Why Eat Vegetarian?
In days gone by, vegetarians were few and far between, and were usually found on hippy communes and around health shops. These days they are cropping up all over the place, accompanied by many who are cutting down the amount of meat in their diet. Why is this?
Some do it for health related issues, like the fact that the human anatomy is more suited to a herbivorous diet, or the fact that meat consumption increases chances of contracting many diseases, ranging from osteoporosis to cancer...
Others choose it because the meat industry is having a huge impact on starvation and malnutrition as the resources required to feed the rich threaten the food security of the poor. For instance, did you know that 600 million tons of the total 1700 million tons of worldwide food crops go to the meat industry as feed for the animals. With reduced meat consumption the future world population of 11 billion people could easily be properly fed.
Some do it for health related issues, like the fact that the human anatomy is more suited to a herbivorous diet, or the fact that meat consumption increases chances of contracting many diseases, ranging from osteoporosis to cancer...
Others choose it because the meat industry is having a huge impact on starvation and malnutrition as the resources required to feed the rich threaten the food security of the poor. For instance, did you know that 600 million tons of the total 1700 million tons of worldwide food crops go to the meat industry as feed for the animals. With reduced meat consumption the future world population of 11 billion people could easily be properly fed.
Others have recognised that the meat industry is the number 2 industry contributing to global warming, is causing massive erosion, pollution and deforestation, and is in fact worse for the environment and climate change than the power and transport industries as the warming effect is not offset by cooling from particulate emissions.
And then there is the issue of animal welfare and the fact that mass production of meat has meant the conditions animals are kept in are often inhumane and barbaric, while human do not actually need to eat meat to survive.
Between 1950 and 2000 the world population doubled, while total meat consumption increased by 5 times!! Don´t you think it might be time to cut back and recognise that meat is a luxury and not a necessity?
And then there is the issue of animal welfare and the fact that mass production of meat has meant the conditions animals are kept in are often inhumane and barbaric, while human do not actually need to eat meat to survive.
Between 1950 and 2000 the world population doubled, while total meat consumption increased by 5 times!! Don´t you think it might be time to cut back and recognise that meat is a luxury and not a necessity?
“To be a vegetarian is to disagree — to disagree with the course of things today. Starvation, world hunger, cruelty, waste, wars — we must make a statement against these things. Vegetarianism is my statement. And I think it’s a strong one.”
~Isaac Bashevis Singer, author, Nobel Prize 1978
The following video explains in an interesting and engaging way Peter Singer´s philosophical analysis and evaluation on these topics. ( a little Dutch, mostly English). Please send me your feedback and check out the Recipes and Tips and Links to start the evolution!