This is most likely the last I'm going to say in this thread, if only because I'm seeing a lot of the same things over and over that I hear quite often from other people, and most of it as far as I'm concerned, isn't true. Also, it was 2:30am when I posted and I felt the need to clarify now that I'm actually able to think properly.
It's natural for humans to eat meat.
No arguing there. Humans are definite omnivores. Our digestive tracts are able to process meat and plants. However, it is quite easy to meet all the dietary requirements through a plant-based, animal product free diet. I've been a vegetarian for the last 10 years and I'm as healthy as any average person.
I would also like to point out the health benefits associated with a vegetarian diet.
It helps prevent and/or treat high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, certain cancers and diabetes. A well publicised fact being flaunted by some margarine company is a diet high in plant sterols helps lower cholesterol.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701103002.htm
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm
Both sites are worth the read if you're interested in more details, they cover both the major arguments of insufficient iron and protein in a vegetarian diet and the health benefits associated of avoiding meats. You could also do your own research on it before commenting.
If we stopped eating animals, then we'd have to clear more land for crops!
No. Not at all. Entire ecosystems are destroyed to provide grazing land for beef cattle. Cows destroy soil quality and trample the land they inhabit, leading to erosion and the complete destruction of the environment. It takes 16lbs of grain to raise 1lbs of meat. To me, that just doesn't seem all that efficient. 70% of the grain and cereals grown go towards feeding animals raised for slaughter. Cattle alone consume the amount of feed needed to meet the caloric needs of 8.7 billion people.
One third of the fossil fuels used in the United States goes towards raising animals for human consumption. This includes raising the grains they require, transporting the feed to the animals, operating the factories, trucking the animals to the slaughterhouse, operating the slaughter house, transport to meat processing plants, operating those, transport the meat to stores, refrigerating the meat until it is purchased.
Many people turn off lights to conserve energy, then give themselves a pat on the back for being so energy efficient. However, not many people are willing to do anything more than flipping a switch.
Five thousand gallons of water are required to raise 1lbs of meat as opposed to only twenty five gallons required to raise 1lbs of wheat.
http://www.all-creatures.org/tytt/env-animalag.html
Yet another outbreak of some super bug! Oh noes!
The animals raised on factory farms are under such constant physical and psychological stress that they must be pumped full of antibiotics in order to survive the six weeks (in the case of hens raised for food) until they are slaughtered. This in turn leads to the bacteria and viruses that thrive in the cramped and disgusting conditions to become resistant to the antibiotics used in treatment.
http://www.smartplanet.com/technology/blog/science-scope/study-finds-super-bug-bacteria-in-meat-and-poultry/7854/
http://antibioticsresistance.smarthealth-guide.com/super-bugs-potential-in-meat-dairy-products-alarms-regulators/
Then of course we get to the meat of the issue (haha, cwutididthar?). The cruelty involved in the intensive "farming" used today.
I have already conceded that humans are naturally omnivorous. However, I cannot agree that the methods used in raising/slaughtering animals is natural.
http://www.farmsanctuary.org/issues/factoryfarming/dairy/
I'm sure many people know the issues, but just choose to ignore them. After all, it's easier to live with yourself if you live in ignorance about where your nicely packaged bacon comes from. I wouldn't know, I gave into my conscience. I felt obligated to spare lives when I could very easily do so.
So in short.
I do it for my own health, the environment, etc...
As well as the ability to look down upon people from my moral high ground.
That was a joke by the way.
Though I really do recommend reading the sites I linked as sources, they are interesting and explain everything in a lot more detail than I provided. It already wound up being more of a wall of text than I had intended.
