But in today’s world, we are faced with moral codes, climate change, and rising obesity. There are now requests from environmentalists and the vegan community for people to stop consuming meat. Meat can be considered like a double edged sword. It provides nutrients for growth, but meat is also produced in massive facilities unethically and cattle is one of the largest causes of climate change. Cause large corporations need to maximize profits, the cram cattle into tight spaces and treat them very poorly. Cows are branded with a hot iron for indentification and chickens are crammed in small cages. Groups like PETA call for people to convert to veganism to combat these unethical processes. This article from The Economist explains other downfalls of meat consumption. In environment terms, roughly a fifth of all the world’s pasture has been degraded by overgrazing along with the belching and farts of animals forth remarkable quantities of greenhouse gases.
Of course, both sides have safe alternatives with their beliefs. You can buy meat from farm raised chickens or cows that aren’t treated inhumanely. In comparison, food scientists have been creating vegetable based meat that taste just like real meat. Both both options are fairly expensive so we can expect to see better changes in the future. With different arguments and debates circling around
America, there is a tough question Americans today have to face.
Should millions of Americans abandon decades of tradition and culture to meet ethical demands? How can we make a gradual transition for meat eaters to convert to veganism?
