Two years ago…even last year, I would have defended my meat loving ways until the cows came home. ;) But as I go further along in this great green journey it gets harder and harder for me to justify eating meat. The statistics for environmental devastation just get more and more depressing. The meat eating habit is killing this planet and I think it is time for more green folks to own up to that instead of treat it like the elephant in the room that everyone wants to ignore.
Just look at some of these scary statistics:
The US imports 200 million pounds of beef from Central America every year and much of the land used is rain forest land. For each hamburger that originated from animals raised on rain forest land, approximately 55 square feet of forest have been destroyed. Ouch! Rain forests are like the lungs of this planet and they house many different species of animals and could contain life saving medicinal plants. As a society though we have decided that meat is more important than our rain forests. As one man who lives in my small town said, “We don’t have a rain forests in the US so who cares.” We should all care that American dietary “needs” are destroying another part of the planet.
One pound of beef requires an input of approximately 2500 gallons of water, whereas a pound of soy requires 250 gallons of water and a pound of wheat only 25 gallons. With more than one billion people worldwide who “lack enough safe water to meet minimum levels of health” our meat eating/water guzzling ways should bother us. Source
Waste run-off and pesticide run-off from livestock crops create dead zones in our oceans where fish and marine plant life can’t live anymore.
Certain fishing practices endanger many fish species and result in overfishing that results in an imbalance of marine ecosystems.
To produce one pound of meat, an animal needs to consume as much a 10 pounds of grains that could be consumed directly by humans. Imagine how many people around the world we could feed if we stopped giving the bulk of it to livestock that will in turn feed just a few. We are literally living high off the hog while other countries are starving.
1.4 billion tons of solid fecal matter is produced by US farm animals per year and it is often left outside in open pits or pools that seep into groundwater, lakes and rivers. Because the animals are often diseased, and injected with hormones and antibiotics this renders their waste toxic and not suitable for fertilizing crops.
Livestock are responsible for over half of the country’s erosion and sediment issues. They are destroying the land they graze upon and rendering it useless for growing.
The global livestock industry is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than all the planes, trains and automobiles in the world combined. Yes we should feel good about our decision to bike instead of drive or use LED light bulbs but when we eat meat with every meal we are cancelling out the good we did in other areas.
This doesn’t even begin to cover the health issues we experience as a result of eating meat..for that side of the debate read my post over at Goddess of the Garden, Why Meat Consumption Is Bad for Your Health.
So should we all go vegan or vegetarian? Well, you certainly could…I know I lean more in that direction every day but in actuality you don’t need to go quite that far. I love this post from Green Living Tips that shares a plan to only eat 3 meat meals a week. Many of us were raised in homes where meat was the centerpiece of every meal but it doesn’t have to be. Meatless meals are making a comeback. Try to make it goal to only eat meat 3-4 times a week and go veggie the other nights. Slowly work toward that goal if you have to.
Cutting down or cutting out meat is a win-win-win situation. It helps in the fight against global warming, and environmental destruction and it’s good for you. Not to mention all of the animal cruelty issues it brings up. Watch a couple videos along those lines and you just might find the inspiration you need. If you do eat meat, it is soooo important that it be organic and raised by small scale ethical farmers. Same for other animal products like cheese and milk. But that kind of meat is expensive so factory farmed “cheap” meat is what most people buy. The video below illustrates what you are supporting when you buy that meat. It is graphic but if if you eat meat…you need to watch it.
Other sources
It’s so sad the way many animals are treated! I eat very little meat and what I do is carefully selected from Whole Foods because I strongly disagree with the way large farms raise and slaughter their animals. Thank you for sharing this post and helping educate all of us on the way so many farms operate and the effects it has on our environment.
I do agree that we need to be more aware of what is going on with how animals are being treated and where our meat is coming from. Some of the stuff is pretty shocking.
I don’t think I could stop eating meat all together. Some of it is very good for you and if you do your research on where it is coming from, who you buy it from, and pass along the info, then you are doing your part. Meat is good for you in moderation!
Thank you so much for sharing this! I have been uncomfortable with eating meat my entire life. It just never seemed right to me, but it was just what we ate. After reading this post, my desire to become vegetarian has grown so much stronger!
There are several additional issues that come into play here. We have a cultural perception that meat is a sign of affluence and we are addicted to consumption of basically anything including grazing lands (and meat). Nutritional guidelines from USDA are based on a serving sizes of around 4 onces which equal one SMALL hamburger or one can of tuna. Yet, we frequently see steaks and burgers double that size for a meal. IIf we reduced our serving sizes alone we’d impact environmental degradation and obesity. In addition, razing rainforest land and erosion for cattle production wouldn’t be issues (or so great of an issue) if sustainable practices were established and maintained. There are many things that can be done and a handful of ranchers are employing them.
If you like meat, why not try eating from animals that were grown locally and have not gone through a feedlot. Feedlots routinely add hormones for growth and use large amounts of grain to fatten cattle. This also lessens or eliminates the chance of mistreatment of the animal. How about eating lamb or goat meat also from local farmers. They are much smaller animals and thus greener for obvious reasons. I find that I eat much less meat per serving from one of these probably to savor the little (compared to a cow) meat that there is. Buying from local farms does not have to break the bank if bought in bulk (whole, half or quarter).
For health reasons, I cannot go veg. I cannot eat soy (at all) dairy, gluten and *all* grains for the most part, and legumes. If I eliminated meat, I wouldn’t have any protein in my diet. :) Having tried to go (raw) vegan in the past and just relying on nuts for protein, my health suffered.
I stick to pastured raised eggs, and grass fed, humanely raised meat however. Factory farmed raised and slaughtered (not to mention the hormones conventional meat is given) meat is out.
Thank you for this informative post!
This is a wonderful post!! I always enjoy your articles and have found them very helpful on many occassions and love that some make mestop and think. This one is one of my favorites so far. I have been vegetarian for 18 years now and am always amazed when someone is patting themselves on the back for doing so many good things for the environment and their family while they are eating hamburgers or chicken. It just makes me want to tell them they aren’t doing much of anything useful since every bite is counter acting every action they’ve done.
This is a great piece to highlight just the beginnings of the problems caused. The comment that we were raised with meat at each meal shouldn’t mean anything. Most of us were raised as corn being the only vegetable served and fruit was only eaten in pies or at least with a lot of sugar on it. We’ve grown up and hopefully gotten away from those habits, so why not break one more bad habit. I know processed foods aren’t the best choice, but with all of the meat alternatives now that can be found even in most small towns, its really just a matter of selfishness, lack of knowledge, and laziness that conscientious people are still choosing to consume meat.
I second Juanita’s suggestion of eating from local (cage free) vendors who support humane treatment of these animals. I’ve never been 100% full vegan, but this video startled me and made me very sad. So sad in fact, that the consideration of transitioning my family to 100% vegan is looking very promising.
Not really sure what to think. I think it’s disgusting that we would treat any animal the way they are treated in this video. What are people thinking? It very cruel.
Not sure if this is how it goes for the fishing industry as well…but, I can say that I will not be eating anything with 2 eyes unless it is coming from a reputable place where they take care of the animals humanely.
Good post – but by no means do people need to stop eating meat. I believe humans are meat-eaters by design. We eat meat that comes from local cows that are only grass-fed. No grains at all – they actually shouldn’t even be eating grains if you understand how a cow’s body (stomach) works. Grass-fed beef is much leaner and better for you. Also, our local farmer who raises these cows also does chickens, turkeys and pigs, and practices good land management in rotating the land the animals graze on. If meat eaters would simply eat meat that comes from sources such as these, they wouldn’t have nearly the impact on the earth. (Not to mention most of that grain they’re eating is not organic, and that opens up a whole other can of worms….)
hi Shelly! I have to STRONGLY disagree with what you are saying. I eat meat. But I do it carefully and choose meat from local vendors and am very aware of some of the problems with how some animals are being treated, etc. If we are trying to fix the problem and are aware of it then we are doing a good thing. To say that someone is “selfish, has lack of knowledge, and is lazy
because they choose to eat meat is wrong and arrogant. Like I said before, small portions of meat can be very healthy for you. If as a consumer you are doing what you can to stop animal abuse and other things and are buying your meat from local vendors, who many of them are organic and treat animals properly, you are being very smart about how you buy your meat and what you eat. What Juanita said what right on.
wonderful facts about the beef industry. Thank you, i too am struggling to be a “green woman” and eat a hamburger. I have cut way back on the beef, but it is tough.
I’m a lifelong vegetarian, and it’s information like this that makes me glad that my parents raised me vegetarian.
I have to disagree with the poster who wrote that humans are designed to be meat eaters. That’s not true at all. We were designed to be omnivores, people who eat both meat and vegetables. I think that people these days eat a significant amount more of meat than people EVER have in the past. Hunter/gatherers ate only what meat they could catch, which wasn’t necessarily every day. People who lived on farms slaughtered their pigs or cows infrequently, and consumed a basically vegetarian lifestyle the rest of the time. As research has proved, it takes so much more energy/time/resources to be a meat eater than a vegetarian.
I have plenty of vegetarian recipes if anyone would like!
I’ve really seen all sides of this issue. My brother is a militant vegan, I’ve been vegetarian on and off, my sister’s family refuses to even consider vegetarian meals. The issues here are the reasons why people should consider not eating meat or not eating meat as often as they do.
I don’t agree that we were designed to eat meat. Actually many of the closest relatives to humans do not eat meat at all. It is only the ability to hunt and cook that allowed us to eat meat safely. If we were really physically designed to eat meat we could handle weeks old raw meat. Our bodies simply cannot handle that, we would die from eating such meat. Most primitive tribes that still exist on the planet do hunt. However their weekly or monthly meat meal is nothing compared to our daily, 3 meal a day habit of having meat. Other societies only eat meat during festivals or religious ceremonies. Nothing in nature can compare to our meat eating habits.
Eating meat from sustainable and organic farms in my opinion is not a solution. For one thing it is expensive. For another it actually has a greater demand on the planet. Organic grains yield less, organic meat is raised longer. So although eating these animals does not contribute to pesticides being used to destroy the environment it contributes to more land being used for farming then needs to be and larger amounts of water being needed, more grain being needed.
There are also human rights issues with meat production. Organic or non-organic most meat production is done by low paid workers who may be illegal aliens and are paid unfairly because of that status. Of course that our farming resources are being used to produce grains for animals that we slaughter instead of for grain or other farming or to not be farmed at all.
I’ve been a vegetarian before (5 years veg, 2 years “pescatarian”), but then during my first pregnancy, went back to eating meat because my body craved steak, of all things.
In the 3.5 years since, I haven’t always eaten the best meat. Sometimes whatever was on sale…yuck!
Now I make a conscious effort to buy locally. We go to the Farmer’s Market, where the people who “harvest” the meat have a very real relationship with their food. We also got a flock of chicken (jealous :) Tiffany?) who, if they don’t start producing soon, will be dinner! *wink*
I know the politics of eating meat. And if we want to save our planet, we need to change our relationship with ALL food, not just meat. Produce that travels 1500 miles to our kitchens isn’t helping any, either.
I live in Virginia, where I have the luxury of shopping locally. If you don’t have a Farmer’s Market around, look for a CSA (community supported agriculture, where you get produce delivered to your home or public site weekly by giving an initial investment to the farmer).
Localvorism may just save meat-lovers like me.
I used to be a vegetarian, but now I am on a low carbohydrate diet because after years of experimentation I find I am more healthy this way. If I eat foods that are high in carbs such as grains, fruit and of course sugar etc, then my blood sugar level goes unstable, I get food cravings, my joints are achy, my emotions are unstable, and my energy level is low.
So be careful when pressuring people to eat less meat because I recognise those symptoms in many people, and they can be relieved so easily by a change of diet instead of health debilitating pharmaceuticals.
I make sure I only eat organic meat, eggs and veg so I can be sure they have been treated properly and are GMO free. (I live in England so it is easier to keep GMO free.)
I love the discussions on this blog!!
Patricia,
There are many options for food besides grains, fruit, and sugar when you cut down on meat…legumes, nuts, seeds, seaweed, leafy greens, veggies, etc. You can also eat fruit with a low glycemic index. If you eat only carbs that wouldn’t be balanced.
There are cattle that are grass fed (even on National Forest) and they rotate the cattle on the pastures. The cattle are doing zero damage to the land. The grass is kept beautiful. The land is kept cleaner , because the ranchers love the outdoor nature and clean up after careless others who litter and destroy the landscape. The cattle are not polluting the air out there anymore than an elk, wolfe, deer or bear.
I’m not saying we should eat beef at every meal by any means, but there are ways to raise cattle in a healthy and non-polluting way. I don’t think we should lump all beef consumption into one heap.
The general portion of ranchers I have been around are some of the best people you will meet/meat . :)
Thanks so much for this post.
I’ve been vegetarian for over a decade, since my late teens. It was before you could even buy veggie burgers in the supermarket. It was not easy and once in a while is still not easy but I can’t imagine a day I would ever put an animals flesh to my mouth ever again.
I’m surprised no one has brought up whether it is ethical to eat an animal at all. Even if an animal was humanely treated during it’s life, I still don’t think I have the right to kill it and eat it just because I want to.
When adding in all the issues that have already been brought up, mistreatment and exploitation of workers, destruction of the rain forests, contamination of water and land, lack of food for the poor, etc.
I just can’t find a way to feel okay about eating meat.
You know, I am with you here. I have always enjoyed a good steak and the thought of going completely vegetarian or vegan would scare me. But what scares me more is the destruction of rain forests to support the meat industry, not to mention the thousands of pounds of methane gas released into the environment! As long as there is a demand, ranchers will continue these practices. One person at a time can help with these efforts. A very excellent post!
If you are interested in this subject I highly suggest “Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan. Meat is not the problem. It’s the way it’s being raised and consumed in ridiculously high quantities. Going back to small family farms that are near you is the way to go.
From Linda #22
“For those who have said they have had health issues on a vegan diet, it may because you were eating too much processed junk foods instead of fresh fruits and veggies. Also, you could try blue-green algae to fill in what some may be missing. ”
Actually, I was a raw vegan (no junk food there!), ate tons of organic fruits and veggies, spriluna, wheat grass, blue/green algae and so on. There were the problems I developed in nine months:
-hair loss
-Candida (I guess from all of the fruit) I was always HUNGRY so fruit seemed to be the best way to go.
-gray teeth (I could never explain that one)
– arrhythmia
-low blood pressure
-horrible mood swings
-very painful and heavy periods
-Eventually no periods and tons of ovarian cysts. I have PCOS anyway so that diet just make it worse.
Once I got off that diet, most of the symptoms vanished in weeks, some of them days. Now I am very healthy, excellent cholesterol, no more Candida (had to do a few cleanses) no ovarian cysts, no insulin resistance; I can go on.
I think people need to realize that there is no one size fit all when it comes to diet and nutrition. I would never expect everyone to adhere to an omnivore, soy-free, sugar-free, high-GI fruit, corn-free, legume-free, grain and gluten free diet. But that’s what I have to do to feel, look, and be healthy.
I justify it because I think it’s healthy. We buy local, organic, pastured meat and eggs, so they are not treated cruelly or forced to be on top of each other in cages, plus we are supporting the local economy. I have been vegetarian before, even close to vegan (not eating dairy, but still eggs) and definitely feel my best when I am eating a well rounded, traditional diet including meat, eggs and some dairy with lots of veggies, fruits and whole grains. Excluding one group doesn’t do anything for me health-wise. Most cultures eat meat and/or animal foods of some kind and people since the dawn of time have sought out protein and fat from animals. I understand that today we are over the top with it and the procedures are not as they should be on these big cattle farms, etc, this is why we buy local as much as we can.
Thanks for the great article! I’ve been vegan 12 years and also have a bachelor’s degree in nutrition/dietetics and am raising my kids vegetarian as well. I’ve felt amazingly healthy since my diet change. It’s a very healthy way to eat as long as your not a “junk food vegan.” (There’s a lot of crappy foods that are vegan). If you eat plant-based foods you’ll do great.
For those who have said they have had health issues on a vegan diet, it may because you were eating too much processed junk foods instead of fresh fruits and veggies. Also, you could try blue-green algae to fill in what some may be missing. You don’t need to worry about protein sources; if you’re eating enough calories and a varied vegan diet you’ll be just fine. Protein is VERY overrated in our society. Animal protein causes many health problems in and of itself. Good luck to all working toward a healthy, compassionate, adn green way of life!
Although you are right about avoiding meat, be careful of promoting soy – it is NOT the health food we’ve been led to believe it is. See mercola.com for explanation.
While I am not advocating a meat-at-every-meal diet, humans most certainly are designed to eat animal products of some sort. There is NO other natural source of Vitamin B12 and we need that. I hope the vegans are taking their supplements!
My husband and I went vegetarian three years ago. We slowly started to eliminate meat 4 years ago and haven’t looked back. We feel great and are loving the money we are saving. We have decided to raise our daughter vegetarian until she can make her own decision. The book, “Becoming a Vegetarian” is a must read if you would like some hard data on how to make sure you are getting all of the nutrients you need.
I came across this while working on a paper for a class. I am exploring the idea of going green and trying to decide if it is possible. One article that I found talked about looking at all of the aspects before considering what you are doing to be “green”. My family owns and operates a fairly large hog operation and I have been raising a few head of market beef for the past 8 years. And to say the least this “blog” kinda irritated me! I would say that while some of your facts may be true you should probably look into some of them a little more. The state DNR keeps a close eye on all farmers and now a days you have to go through a course in order to spread manure. If you are found to have contaminated the water you will be heavaly fined! I don’t think all the blame can be put on the farmers. What about the people who live around the lake and have to have their perfact lawn with no weeds. And to make sure they don’t have any weeds they double up the recipe of chemicals and spray that on their lawn and then they turn their sprinklers on and it runs into the lake/ river. Also if exporting and importing animals is so bad for the enviornment why do we do it? I’m sure the U.S. would be perfactly fine if we didn’t import animals. And if exporting food is so bad why don’t we just keep our corn here to feed our beef because if we export it it will be bad for the enviornment. We could also use our corn and soybeans to make ethanol and soy diesels which is better for the enviornment than oil we have imported.
Above I read that some people were unhappy about the way animals are treated. I would like to know if they have ever spent time working with these animals? You can’t treat them like a little puppy dog. They are not going to follow you around when you are trying to get them to move. I know that it is not nesassary to beat them with a rod, a hand slap is not going to kill them. Most people dealing with the animals know what they are doing. It turns bad when you get some big headed authority coming into a plant and shutting down the plant for 14 hours just becuase one pig was shot because it didn’t die on the kill line. Remember the plant was shut down 14 hours on a 90 degree summer day! Approximately 20 trucks (each truck holds around 170 pigs) had to sit outside until the plant was reopened. Now what was inhumane there?! I think there are things that need to be looked at harder before saying that meat is bad!
For those who think that there are other things that need to be addressed first know that The Poo from these animals are Their biggest pollution problem?
Its poisoning our fish, our wetlands,Oceans, and our Crops!…
Meat is NOT green…I dont care what you WANT to think, for humans to maintain life on this planet people need to be willing to cut there consumption…not having to give it up fully But to know that Eating meat daily IS killing our planet!
I get my bison from a small ranch in North Dakota, no hormones or antibiotics! It’s leaner than beef, and they’re easier on the environment than cows. GO BISON!