those who do eat meat it is vital that they understand the consequences. When meat becomes the center of ones diet the risk of serious health complications greatly increases. By eliminating meat from ones diet is evident that risks such as obesity, heart attack, and high cholesterol will substantially decrease. Clearly, vegetarianism truly is the healthiest and safest diet to live by. Choosing Vegetarianism The Environment When people think of vegetarians they often think of animal-loving activists, but it is important to realize the other reasons why people choose vegetarianism. For example, many vegetarians are deeply concerned with the environment. In fact the environment, for some vegetarians, is the primary reason for their decision. One of the greatest concerns about the environment in recent times is global warming. What many people do not know is that when they eat meat, they are actually contributing to the emission of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, etc.), which causes the greenhouse effect, which ultimately contributes to global warming. Three times as many fossil fuels are needed to produce food for a meat-centered diet rather than a meat-free diet (Robbins, 2001). If nobody ate meat there would be three times less the amount of fossil fuels emitted into the atmosphere, and consequently the risk and severity of global warming would significantly decrease. Also, a concern for the environment is conserving what is already there. The United States top soil that has been lost to date is seventy five percent. Eighty five percent of that top soil lost is directly related to raising livestock. In addition, the area of tropical rainforest that is destroyed for every one-fourth of rain forest beef produced is fifty-five square feet, and the number of species that becomes extinct each year is 1,000 (Robbins, 2001). The preceding statistics are overwhelming, but it is necessary that society begin to face the realities and environmental toll of meat production. Earth Earth is a precious place and humans must learn to understand and cherish it. Humans can effect the survival of our earth with what they consume. One basic concept that is extremely important to understand is the cycle of energy. One will receive more energy from eating wheat then they will from eating the same amount of beef. All energy originally comes from the sun, as a direct product of the sun wheat is produced. By eating wheat one is gaining much of the originally produced energy. Suppose, however, that a person were to eat a steak. The steak was originally a cow, which originally ate the wheat. Therefore, by the time the person consumes the beef they have lost a substantial amount of the originally produced energy. This idea is simple, but something that can be applied to everyone. It would be foolish to eat unhappily, simply to receive maximum amount of energy, however, it is important to be mindful of this principle. The good news is that the world produces enough food to meet the basic nutritional needs of every person on earth today. If distributed equally, the grain currently produced worldwide is enough to give everyone a meatless, yet sustainable diet. This is why vegetarianism is an efficient diet choice. Imagine if the entire world lived a meat-free lifestyle, if this were the case it is safe to say that there would be many less starving humans around the globe. The world’s natural resources are being rapidly depleted as a result of meat-eating. Raising livestock for meat is a very inefficient way of generating food. Thirty-three percent of all raw materials (base products of farming, forestry, and mining, including fossil fuels) consumed by the United States are devoted to the production of livestock, as compared with the two percent to produce a complete vegetarian diet. Pound for pound, far more resources must be expended to produce meat than to produce grains, fruits, and vegetables (Robbins, 2001). Beyond being inefficient, livestock production consumes more than one half of all United States water. While the number of gallons needed to produce a pound of wheat is only twenty five, the gallons of water needed to produce a pound of California beef is an astounding 5,000. That same 5,000 gallons can be used to produce two hundred pounds of wheat. If the government did not subsidize this cost the cheapest hamburger meat would cost more than thirty five dollars per pound (Robbins, 2001). Also, in politics today it is well-known that Earth’s oil reserves are rapidly diminishing, and meat-eating is contributing to this depletion greatly. It takes seventy eight calories of fossil fuel energy to produce one calorie of beef protein and only two calories of fossil fuel energy to produce on calorie of soybean. If all of humanity stopped eating meat the world’s known oil reserves would last twenty times longer then if humans continue their meat-centered diets (Robbins, 2001). Obviously vegetarianism is the best choice for the conservation of Earth and all of its resources. Ethics Every hour in the United States alone 660,000 animals are killed for the sole purpose of human meat consumption. These same animals once had the joy of breathing fresh air, and these same animals once had the joy of pursing their innate right for life. In the thousands of slaughterhouses around the globe animals suffer the cruel process of forced confinement, manipulation and violent death. Their pain and terror is beyond calculation (Robbins, 2001). These animals are killed for one reason- human satisfaction. The true tragic proportions of slaughterhouses are fairly unknown to most meat-eaters. To shed some insight, they are horrific places which process massive numbers of animals each year. People who come in contact with, or live near by, cannot help but hear the daily screams of terror and anger of the animals led to slaughter. Those who work inside are forced to deal with the realization of their participation in murder, and most who do usually do not stay for long Slaughterhouse workers not only have the highest rate of job turn-over, but the highest on the job injury rate. See Figure 1 for an example of a slaughterhouse Figure 1: Inside the horrific working conditions of a slaughter house (Menzel, 2005) Changing to Vegetarianism When concerning the environment and ones own personal health vegetarianism is the best choice and most ethically correct diet alternative. The time to change is now. It is time to change the preconceived notion that humans must eat meat. Consider vegetarianism; choose a diet alternative that understands the consequences of a meat-centered diet. Forget the diet that society is used to. Become more conscience of the effects that eating meat has on this world. Remember the innate right to life bestowed upon every living organism in this world and choose vegetarianism. References Byrnes, S. (2000, April 2). The Myths of Vegetarianism. Retrieved May 15, 2005, from http://www.mercola.com/2000/apr/2/vegetarian_myths.htm Corliss, R. (2002, July 15). Should We All Be Vegetarians? Time, 160, 48-50. Food Issues. Retrieved May 17, 2005 from http://www.foodcomm.org.uk/animal_veggie.htm Menzel, P. (2005). Peter Menzel Photography. Retrieved May 23, 2005 from http://www.menzelphoto.com/gallery/big/agriculture9.htm Reader, M. (2001, May 1). New animal cruelty laws: we must be sure OFAH submissions are acted on. Ontario Out of Doors, 33, 4. Robbins, J. (2001, July 11). Diet for a New America. Oakland, CA: Conari Press. Schlosser, E. (2002). Fast Food Nation. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. Schwartz, R. (1999, March 14). Vegetarianism Essential for Jewish Renewal? Tikkun, 69, 14. Vegetarian Society. (2005). Retrieved May 17, 2005 from http://www.vegsoc.org/infor/b12.html Walsh, S. Stephen Byrnes: A Myth-Making “Debunker.” (2005) Retrieved May 15, 2005 from http://www.vegsource.com/articles/walsh_byrnes_b12.htm