The Dilemma of Vegetarianism Throughout the semester, I have read from multiple authors that touched on various subtopics of ethics. The topics that were particularly important to me was vegetarianism and the effects of factory farming animals and how this is a serious ethical issue due to the mass suffering of animals and the effect it has on the environment. After reading the chapters, “Becoming a Vegetarian” by Peter Singer, I almost immediately became a vegetarian. This chapter by Singer highlighted the key points of why eating meat is morally wrong and he listed the contradictions in which we allow ourselves to eat meat like it’s organic grass-fed and it didn’t suffer. Since I am allergic to milk, I’m basically vegan. Initially, I took
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we must grow feed grains in which we could instead just feed humans and cut out the entire process of killing the animals. Singer said, “estimates conclude that plant foods yield about ten times as much protein per acre as meat does, although estimates vary, and the ratio sometimes goes as high as twenty to one.” (Becoming a Vegetarian” Pg.165), we yield more protein than per acre by plants than animal protein can produce. If this is true than that means the world would be able to be fed more efficiently by using plants as the main source of our proteins. There would be less of a need to cut down forests to increase the agriculture business, because cattle grazing land could be for planting grains and protein rich plants like peas and beans. Singer sights a researcher named Alan Durning that worked at the Worldwatch institute and he calculate, “ one pound of steak from steers raised in a feedlot costs five pounds of grain, 2,500 gallons of water, the energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline, and about thirty-five pounds of eroded top soil. More than a third of the U.S croplands are planted with livestock”. The efficiency of having cattle and meat as a prime source of protein is extremely poor, and when I say efficiency I mean the change of the amount of resources divided by the amount of resources put into …show more content…
There is no dispute that using meat as a source of protein can provide benefits if you’re trying to build muscles but plants can provide more than just protein. Plants can provide protein but also nutrients like calcium and vitamins in which many Americans are are deficient in due to a lack of eating fruits and vegetables. This was pulled from the National center for Biotechnology Information website, “There were over 99 million adults 50 years and older in the US in 2010. Based on an overall 10.3% prevalence of osteoporosis, we estimated that in 2010 10.2 million older adults had osteoporosis.” (Wright). Osteoporosis is a huge problem with people in our elder community population and if proper nutrients are supplied then the prevalence of osteoporosis could be reduced. Some plants will help provide with calcium and vitamin D needs. There are plenty of alternatives to meat out there, and when cutting meat out of your diet it forces you to become more creative with your foods. Without meat taking up that huge real-estate that is your plate. You can fill that space with grains and vegetables that will benefit you and even taste
we must grow feed grains in which we could instead just feed humans and cut out the entire process of killing the animals. Singer said, “estimates conclude that plant foods yield about ten times as much protein per acre as meat does, although estimates vary, and the ratio sometimes goes as high as twenty to one.” (Becoming a Vegetarian” Pg.165), we yield more protein than per acre by plants than animal protein can produce. If this is true than that means the world would be able to be fed more efficiently by using plants as the main source of our proteins. There would be less of a need to cut down forests to increase the agriculture business, because cattle grazing land could be for planting grains and protein rich plants like peas and beans. Singer sights a researcher named Alan Durning that worked at the Worldwatch institute and he calculate, “ one pound of steak from steers raised in a feedlot costs five pounds of grain, 2,500 gallons of water, the energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline, and about thirty-five pounds of eroded top soil. More than a third of the U.S croplands are planted with livestock”. The efficiency of having cattle and meat as a prime source of protein is extremely poor, and when I say efficiency I mean the change of the amount of resources divided by the amount of resources put into …show more content…
There is no dispute that using meat as a source of protein can provide benefits if you’re trying to build muscles but plants can provide more than just protein. Plants can provide protein but also nutrients like calcium and vitamins in which many Americans are are deficient in due to a lack of eating fruits and vegetables. This was pulled from the National center for Biotechnology Information website, “There were over 99 million adults 50 years and older in the US in 2010. Based on an overall 10.3% prevalence of osteoporosis, we estimated that in 2010 10.2 million older adults had osteoporosis.” (Wright). Osteoporosis is a huge problem with people in our elder community population and if proper nutrients are supplied then the prevalence of osteoporosis could be reduced. Some plants will help provide with calcium and vitamin D needs. There are plenty of alternatives to meat out there, and when cutting meat out of your diet it forces you to become more creative with your foods. Without meat taking up that huge real-estate that is your plate. You can fill that space with grains and vegetables that will benefit you and even taste