Reasons Why Vegetarians and Vegans Eat the Way They Do ;)

Yay, new post!  Okay, so the original title of this article is: "How to Win An Argument With a Meat-Eater" (http://www.vegsource.com/news/2009/09/how-to-win-an-argument-with-a-meat-eater.html).  I decided to change it up a bit, though, because the point that I'm trying to make here is not that vegetarians/vegans and carnists (a.k.a. meat-eaters) should be arguing about who's right or who's diet is better.  The point is that vegetarians/vegans and meat-eaters alike should be aware of these powerful facts (a.k.a. "arguments").  Thanks for reading. :)



The Hunger Argument
Number of people worldwide who will die as a result of malnutrition this year: 20 million
Number of people who could be adequately fed using land freed if Americans reduced their intake of meat by 10%: 100 million
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by people: 20
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 80
Percentage of oats grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 95
Percentage of protein wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 90
How frequently a child dies as a result of malnutrition: every 2.3 seconds
Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on an acre: 40,000
Pounds of beef produced on an acre: 250
Percentage of U.S. farmland devoted to beef production: 56
Pounds of grain and soybeans needed to produce a pound of edible flesh from feedlot beef: 16


The Environmental Argument
Cause of global warming: greenhouse effect
Primary cause of greenhouse effect: carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels
Fossil fuels needed to produce meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free diet: 3 times more
Percentage of U.S. topsoil lost to date: 75
Percentage of U.S. topsoil loss directly related to livestock raising: 85
Number of acres of U.S. forest cleared for cropland to produce meat-centered diet: 260 million
Amount of meat imported to U.S. annually from Central and South America: 300,000,000 pounds
Percentage of Central American children under the age of five who are undernourished: 75
Area of tropical rainforest consumed in every quarter-pound of rainforest beef: 55 square feet
Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rainforests for meat grazing and other uses: 1,000 per year


The Cancer Argument
Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat meat daily compared to less than once a week: 3.8 times
For women who eat eggs daily compared to once a week: 2.8 times
For women who eat butter and cheese 2-4 times a week: 3.25 times
Increased risk of fatal ovarian cancer for women who eat eggs 3 or more times a week vs. less than once a week: 3 times
Increased risk of fatal prostate cancer for men who consume meat, cheese, eggs and milk daily vs. sparingly or not at all: 3.6 times.


The Cholesterol Argument
Number of U.S. medical schools: 125
Number requiring a course in nutrition: 30
Nutrition training received by average U.S. physician during four years in medical school: 2.5 hours
Most common cause of death in the U.S.: heart attack
How frequently a heart attack kills in the U.S.: every 45 seconds
Average U.S. man's risk of death from heart attack: 50 percent
Risk of average U.S. man who eats no meat: 15 percent
Risk of average U.S. man who eats no meat, dairy or eggs: 4 percent
Amount you reduce risk of heart attack if you reduce consumption of meat, dairy and eggs by 10 percent: 9 percent
Amount you reduce risk of heart attack if you reduce consumption by 50 percent: 45 percent
Amount you reduce risk if you eliminate meat, dairy and eggs from your diet: 90 percent
Average cholesterol level of people eating meat-centered-diet: 210 mg/dl
Chance of dying from heart disease if you are male and your blood cholesterol level is 210 mg/dl: greater than 50 percent


The Natural Resources Argument
User of more than half of all water used for all purposes in the U.S.: livestock production
Amount of water used in production of the average cow: sufficient to float a destroyer
Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of wheat: 25
Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of California beef: 5,000
Years the world's known oil reserves would last if every human ate a meat-centered diet: 13
Years they would last if human beings no longer ate meat: 260
Calories of fossil fuel expended to get 1 calorie of protein from beef: 78
To get 1 calorie of protein from soybeans: 2
Percentage of all raw materials (base products of farming, forestry and mining, including fossil fuels) consumed by U.S. that is devoted to the production of livestock: 33
Percentage of all raw materials consumed by the U.S. needed to produce a complete vegetarian diet: 2


The Antibiotic Argument
Percentage of U.S. antibiotics fed to livestock: 55
Percentage of staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in 1960: 13
Percentage resistant in 1988: 91
Response of European Economic Community to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: ban
Response of U.S. meat and pharmaceutical industries to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: full and complete support


The Pesticide Argument
Common belief: U.S. Department of Agriculture protects our health through meat inspection
Reality: fewer than 1 out of every 250,000 slaughtered animals is tested for toxic chemical residues
Percentage of U.S. mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 99
Percentage of U.S. vegetarian mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 8
Contamination of breast milk, due to chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides in animal products, found in meat-eating mothers vs. non-meat eating mothers: 35 times higher
Amount of Dieldrin ingested by the average breast-fed American infant: 9 times the permissible level


The Ethical Argument
Number of animals killed for meat per hour in the U.S.: 660,000
Occupation with highest turnover rate in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker
Occupation with highest rate of on-the-job-injury in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker


The Survival Argument
Athlete to win Ironman Triathlon more than twice: Dave Scott (6 time winner)
Food choice of Dave Scott: Vegetarian
Largest meat eater that ever lived: Tyrannosaurus Rex (Where is he today?)



Source: "Diet For A New America" by John Robbins (http://www.johnrobbins.info/)

10 Green (Parenting) Tips :)

Wow, so once again, I haven't posted anything in a loooong time!  Sorry 'bout that.  I'm still super busy these days, but hopefully I'll have more time to blog this summer. :)  Anyways, here is an article that I wanted to share, from E Magazine (May 2010).  And, yes, I realize that this article is speaking to parents...but, I feel that most--if not all--of the tips apply to everyone, whether you have kids or not.  My favorite tip is probably number 5.  It's sad, but so true!   Happy reading. :)


Ten Green Parenting Tips

Often, by choosing to go green as parents, we are actually able to save money as we are cutting down on consumption and waste. We’re also teaching our kids important lessons about protecting the earth and being conscious.

1. Serve organic and locally grown food at home and try to limit processed food. Food grown with pesticides can impact a child’s development and locally grown food will be fresher and in season and will help give your child a taste for fresh fruits and vegetables. Processed chips, snacks and sodas are loaded with salt and sugar and contribute to everything from childhood obesity to attention deficit disorder.

2. Cut down on lunch packaging. Use refillable drink containers instead of juice boxes, and fill your own containers with apple sauce and yogurt. And limit the amount of plastic bags and packaging by filling your own snack containers with crackers, pretzels and other snacks instead of buying “snack sizes.”

3. Buy non-toxic toys. Choose toys from local U.S. companies, check on recalls and choose wood or hard-plastic toys over the soft plastic toys (like rubber ducks) which contain PVC and may impact a child’s hormone development.

4. Turn waste into art. Have the kids reuse materials that would otherwise be wasted: turn old socks into puppets, plastic jugs into watering cans and paper towel rolls into shakers. Using old materials is a great way to get creative and learn about protecting the planet.

5. Get outside! Kids are suffering from “nature deficit disorder”. On average, kids spend just 30 minutes of unstructured time outdoors each week—but they spend 40 minutes a day in front of the TV. Whether hiking and camping as a family, or simply running around the backyard, regular outdoor activity can have huge positive health benefits.

6. Use non-toxic cleaners. Read the labels on cleaners and make sure that they disclose the ingredients, and buy from companies like Seventh Generation whose products you can trust. Cleaners should not contain ammonia or bleach or even artificial fragrances which can cause reactions in kids, particularly those with asthma. You can also make your own safe household cleaner from distilled white vinegar and water.

7. Carpool. Kids are going to so many different lessons and events, but that’s no reason to make tons of separate car trips. New online services like www.dividetheride.com are making it possible for parents to use less gas, save on stress and help conserve energy.

8. Plant a garden. Even a few tomato plants grown outside in pots can help teach kids about the process of growing, the importance of soil, water and sunshine and the reward of caring for plants that then produce flowers and food.

9. Cut down on consumption. Instead of always buying the latest gadgets, get involved in swapping toys with other parents as kids outgrow them, purchasing used toys, or making alternative toys, like playhouses, out of cardboard boxes.

10. Get active! Encourage your local school to serve healthier lunch options in the cafeteria, campaign to get soda companies out of the schools and to use non-toxic cleaners in the classrooms and organic lawn products on the playing fields. See www.sustainabletable.org for ideas.