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Since I became a vegetarian afew months ago I have become more and more aware of just how wrong it is to eat meat. Therefore I have decided to write this blog stating the case for vegetarianism.
(1)The most unsound of all arguments in favour of eating meat is when people say that it’s what they like and prefer. That’s nothing to do with the rights and wrongs of eating meat. Simply wanting to do something absolutely doesn’t make it right.
(2)The meat industry claims that animals are slaughtered humanely. While I can see how that lie could have been believed in the days before the internet I don’t see how anyone can believe it today (other than wilful ignorance) because anyone can go online and see for themselves that what goes on in the slaughterhouses is far from humane. Also even if animals were killed humanely (which they are not) killing them is still wrong because animals have an instinct to survive not an instinct to die even humanely.
(3)Animals are beautiful sentient beings. That alone makes it wrong to kill and eat them. In fact it’s morally no different from cannibalism. (A difference maybe in degree but absolutely no difference in kind).
(4)Any right thinking person would be repulsed by the idea of eating a corpse. Yet that’s exactly what you are doing every time you eat meat. That fact doesn’t change because it’s the corpse of an animal. YOU ARE LITERALLY EATING A CORPSE. Nauseating.
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Dana Scully
1. "even if animals were killed humanely (which they are not) killing them is still wrong because animals have an instinct to survive not an instinct to die"
Ironically, this is exactly how we -started- eating meat, millions of years ago. Without a diet rich in animal protein, we literally wouldn't have even become human, lol. Fruits, vegetables and root foods were not high enough in calories to sustain us. Hunting and eating meat took less energy and offered higher nutrition. It also required less chewing strength, which changed our jaw, skull and neck, leaving room for larger brains and more advanced speech. Eating meat was a result of OUR instinct to survive, and quite literally made us more intelligent.
2. "Animals are beautiful sentient beings. That alone makes it wrong to kill and eat them."
Sure, animals are sentient beings. They also kill and eat each other. Many species do so not only for survival, but for sport as well -- wolves, lions, honey badgers, raccoons, dolphins and orcas all kill for sport.
3. "Any right thinking person would be repulsed by the idea of eating a corpse. Yet that’s exactly what you are doing every time you eat meat. YOU ARE LITERALLY EATING A CORPSE."
By eating a fruit, am I eating a tree? No, because while an apple was once part of a tree, it is harvested and eaten on it's own. There's quite a huge different between chomping into a dead squirrel, fur and all, versus eating meat that has been harvested, processed, and cooked. Your comparison is like trying to say eating a burger is the same as eating random roadkill.
4. "The meat industry claims that animals are slaughtered humanely."
This is pretty much the only point I agree with here -- everyone knows the meat industry isn't just butterflies and rainbows. I think we need to go back to getting meat and produce from local farms that we know is harvested ethically and humanely. But there really is no debating that meat is and always has been an essential part of the human diet.
Hi. Good to hear from you again even if we don’t agree on this issue. I will attempt to answer some of the points you have made.
(1) I will concede that there was a stage in our development as a species when meat eating was necessary. However we have long passed that stage and it’s not necessary now.
(2)Yes some animals do kill and eat each other because some animals are obligate carnivores who need meat to survive. However,humans are not obligate carnivores and we can survive without eating meat. I also take your point about how some animals kill for sport. I know that only too well because I have a cat and she has sometimes walked in proudly carrying some unfortunate bird she has killed.
I will simply say that the mere fact that some animals do certain things doesn’t make a case for humans doing them. For example,noone would justify war on the basis that ants also have wars. (In actual fact so much human behaviour both good and bad can be found somewhere in the animal kingdom. To give a more sweet and endearing example,some orangutans actually keep small animals as pets).
(3)My point about eating meat being eating a corpse still stands because meat absolutely is from the corpse of an animal. I understand your point about eating fruit. However,the fruit is part of the reproductive cycle of the tree. The fruit contains the seeds from which new trees grow and animals in the wild eating the fruit actually helps release the seeds contained in it.
(4) I don’t have to persuade you that the meat industry’s claim that meat is slaughtered humanely is a lie because you have acknowledged that point. While I agree that your suggestion for using locally sourced meat, and other measures, would be an enormous improvement I think that stopping killing and eating animals would be a better choice. We are no longer at the stage in our development as a species where meat eating was essential and I believe that it should be consigned to history.
Anyway, I’m pleased to hear from you again and I hope we get to talk again soon.
by feral boy Jamara; ; Report
Ayeee it's you! Lol I didn't even realize as I typically just skim over the name of whoever posted something xD And totally I see your point about eating meat-based diet no longer being "necessary", and while that's true for some people, I would say that a lot of people absolutely wouldn't be able to thrive on a vegetarian or vegan diet because of pre-existing health problems, or the health problems that come with the diet itself.
For example, I personally have IBS and cannot eat most grains, nuts, seeds, or a lot of vegetables, or foods higher in fiber because I would be in excruciating pain 24/7. I tried tofu one time because ironically, I have some texture aversions that make certain meats a problem sometimes. It tasted ok, but it didn't go well for my GI system LOL. I'll spare you the details.
But it did pique my interest, this hypothetical question -- what exactly would happen if the whole world suddenly went vegan? Or vegetarian -- but if we eliminated killing animals for meat, then the next step would likely be eliminating animal produce as well, since the animals would still suffer from those industries (unless local farms again). So I started to do a bit of research on this.
1. Food-related emissions would drop by around 60% (less methane-producing livestock), so it might be better for the environment; however it would likely be replaced by emissions from factories and facilities processing plant-based foods as the new standard.
2. Farmers in developing countries would suffer -- arid and semi-arid land can only be used to raise animals. Nomadic groups and peoples that keep livestock there would be severely affected.
3. Repurposing pastures into native habitats and forests would help climate change and bring back biodiversity, offering a home again for wildlife which were previously pushed out..... but let's be real, if the food industry did do this, they wouldn't let wildlife in there lmao. They would treat it the same as their current crops and spray pesticides and kill or chase off animals that disturb them.
4. Mass unemployment from the livestock industry, as people would have to be completely retrained for a new career (and again let's be real, companies won't do that shit, they'll just hire new people who already know how to do it). This would cause major societal upheaval especially in rural areas.
5. Taking livestock like sheep away could actually have negative effects on biodiversity -- their grazing helps to shape the land. Granted, there could be an organization or something that keeps sheep strictly for environmental purposes, but isn't that basically keeping cattle again? lol. Farm animals are a part of regenerative agriculture and benefit the environment and ecosystem.
6. Losing meat means most cultures would completely lose most of their cultural cuisine, traditions and indentity. Again, major upheaval.
7. As demand for certain crops increases due to plant-based food being the new standard, it will negatively affect the environment and water sources in countries where those crops are primarily grown. Cashews, almonds and walnuts are some of the most water-demanding crops on the planet, with 909 gallons of water being consumed for every 2 pounds of shelled nuts. We already have issues with avocados, for example, which are primarily grown in California, Chile, Mexico and Peru. Increased demand has led to illegal deforestation. A *single* mature avocado tree requires up to 46 gallons of water *per day*, which is a huge strain on the local environment and has led to illegal extraction from rivers, which is contributing to the increasing water shortage. Many more issues like this would likely arise with other crops and produce.
8. Increased deforestation. Cocoa plantations, palm oil and soy already account for more than 7 million acres of tropical forests being lost between 1988 - 2008. Again, increased demand for plant products will see that rise quickly.
9. Importing fruits also harms the *economy* of the countries they're imported from. Locals can't afford quinoa, even though it was a major staple in their diets, because demand from the US has driven the price up.
10. Ironically, farming crops also kills a massive amount of animals. Mice, birds, snakes, voles, rabbits, squirrels, frogs, salamandars, lizards, insects and more -- no matter what your intentions are, you cannot avoid causing animal death by going vegan; in fact, you still actively contribute to it. Deforestation displaces and kills animals. Agricultural run-off kills animals. Farming equipment kills animals. Everything you eat, regardless of whether it's meat or a salad, has caused the death of an animal.
Now, let's talk about specifically the effects it will have on human health:
1. As people become deficient in the unique nutrients that meat and animal products provide (iron, B12, zinc, iodine etc), the pharmaceutical and supplement industries will inflate the price of these to rake in the profits of increased demand. Low income families and those living in poverty will suffer for it, as deficiencies will cause chronic and often life-threatening health consequences. For example, B12 is -only- available in animal foods, and deficiency can result in -irreversible- health conditions. Many people also have a genetic variation known as MTHFR -- for these people, even B12 supplements will not be enough to counter or prevent a deficiency.
2. Lack of high-quality protein. While there are vegan/vegetarian sources of protein, those foods are also high in carbs or soy-based. Without a quality source of protein, people will experience fatigue, low exercise tolerance, and risk sarcopenia (muscle wasting) -- especially in older adults.
3. Soy overload -- this kind of goes hand-in-hand with the last one. Frequent consumption of soy-based foods are just as bad for you as any other processed foods, and will mess with your hormones due to phytoestrogens, especially for women. Soy also increases the intake of cadmium, a toxic metal.
4. Calcium deficiency -- while many plant foods do contain calcium, it's less than in dairy products, and they also contain phytates and oxalates which inhibit your body's absorption of the calcium. Calcium deficiency is horrendous for your bones and often leads to ostheoporosis and other conditions, especially in children who require more calcium for their developing skeletons.
5. Increased risk of depression due to low omega-3 fatty acid intake (pregnant women are especially at risk as omega-3 helps nourish fetal brain development). Increased risk of cancer, stroke, bone fractures, preterm birth, skin rashes, stunted growth, and failure to thrive.
6. Quality of life would plummet as people begin experiencing the various symptoms of these deficiencies and health problems -- Fatigue and weakness, dry, pale or bruised skin, hair loss or brittle nails, dental issues, GI problems, mood swings and cognitive difficulties, frequent illnesses and slow healing, abnormal weight loss or gain, bone or joint pain, irregular menstrual cycles. Likely an increase in anxiety as well.
So yes, some people may be able to survive without meat, but not most of us, and we would likely be weak, unhealthy, miserable and depressed lol. That is cute that oragutans keep pets, I actually didn't know that! Did you also know that elephants actually find humans adorable, and see us the same way as we see kittens? :D
And it was good to hear from you again too! I really do love thinking about, researching, studying and debating about stuff and I never mean to sound shame-y or argumentative. I'm always happy to hear opposing opinions and weigh the points against each other. I've had my mind changed, and also changed other peoples' minds without meaning to, and I think that's awesome.
by Dana Scully; ; Report
You’ve made alot of excellent points and I don’t pretend to know all the answers because I know that I don’t. I don’t deny that it would involve alot of change and upheaval and not all of it would be of a positive nature.
The point that you have made that I am most sympathetic to is that of people who have health issues that make it necessary for them to eat meat. Certainly some sort of special concession would have to be made for them at least until permanent cures for their conditions can be found.
I don’t believe that a balanced vegetarian diet poses any health risk but I do accept that the same may not hold true with a vegan diet. (I do know that,as a minor, I should not become vegan because of health risks).
There’s certainly much cause for concern about the methods used in producing animal products such as milk so maybe your suggestion of locally sourced farming would be a good way to address those concerns.
I understand your point regarding the fact that ending the meat industry would leave alot of people unemployed. However,it would also create jobs elsewhere as agriculture expanded to meet increased demand. Also,having watched footage of what happens in the slaughterhouses I would have no problem with putting the people committing such atrocities out of work rather than allowing it to continue. (To give a parallel more personal to myself. As a TTI survivor I would have no hesitation in seeing all TTI programs closed down even though it would put all those employed in them out of work. If allowing the evil work they do to continue is the way to keep them in work then may the day they are all unemployed come swiftly).
I can’t really think of anything else to say.
btw. I didn’t know that elephants viewed humans with such affection. That’s lovely and also interesting.
by feral boy Jamara; ; Report