The Veggie Debate

Pre-College Issues High School Life
61

<p>read this carefully:</p>

<p>1 hectare of the amazon rainforest is cut every hour to provide land for cattle to graze.</p>

<p>it requires twenty times more land and water to sustain a non vegetarian diet. this may seem insignifiant but it translates to millions of gallons of water and millions of hectares of land.</p>

<p>almost a fouth of all the agricultural land is used to grow food for cattle.</p>

<p>all this when millions of people die of lack of fresh water every year. and hundreds die in africa this very moment. die of starvation.</p>

<p>i dont understand how people can say,
"but veggie food tastes so bad...." and similar stuff when there are things IMPORTANT THAN TASTE.</p>

<p>well i dont expect heartless people like dcfca to be moved...but turning vegetarian may help lessen all these problems.</p>

<p>EVER WONDERED HOW THE FINEST LEATHER IS MADE??
pressurized hot gas is inserted into the womb of a pregnant cow. this kills both the baby and a mother. they die a slow painful death. then the womb is sliced open and the baby skinned. this skin is used for making soft leather. :(</p>

<p>EVER SEEN THE EYE OF AN ANIMAL TO BE KILLED???
EVER SEEN A SLAUGHTERHOUSE??
dont....you will be haunted for the rest of your life.</p>

<p>and to hose people who say that eating another animal is the rule of nature. then fine. catch your own prey. hunt with your hands.
why do you rely on other people to supply you with the meat??
why dont you do it yourself like the lions and other carnivores.
what early man did was correct and in accordance with the rule of nature.
what we do today....is totally incorrect.</p>

62

<p>aravinhurt, are you sure about the leather thing? I don't think any one in America could do that without getting in trouble, so is it in other countries? Most European countries wouldn't stand for that either. Where does it happen?</p>

63

<p>america outsources all the dirty work to third world countries :(</p>

64

<p>I seriously disagree that that happens. I don't think any meat is imported...</p>

<p>EDIT: I don't know about leather though.</p>

65

<p>a<em>ravin</em>hurt , do you have any sources to back up these claims of yours?</p>

66

<p>zogoto </p>

<p>a lot of the meat in the USA is imported from argentina and brazil.</p>

67

<p>Where are your sources for that one?</p>

<p>Most of imported beef, especially, to the US comes from Australia and New Zealand.</p>

68

<p>scarlet we were taking about cows...
argentina is the worlds largest exporter and producer of beef.
USA is one of its biggest client :(</p>

69

<p>Yes, the US produces a hell of a lot of beef. Yes they import from Argentina, as well as a lot from countries like Australia and New Zealand. Its not like its all from Argentina. Even so what does it matter?</p>

<p>And I'd still like to see some sources for what you were claiming above.</p>

70

<p>ok ok no need to get agressive :D</p>

<p>the figures i stated above may be inflated a bit (animal welfare groups have a knack for inflating figures...but they arent downright false..)
wait a sec, i think i have a news papper cutting somewhere...just one sec.</p>

<p>and yes i know these figures are DISTURBING.</p>

71

<p>SCARLET HERE ARE THE VERIFIED STATS:</p>

<p>it takes 23 gallons of water to produce one edible pound of tomatoes, 24 for potatoes and 23 for wheat.</p>

<p>the corresponding figures for chicken, pork and beef are 815, 1630 and 5214 gallons respectively.</p>

<p><aha....my previous="" stats="" turn="" out="" to="" be="" deflated=""></aha....my></p>

<p>read this. i have more following.
:)</p>

72

<p>what this implies is:</p>

<p>it takes less water to produce a year's worth of food for a pure vegetarian than to produce one month's food for a meat-eater.</p>

<p>similarly, it takes 3.25 acres of land to produce a one year food supply for a meat eater, and only one sixth of an acre for a vegetarian.</p>

73

<p>zogoto</p>

<p>read this on pig slaughter. consider the western world to be very humane huh?? let me blast it for you...</p>

<p>SLAUGHTER</p>

<p>Pigs are usually slaughtered after 4-7 months. Pigs intended for pork are usually slaughtered 1-2 months younger than pigs for bacon. Around 15 million pigs are slaughtered each year.</p>

<p>Slaughter of pigs involves stunning followed by throat-slitting (called sticking). Pigs are usually stunned electrically by placing tongs on either side of the neck behind the ears. It is believed a high proportion of pigs are not adequately stunned, due to the tongs not being held in place for long enough or being incorrectly placed. Also, many abattoirs may routinely use an inadequate voltage. Because of this many pigs regain consciousness during bleeding out or even before throat-slitting.</p>

<p>Some pigs are stunned using carbon dioxide gas. This is less common in the UK but widely used in other countries such as Denmark. Carbon dioxide stunning has been strongly criticised by scientists as inhumane, pigs suffering from breathlessness and hyperventilation whilst trying to escape</p>

<p>want to verify it??
here is the link: <a href="http://www.vegsoc.org/info/pigs.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.vegsoc.org/info/pigs.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

74

<p>this is for cow slaughter:</p>

<p>Slaughter
Most cows are slaughtered by throat cutting (called sticking) following stunning using a captive bolt pistol. This is held to the cows head and the bolt penetrates the brain when fired. However, the use of a captive bolt does not always succesfully stun the animal. The most common failure in stunning is due to improper positioning of the bolt. This is a particular problem where cattle are agitated and struggling. Other problems may be due to inadequate maintenance of the pistol. Mis-stunning causes considerable distress and can mean the animal is still conscious during throat cutting.
Calves are likely to be stunned electrically. Electrical stunning of calves induces a much shorter period of unconsciousness than in other species (around 18 seconds). Calves also take longer to lose brain function after throat cutting. Because of this many calves show clear signs of recovery during bleeding out. </p>

<p>Over 3.38 million cattle were slaughtered in the UK in 1992. </p>

<p>link: <a href="http://www.vegsoc.org/info/cattle.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.vegsoc.org/info/cattle.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

75

<p>the leather thing:
link: <a href="http://www.vegsoc.org/info/clothing.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.vegsoc.org/info/clothing.html&lt;/a>
Leather
Should vegetarians wear leather? That's a question we hear all the time. Some people think it is OK because leather is just a by-product of the meat industry and the animals weren't killed just for their skins. Others seem to believe that there's a strong chance the animal died naturally. But neither excuse really holds water. Very few farm animals in this country ever reach the natural end of their lifespan, most are killed when they are little more than adolescents. The remaining ones go for slaughter because they are worn out by a lifetime of continuous breeding and/or lactation and artificially heightened fertility. </p>

<p>(you wanted proof huh?? well here it is. but is somewhat censored)</p>

<p>The leather we like best, soft leather, doesn't come from old cows at all, it comes from calves and the softest leather of all comes from unborn calves whose mothers have been slaughtered. </p>

<p>And leather might be just a byproduct, but it's a very important one for the meat trade. About 10% of the alue of the animal at the abattoir is in its skin, worth about 650 million pounds a year in the UK, so by buying leather, we are helping to support the meat industry.</p>

<p>Domestic animals aren't the only ones to be used for leather production, the list includes deer, alligators, crocodile, toads, ostriches (see under DOWN & FEATHERS), kangaroos, lizards, snakes and seals. Many of these are already endangered species but the high prices commanded by their skins make it very tempting for impoverished natives to poach. And although we are far from convinced that death in a slaughterhouse is humane, some attempt at least is made to stun the animals first. Wild species killed for leather have no protection at all, they may be clubbed to death or caught in cruel traps. A report in the American magazine Animals Agenda (March 1991) suggests snakes and lizards are routinely skinned alive because dealers believe this makes the finished skin more supple. Studies by herpetologists found that alligators and other reptiles could survive live skinning, taking nearly two hours to die afterwards. </p>

<p>Finding alternatives to leather is not quite as easy as finding alternative vegetarian foods, but we should certainly do what we can. For example, no-one needs to buy handbags, purses, wallets and belts made from leather, plenty of acceptable alternatives are available. Finding alternatives to leather clothing designed specifically for protection, like heavy-duty shoes and motorcycling leathers is not so easy but do keep on asking. It is very important to let manufacturers and retailers know that there is a demand for alternatives to leather. </p>

<p>Some people will say that leather is a natural, eco-friendly product but the leather industry is a major source of pollution. Tanneries are often sited near rivers as the process needs a plentiful supply of water and the waste - including hair, salt, lime, sludge, acids and chrome - is discharged into the river.</p>

76

<p>AND AND AND.....THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE OUT HERE WHO THINK A VEGETARIAN DIET LACKS PROTEIN....WELL THIS LINK IS FOR SUCH MISINFORMED PEOPLE:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.vegsoc.org/info/protein.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.vegsoc.org/info/protein.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>AN EXCERPT:(BUT DO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE)</p>

<p>Being vegetarian does not mean your diet will be lacking in protein. Most plant foods contain protein and in fact it would be very difficult to design a vegetarian diet that is short on protein. Excess dietary protein may lead to health problems. It it now thought that one of the benefits of a vegetarian diet is that it contains adequate but not excessive protein.</p>

77

<p>So In Conclusion.....
Eating Meat :
1. Causes Deforestration
2. Worsens The Water Shortage In Underdeveloped Countries
3. Promotes Starvation
4. Is Unethical And Cruel</p>

<p>So Go Vegetarian.</p>

78

<p>Thank you for giving statistics. I hate when people make claims and don't back it up. </p>

<p>Still, I have no desire to go vegetarian. I tried once in third grade after dissecting a baby pig (that was not slaughtered, but died in the womb) I lasted about a day. I just couldn't do it. I happen to quite like meat and will continue to enjoy meat. I checked out your link for vegetarian diet, I happen to be allergic to soy and a variety of nuts and then dislike a good number of the other options. Where would that leave me in terms of protein?</p>

79

<p>scarlet,
a vegetarian diet can be just as tasty as a non vegetarian one...provided you know how to cook. :D. vegetarian food isnt all about - brussels sprouts.</p>

<p>i know, there is a limited variety of proceesed vegan food available which makes things really difficult.</p>

<p>also if you dont want to to give up meat, dont. but you can always reduce your consumption. vegetarian food is delicious as well as healthy. a vegetarian diet reduces the risk of hypertension, colon cancer, diabetes, obesity, and kidney disease.</p>

<p>in terms of protein you'll have:
milk, museli, lentils. etc.
even vegetables and rice have a fair amount of protein.
whey protein (derived from milk) can be used as a supplement. it is one of the most readily absorbed forms of protein available.</p>

<p>besides human beings dont require huge amounts of protein.remember a majority of heavily built organisms - elephants, wild buffaloes, girrafes are herbivores.</p>

80

<p>Thank you. I don't eat all that much meat as it is. I do enjoy steak or chicken every now and then. I really love fish though. I don't even eat pork, just because I don't like the way it tastes. So I'm not that bad. But I feel slightly better about the cruelty and inhumane aspect, because there are laws about animal cruelty that I am pretty sure are in the German constitution. The animals live pretty nicely here, compared to most places, we don't have slaughterhouses or anything like that where I live.</p>