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Vegetarian Statistics

Date Added : August 19, 2010 | Views : 343





Many nonvegetarians and some vegetarians alike question

whether being a vegetarian really makes any difference

at all. Some bring up blurry ethical situations to make it

impossible to see a vegetarian lifestyle as ethical.



If you are a prospective vegetarian for ethical reasons,

but aren't sure whether or not a vegetarian lifestyle is

truly a more ethical choice, here are some statistics

from EarthSave to help you make your choice (for

or against):



1. Over 1.3 billion human beings could be fed each year

from the grain and soybeans that go to livestock in the

United States.



This means that the entire population of the United States

could be fed (without losing any nutritional value) and there

would still be enough food left over to feed one billion

people.



In a world where millions of people die each year of

starvation, that type of food excess and inefficiency

could be considered unethical.



2. Livestock in the US produces roughly 30 times more

excrement than human beings. While humans in the US have

complex sewage systems to collect and treat human waste,

there are no such systems on feedlots. As a result, most

of this waste leeches into water.



This means that large-scale, massive production and

slaughter of animals is not only unethical, but it also

causes serious environmental degradation.



3. It takes 7.5 pounds of protein feed to create 1 pound of

consumable hog protein; and it takes 5 pounds of protein

feed to create 1 pound of consumable chicken protein. Close

to 90% of protein from wheat and beans is lost to feed

cycling.



This means that an enormous amount of resources are

dedicated to producing wheat and soy just for the purpose

of feeding it to animals, which will be slaughtered as "a

source of protein"--even though they only provide about

1/5 of the amount they consume.



Not only can the production of meat be considered an

injustice against animals, but it can also be considered an

injustice against human beings, as well as the environment

in general.

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