Environmental Effects of Vegetarianism Essay

The world is currently in crisis. The consequences of man’s actions had began to resurface as the environment becomes seriously threatened. Global warming is the immediate concern, as the earth continues to warm up and cause severe changes in climate. There are also other environmental issues to be spoken of: the possible scarcity of land and water, deforestation, pollution and the like. The awareness of these problems have prompted many individuals to do their part: this includes using alternative energy and hybrid cars. However, it seems that the best way to help the environment can be done through the modification of one’s diet. Apparently, the consumption of meat does more damage to the environment than vegetarianism. This research paper aims to discuss the environmental implications of animal agriculture, such as raising animals like cattle, as opposed to growing soybeans. According to the United Nations, â€Å"The livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global† (qtd. in Freston 1). Raising cattle is part of this sector, along with chickens and pigs (Freston 1). From the statement given by the United Nations, it is affirmed that indeed meat production has many environmental repercussions. So how is raising cattle, or animal agriculture in general, detrimental to the environment? To begin with, animal agriculture utilizes large areas of land. According to the Keith Akers of the Vegetarian Society of Colorado (VSC). in the United States â€Å"over 90% of all agricultural land is used for livestock agriculture. † In a global scale, of all the agricultural areas throughout the world, â€Å"about 69% is used to as pasture† (Ethical Vegetarian Alternative [EVA]). Therefore, a significant percentage of all the Earth’s surface is used for the purpose of breeding animals for meat consumption (EVA). The demand of land that comes with animal agriculture also results in deforestation (EVA). Because meat production requires more land area, forests have to be converted as agricultural areas. The forests are converted into agricultural land through a slash and burn technique which damages the forest (Freston). These forests are known to absorb the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but when the trees are burnt, the absorbed carbon dioxide will be released back in the air. The amount of carbon dioxide released through the slash and burn technique outweighs the emission from fossil fuels (Freston). The rain forests transformed into animal agricultural areas also experiences a decrease in the quality of the soil (EVA). Due to the slash and burn method, the nutrients in the soil will eventually be lost and instead of grass, weeds will grow. Regeneration may prove difficult, while fertilizers can only serve as an initial remedy. Because of deforestation, half of all the Amazon meadows have been rendered infertile (EVA). Rain forests are destroyed to accommodate more cattle for grazing (EVA; Akers). It is said that the area of land damaged for this purpose is of the same size as â€Å"seven football fields† (â€Å"Meat†). From the year 1950, millions of hectares of forest land had vanished (EVA). In China, pine forests have been destroyed to accommodate animals and their crop food (â€Å"Meat†). However, the most distinguished damage of rain forests can be found in South America and Central America (EVA). In Brazil alone, land areas equal to the size of 5,000 soccer fields are disappearing at a daily rate. Again, this is because of deforestation to accommodate cattle grazing. As for Central America, the number of cows had increased just as the area for pasture had expanded from 1950 to 1995 (EVA). It is therefore no surprise that the prices for wood products had increased all over the world (Akers). It is merely the result of the growing demand of commodities from a resource that is slowly running out due to deforestation (Akers). Other environmental effects of animal agriculture are soil erosion and desertification (EVA). Animal agriculture is again responsible for soil erosion, which is directly caused by overgrazing of livestock (â€Å"Meat†). Over the last couple of years, numerous mouths and hooves have changed the landscape in more ways than man-made infrastructure such as freeways and strip mines ever did. Grazing per se is not harmful to the environment. In fact, it even has a positive effect on the landscape. However, overgrazing can cause intense erosion which can turn meadows into deserts (EVA). Cattle consumes a significant percentage of the vegetation; in doing so, the soil is damaged because of weight of the cattle. This, along with other factors to consider, enable erosion to occur in which the topsoil is removed. The topsoil is the most fertile layer which was made from rocks and created in a long period of time. It takes many years for the topsoil to be created again. Due to livestock grazing and crop production for livestock, a significant amount of topsoil is lost annually (VSC). As a result of extensive soil erosion, many lands all over the globe is currently undergoing desertification (EVA). Pastures from all over the world have been extremely eroded, which threatens the quantity of existing agricultural land. This posits a problem in a time when the population is continuously growing and food supplies are decreasing (EVA). Animal agriculture also causes the greenhouse effect, which in turn results in global warming (EVA). Gases, which are known as greenhouse gases, retain all the heat the earth accepts from the sun and sends it back to the atmosphere. This is essentially a natural occurrence. However, when the atmospheric levels of those gases increase, the heat will be trapped and the earth will warm up. The high temperature of the earth has negative effects in water levels, ecosystems, agriculture, and most specially, the climate (EVA). Four gases is known to contribute to global warming (EVA). Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas; other gases include â€Å"methane, halogenic compounds and nitrogen oxide† (EVA). Animal agriculture is responsible for most of the greenhouse emissions; this is because cows, among other animals, release methane in the air (EVA; Akers). Methane is derived from ruminants, such as buffaloes, goats, sheep and of course cows when they digest their food. Also, animal manure contribute to global warming as well (EVA). According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, 16% of global methane emissions come from animal agriculture (qtd. in EVA). Another environmental hazard that animal agriculture presents is eutrophication (EVA). It is characterized by the excessive amount of gases such as potassium, nitrogen and phosphur in the environment; as a result, ecosystems are affected. It posits a danger to biodiversity, water sources, and even soil development. The prime source of eutrophication is animal manure. Manure has metals in it, such as zinc and copper; these metals are added to fodder to enhance growth. The aforementioned elements are then transferred to land through manure, but it can also end up through residue in food intended for humans (EVA). Generally, animal manure is not harmful to the environment (EVA). It can actually used as fertilizers for the soil. However, at present, there is an excess of animal manure that it already presents a dilemma worldwide. Millions of kilograms of manure is created annually, but the space available cannot accommodate that excessive quantity. In Belgium, every kilogram of pork is equal to 16 kilograms of manure. That amount means that tons of both nitrogen and phosphor are released on Belgian soil every year. Such excess cannot be absorbed by the soil, making the heavy metal level in the country particularly high (EVA). Europe is not the only place in the world dealing with such problem. The global pig and poultry industries creates millions of tons of nitrogen yearly (EVA). In the United States, the manure produced by animals exceed that of people. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 200 milk-cows create the same quantity of nitrates found in the village sewers which is occupied by 5,000 to 10, 000 citizens (qtd. in EVA). Consequently, 22, 000 hens can produce manure which releases an amount of phosphor equal to the manure of 6,000 individuals (EVA). Yet another environmental hazard that is caused by animal agriculture is acidification (EVA). It is caused by excessive amounts of sulfur and nitrogen in land, water, and the atmosphere. Acidification threatens ecosystems; trees die, forests struggle to survive and the quality of plants decreases. Lakes and other bodies of water suffer from this phenomena as well, posing danger to fishes and polluting the water sources. Acidification is best distinguished through acid rain (EVA). Again, animal agriculture plays a crucial part in acidification (EVA). It is the primary cause for such phenomena. So how does raising animals for food cause acid rain? Animal manure emits high levels of ammonia in the atmosphere. Two main contributors of ammonia are cows and pigs. Both animals produce 97% of all the ammonia in the atmosphere. Excessive amounts of ammonia is detrimental to the environment, as it is extremely toxic. Organisms such as reptiles, butterflies, even lichens are threatened by this compound (EVA). Ammonia is derived from the nitrates found in animal manure (EVA). The compound is mostly emitted to the atmosphere, but it can also affect both soil and water. This presents a danger to the human population, as the potable water supply may be contaminated with ammonia. Humans are not the only ones threatened by possible contamination. The fish population is also at risk, as the phosphates and nitrates can contaminate and decrease the quality of their habitat. Hence, manure derived from animal agriculture is responsible for acidification and water pollution due to the compounds found in the manure. If meat consumption is reduced, the methane will also be reduced as it only stays in the atmosphere for about ten years (Freston 2). This reduction will cause the planet to cool (Freston 2). Not only does animal agriculture pollute the waters, it also uses large amounts of it (EVA). In fact, it is the main consumer of sweet water. Water is actually used and abused by the meat industry (Akers). The consumption begins with watering the fodder crops (EVA; â€Å"Meat†). It is followed by the large amounts of water that animals need to drink. Then there is the need for water to maintain the factory farms, the trucks that transport the meat as well as the slaughterhouses (â€Å"Meat†). However, much water, approximately 80%, is also utilized for the creation of meat products (Akers; EVA). Meat processing also consumes too much water. In fact, for a single pound of meat to be produced, 5,000 gallons of water is used. Such great amount of water for such a small piece of meat is proof that the meat industry is wasting such a valuable resource. Compared to meat production, how does vegetarianism affect the environment? In essence, vegetarianism actually does not present any harm to the environment; in fact, it positively affects it. Vegetarianism works in this formula: â€Å" Land + Water = Crops† (Rutherford). There is limited land to be used, just as there is a limited water supply (Rutherford). A small area of land and a ample amount of water could produce a decent amount of crops. Planting of crops can be done in a small farmland; this endeavor does not need extensive territories for production, unlike meat consumption. The water to be used is also not wasted, as it will only be utilized to water the crops. In fact, 1 kilogram of meat uses 100 times the amount of water needed for 1 kilogram of vegetables (EVA). Hence, with limited resources, vegetarianism can be sustained and not endanger the environment. Not only does vegetarianism consider the limitations of natural resources but also it does not add waste that could be detrimental to ecosystems. In addition, the vegetarian lifestyle can actually help the environment. The crops will absorb the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and turns in into oxygen (Rutherford). Animal agriculture presents more disadvantages in the environment than vegetarianism. To begin with, meat production consumes limited resources that could be utilized for other endeavors. It also releases harmful elements and compounds in the air, soil and water. In the long run, the environment will suffer if this is continued. Therefore, compared to vegetarianism, animal agriculture is more detrimental to the environment. Works Cited Akers, Keith. â€Å"The Most Important Thing You Can Do For the Environment. † Vegetarian Society of Colorado. 14 May 2008 . Freston, Kathy. â€Å"Vegetarian is the New Prius. † Alternet. org. 7 Feb. 2007. 14 May 2008 . â€Å"Meat and the Environment. † Goveg. com. 14 May 2008 . Rutherford, Timothy. â€Å"Logical Environmental Reasoning for a Vegetarian Lifestyle. † Enviroveggie. com. 14 May 2008 . â€Å"Vegetarianism and the Environment. † Ethical Vegetarian Alternative. 14 May 2008 .