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Kelsi McRee Professor Filbeck English 114 A 5 November 2013 Carnivores or Herbivores? If everyone understood that not eating meat could actually save lives and alleviate a lleviate world hunger would you do it? In order to create one pound of beef protein, over ten pounds of plant protein are used. If we just took these tons of grains that are used to feed and farm animals, animals, we could feed 925 million people, who are in chronic hunger worldwide (Procon 2). Being an herbivore or vegetarian can actually have major health benefits, while being a carnivore or eating meat can be harmful to your body, raising chances of developing cancer and kidney stones. Although humans have been eating meat for centuries, people should reconsider for eating meat is unethical. It is cruel to the animals and they are treated inhumanely and abused, there are other options to eating meat that can potentially be healthier than a meat diet, and being vegetarian can help alleviate world hunger with environmental benefits. Eating animals is cruel and unethical because animals are sentimental creatures and have feelings and emotions just like humans. “Scientific studies show that cattle, that cattle, pigs, chickens, and all warm-blooded animals can experience str ess, ess, pain, and fear” (Procon 2). (Procon 2). All of these animals can notice when one of their herd has died or been abused. They feel pain and sorrow when one of there loved ones has died, just like us when a relative or loved one has passed away. Many animals that are farmed to be slaughtered are raised in confinement, which is extremely ex tremely cruel. “About fifty percent of meat produced in the United States comes from confined animal feeding operations (CAFO’s) where animals live in filthy, overcrowded spaces” (Procon (Procon 2). Farmers also
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abuse these animals that are kept in confinement con finement in many different ways. In these CAFO’s animals pregnant pigs and baby cows co ws are abused and kept in crates just slightly larger than they are. “In CAFO’s pigs have their tails cut off, chickens have their toenails toenails and beaks clipped, and cows have their horns removed and tails cut off with no painkillers” (Procon 5). (Procon 5). One of the few reasons farmers doesn’t use painkillers and abuse their animals are because they are lazy and only truly care about making money. Rules put in place by the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) are rarely followed and farmers slaughter their animals without any p ainkillers or stuns. “The HMSA mandates that livestock be stunned unconscious before slaughter to minimize minimize suffering. Many US slaughter houses routinely routinely ignore the HMSA” (Procon 5). (Procon 5). All of these animals that we eat today are being treated inhumanely and slaughtered when there are many other options for a nutritional diet without harming and abu sing animals. Being a vegetarian will give you the same nutrition you get from eating meat for example the protein and it can also provide some health benefits. A vegetarian diet can lower the risk of heart disease and can also lower the risk of developing kidney stones and gallstones.“According gallstones. “According to the American Dietetic Association, a vegetarian diet can meet all protein requirements, provide all the essential amino-acids (the building blocks of protein), and improve health” (procon 2). Every kind of nutrition that is needed in order to have a healthy diet can be met while not eating meat. Meat-eaters may say that meat me at is the most convenient source of protein p rotein available, but there are still many other options. For example another source of protein could be beans, or peanut butter and so much more. Having a vegetarian diet does not only meat all requirements of a healthy and balanced diet, but studies have shown that vegetarians have been seen to live longer than meat-eaters. A research was by researchers at Loma Linda University in Califor nia nia and they found amazing results. “During “During the six years, vegetarians experienced 12%
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fewer deaths and were 19% less likely to die of heart disease compared to their carnivorous counterparts” (Vegetarians 1). Who wouldn’t want to live longer? A study from eating from eating red meat also showed an increase in death from cancer and cardiovascular disease. “A peer -reviewed 2003 study found that adherence to vegetarian ve getarian diets or diets very low in meat for 20 years or more can increase life expectancy expectancy by 3.6 years” (Procon 3). (Procon 3). Vegetarians can meet all dietary needs, abstain from developing kidney stones and gallstones, g allstones, potentially live longer than meat eaters, and finally studies show that being a vegetarian makes you forty percent less likely to develop cancer. According to to a study in 1994 by Harvard researchers, “consuming beef, pork, or lamb five or more times a week significantly increases the risk risk of colon cancer” (Procon 4). There are so many more benefits to the human body that come from being vegetarian rather than eating meat. Not only does a vegetarian diet have all these benefits to humans, but it also helps save the lives of innocent animals being abused and inhumanely slaughtered all over the US. There are also environmental benefits to not eating meat, and being vegetarian could have the potential to help end world hunger. Being vegetarian has so many more benefits than we get from eating meat. There T here are even environmental benefits we as humans can c an aid from. Overgrazing livestock hurts the environment through soil soil compaction, erosion, and harm to native n ative plants and animals. “About seventy percent of the 11 western states are grazed by livestock. It has damaged eighty percent of streams and riparian areas in the western United United States” (Procon 4). (Procon 4). This land that has been overgrazed from farming animals is now destroyed and unsuitable for farming. If we were to just abstain from eating meat, our efforts would help restore vast amoun ts of land that are more suitable to native plants and animals. Being vegetarian can also alleviate world hu nger. “Over ten pounds of plant protein are used to produce one pound of beef protein. If these grains were fed to
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humans instead of animals, more food would be available for the 925 million people in chronic hunger hun ger worldwide” (Procon 2). (Procon 2). A research study was done by Cornell University and they found that the grain used to feed United States livestock could feed 800 million people. Just from cutting of the farming of animals for food could sav e millions of people all around the world. Being vegetarian has so many benefits ben efits to it like a longer healthier life, environmental benefits, and not only are there benefits to us but we can help stop the cruel and unnecessary need to kill animals for food. We can all contribute in order to save the lives of these animals and also help save our land.
McRee Works Cited "Vegetarian ProCon" ProCon.org ProCon" ProCon.org . 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. 2,3,4,5. "Vegetarians Are Healthier, Live Longer Than Me at-Eaters." MindBodyGreen at-Eaters." MindBodyGreen,, 7 June 2013. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. 1.
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