Introduction:
The primary source of energy for all the life forms here on earth is the sunlight. Plants (primary producers) use photosynthesis to convert this sunlight into biomass. Biomass produced by plants is used by herbivores (plant-eating species), and decomposers as an energy source. The biomass of the herbivores serves as an energy source for carnivores (flesh-eating species). Humans are said to be omnivores (feeding on both plants and flesh) (“Humanity in the Food Web”). Historically, some people refuse to follow an omnivorous diet; instead they adopt a plant-based diet as their herbivore counterparts in the nature do. These people are called vegetarians. Vegetarians base their decisions on various reasons, such as religious reasons, ethical reasons, health reasons, economical reasons, ecological reasons, and so on. Some of these reasons, in my opinion, also form a strong foundation for the ideology that wide acceptance of vegetarianism would solve many of the ecological, ethical and health related problems that we are currently encountering.
In today’s world, many people who choose to become vegetarians do so mostly because of ethical reasons. There are several different ethical aspects of adopting a vegetarian diet. One of these is the ethical obligation toward others. People who raise this argument believe that world hunger would be eliminated if everybody would follow a vegetarian diet. Another one of the ethical aspects is the ethical obligation toward the environment. The supporters of this argument believe that raising livestock is one of the main consumers of water, soil, natural resources, and one of the main producers of CO2. Yet another ethical aspect is the ethical obligation toward animals; this argument is one of the most controversial of all, yet it has the most supporters who think that animals should not be killed for any reason. . The last of the ethical aspects is the ethical obligation toward ourselves which deals with one’s health. Most vegetarians think that a vegetarian diet reduces the chance of cancer, reduces fat and cholesterol intake, and eliminates many other diseases caused by eating animal flesh. Throughout this paper, all of these four ethical aspects and their foundations will be elaborated upon.
Ethical Obligation toward Others:
World hunger is one of the most important of the problems that humanity is facing today. Each year, approximately 60 million people die either because of malnutrition or undernutrition (Esterhazy). The major portion of these deaths is occurring among children who are much more fragile and prone to starvation than the adults. According to the studies, a child starves to death every two seconds (Robbins). I think that these people who face starvation every day of their lives should not be deprived of their most basic right of continuing their lives, whereas people in the industrialized countries take this right for granted and continue to live in a consumption based society where massive and unacceptable wasting of resources has become a way of life. Today, with the help of our advanced science and technology, we are very efficient in growing crops. As a result, the world’s crop yield, today, is greater than anytime in the history. One would think that since we have a very large amount of crop production, we should not have any problems related to lack of food resources for every person in the world. However, the hunger problem is not a result of insufficient resources but a result of unequal distribution of resources among the individuals. Somehow this could be taken as a fortunate recognition because it would mean that the resources in the world are adequate for every people to nourish themselves if the distribution problem is solved. The major portion of the distribution problem comes into the scene with our preference for using the crops in a very inefficient conversion process to produce a more expensive food: meat. Instead, we can use the crops to feed people directly and prevent a massive waste in the conversion process. When people are starving in one part of the world, a massive amount of food is consumed by livestock in other parts of the world to produce meat in a ridiculously inefficient ratio; for every pound of beef, for instance, approximately 16 pounds of grains and soybeans needed (Robbins). In a more focused example, the United States of America is one of the major producers of corn, wheat, oat, soybeans and potatoes. However, the statistics show that only a small portion of the US production is consumed by people (approximately 10-20%) because the US is also one of the major producers of livestock, and the major portion of the US grain and soybeans production is eaten by livestock. Some researchers argue that if only the people in the US reduced their intake of meat by 10%, with the grain saved from the reduced feeding of livestock, all the people who face starvation each year in the world would be adequately fed (Esterhazy).
I think that it is morally wrong to let people die because of starvation when we could eliminate our waste of resources and let everyone nourish himself or herself. I also think that every member of the earth community should have an equal right to the sharing of resources, and she or he should not wave this right to the others who think their shares should be bigger because they are better than the rest. Under the light of these facts, it is clear, in my opinion, that people have an ethical obligation toward others not only to reduce but also to eliminate the meat consumption completely so that hunger would disappear from the face of the earth forever.
Ethical Obligation toward the Environment:
In the earlier stages of human history, individuals who ate meat did so at their own expenses, that is, whatever an individual could hunt or raise for himself or herself was whatever she or he could eat. However, especially after the industrial revolution, humanity found itself in a comfort-driven society. People in such a society do not like to be bound by their own performances and limitations but want more of everything that they consider good for them. This has been a driving force behind the fact that meat production has become a huge industry in recent decades. As it is the case for most major industries, capital-driven enterprising of the meat industry has created major problems in the environment.
First, livestock growers realized the fact that in order to obtain maximum efficiency, they have to take the animals under their total control; this meant that the animals of commercial value should be removed from their natural habitats and put in well-defended places. This separationist attitude created several problems. By doing this, growers removed a valuable item from the food chain of the nature; this was a major cause of disruption for carnivore species that heavily depend on these animals. Not only did some weaker carnivore animals die because they could not find food readily available, but also they were killed by people who were defending the livestock under their supervision. This resulted in the decreasing of some carnivore species’ numbers and in some cases even led to extinction.
Another problem occurred. When under the supervision and protection of humans, these captivated animals increased their population dramatically to an extent that they could never reach in their original natural habitat. With the increasing population of the livestock, land and food problems have been raised. In order to keep the animals alive and well, the meat industry needed a lot of land for animals and for more crop land to feed the animals. To meet the increasing demand, each year a lot of forest land is cleared for crop land to feed livestock and produce more meat. Because of this mass clearing of forest lands, many species face extinction; a lot of wild animals die because they lose their homes in the woods. For most forest species, the forest is the major source of food and protection. With the forest destroyed, many species cannot resist the difficulties presented and die either because of starvation or because of weather conditions. The destruction of forests not only presents a problem for forest species but also creates problems for the earth’s ecology. It is widely known that forests are the major source of oxygen and oxygen is needed for life on earth. By destroying the forests, the meat industry is actually destroying the earth’s major source of oxygen (“Discussing Vegetarianism...”). Destroying these forest lands is also a major contributor to floods and top soil erosion, as well (Pultar). Trees help the soil hold together by absorbing the water, cutting these trees and planting crops with short roots would weaken the soil against winds and water and the top soil would be eroded by these external forces. With the rich and fertile soil eroded, we would not even be able to grow crops for ourselves, let alone for the livestock.
Another major environmental problem related to raising livestock is that the energy needed to produce meat is much greater. According to the scientists, the energy needed to produce meat is fifty times more than the energy needed to produce same amount of crop (Robbins). This would mean that for every pound of meat fifty times more fossil fuels needed to be burnt, and the ecological problems associated with fossil fuel burning are so widely known that there is no need to discuss it here in detail other than mentioning its disease causing effect on mine workers such as black lung disease, its contribution to increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere, its contribution to acid rain and its alleged contribution to global warming..
Researches also show that in order to produce a pound of meat, 2500 gallons of fresh water are needed as opposed to 25 gallons of water to produce a pound of wheat (Robbins). Because fresh water consumption is so much greater in raising livestock, the livestock growers are said to be one of the main contributors of fresh water pollution. Although the major portion of the earth’s surface is covered with water, most of the water is water with sea salt; that is, it is not usable for agricultural and household purposes unless it is treated. Only a small portion of the water is fresh and readily usable water. Water pollution in the industrialized nations is a big problem because fresh water is a precious and essential source for life, and we are rapidly polluting our resources. Although treatment techniques for sea water and some polluted water are scientifically available, they are neither practical nor economical solutions to the pollution problem. In some cases of polluted water, it is not even possible to clean up the pollution. Because of its cost-increasing effect, most industries are inattentive to take precautionary steps to decrease the amount of their water polluting waste unless they are forced by governmental regulations. One of the main industries that contribute to the pollution of the fresh water is the meat industry because as it is stated in Mr. Robbins’ book, the meat industry in the US, for example, uses more than half of all water used for all purposes in the US (Robbins). As I stated before; fresh water conservation is so important for all the present and future life forms on earth, and we should minimize the pollution that we pour into this precious source of life.
I think that we should respect the wildlife in forests as well as the animals under captivity and let them live their lives in their natural habitats. I also think that we should be more concerned about the future of this planet and act accordingly to eliminate fossil fuel burning, deforestation, polluting of fresh water and our contribution to the extinction of species. I not only think that we should be concerned more about the future generations, animals, the environment and the earth’s well-being than what it is on our plates, but also I strongly believe that we are ethically obligated to do so. Keeping these facts in mind, I conclude by repeating that we must fulfill our ethical obligation toward the environment by eliminating our meat consumption so that this world would be a better place to live for us, for all the other species and for the future generations.
Ethical Obligation toward Animals:
Another important issue related to the meat consumption is dealing with animal rights. It is very simple that, in order to eat meat, animals should be killed. However, the necessity of killing another living being is highly controversial. Must we really kill in order to live? My answer for this question is a simple answer: no. I think that we can sustain our well-being without killing other living creatures. We can very well nourish our bodies with a plant-based diet, and in today’s way of living, we do not have to kill the animals to protect ourselves or eliminate the competition for other food resources either. I think that we have no right to kill the animals or treat them badly for only pleasure; as James Rachels explained, “since we can nourish ourselves very well without eating them, our only reason for doing all this to the animals is our enjoyment of the way they taste. And this will not even come close to justifying the cruelty” (Rachels).
Today, most of us do not live in wild habitats; we do not even see most kinds of animals anywhere other than zoos. Our encountering with animals is minimized in today’s comfort-driven society; therefore, it is much more impersonalized. Today, we do not have to kill the animals for ourselves either because others in the meat industry are killing them for us. I think that this impersonalization and the disassociation of meat from the animals are the major human perceptions that are contributing the growth of the meat industry. Whenever a person goes shopping, she or he sees these little packages of meat in the cooler. There is nothing to associate the meat in the cooler with a living-breathing animal. For the shopper, this is only another food item to be bought. I truly believe that if everybody were reminded of the fact that these little, clean-looking packages are products of careless, malicious handling followed by violent, bloody and terrorful slaughtering, the meat consumption would promptly drop. This theory is also backed by the fact that of all occupations in the US, slaughterhouse workers have the highest turnover rate because most people cannot deal with the daily experience of screams of terror and the anger of the animals (“Discussing Vegetarianism...”).
Some opposers think that if the animals were living in their natural habitat, they would be eaten by carnivore species anyway; therefore, there is nothing wrong with our eating them. However, they overlook the fact that, for example, whereas cows have a lifespan of 25 years under natural living conditions, they are only allowed to live 3 to 5 years on animal farms (Esterhazy). They also overlook the fact that the treatment that the animals receive before they are killed is very different from how nature treats them in their original habitat (Pultar).
I think that it is morally wrong to treat other living creatures badly and kill them for only pleasure. Since we are the only moral creatures on this planet, I think that we have an ethical obligation toward the animals, as well. I also tend to believe that, as Leonardo da Vinci wrote once, “the time will come when men will look upon the murder of the animals as they now look upon the murder of men” (Dasa).
Ethical Obligation toward Ourselves:
Finally, of course, we always have an ethical obligation toward ourselves. We have to nurture our bodies and minds because whatever everybody else thinks, in my opinion, the only asset that we truly have is our own bodies and minds. I am convinced that adopting a vegetarian diet could be very nurturing for our bodies and minds.
Nowadays, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in industrialized nations. One of the major causes of heart disease is the excess intake of fat and cholesterol, and meat is the main provider of fat and cholesterol. Since a balanced vegetarian diet greatly eliminates the fat and cholesterol intake, the risk of having heart disease for a vegetarian is very small. In fact, as early as 1961, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported, “90% to 97% of heart disease can be prevented by a vegetarian diet” (Dasa).
Cancer is another disease that can be prevented by following a vegetarian diet. Researches strongly suggest that eating a meat-based diet puts us greatly at risk in terms of cancer. For instance, the studies published by the Himalayan Academy show; the risk of contracting breast cancer is 3.8 times greater for women who eat meat daily compared to less than once a week, and for men who consume meat daily, the risk of fatal prostate cancer is 3.6 times greater (“Discussing Vegetarianism...”).
Another great concern is the chemicals that meat contains. These chemicals could be very harmful to people who obtain them through eating meat. One class of these chemicals is the antibiotics. Large amounts of antibiotics are fed to livestock to control certain diseases among the animals. Since the bacteria causing these diseases are becoming immune to the drugs very quickly, the meat industry is increasing the amount of the antibiotics given to livestock every year. It is not healthy for humans to consume the meat that contains high levels of antibiotics because by the gradual increase of antibiotics in the human body, disease causing bacteria which affect humans build a resistance against these antibiotics, and this causes a rapid decline in effectiveness of all “wonder-drug” antibiotics (Robbins).
Another group of chemicals that the meat contains includes pesticides and herbicides. These chemicals are commonly used to increase crop efficiency. Even in a vegetarian diet, people receive these chemicals. However, since livestock is feeding on this crop, as well, they are biologically magnifying the chemicals in their bodies and passing these chemicals at a much greater rate to the humans who consume their meat. For example, a research published by the Himalayan Academy clearly indicated that contamination of breast milk due to pesticides found in meat-eating mothers versus non meat-eating mothers is 35 times higher (“Discussing Vegetarianism...”).
I also truly believe that adopting a vegetarian diet would also provide us more internal peace. As Tolstoy asked once, “while our bodies are the living graves of murdered animals, how can we expect any ideal conditions on earth?” (Dasa). In my opinion, violence creates more violence. When we treat other creatures violently, I do not think that we can find internal peace of our own.
The Vision:
I hope that everybody understands the effects of our treatment to the others on our ownselves and everybody embraces the fact that we are not superior to nature but just a part of it. I also hope that everybody realizes that every single creature on this earth has the most basic right to live and to produce. I truly hope that everybody believes the fact that we are moral creatures and we are obligated to apply our moral values not only to each other but also to everything that constitutes our environment. I also believe that we would find true happiness in our own lives if we accept our true and equal place in the environment and treat the other entities of nature accordingly and fulfill our ethical obligations toward each other, toward the environment, toward the animals and toward ourselves.
References
Burshtein, Lyn. “Why I Stopped Eating Meat.” Horizons. Vol. 10. Issue 4. p22.
Dasa, Adiraja. “Vegetarianism: A Means to a Higher End.” Hare Krishna Vegetarian Society, Australia National University. "Discussing Vegetarianism With a Meat-Eater: a Hindu View." Himalayan Academy.
Esterhazy, Jonathan. “A Beginner’s Guide to Vegetarianism.” Manitoba Animal Rights Coalition. George, Alexander. “Ruminations of a Vegetarian.” Massachusetts Review. Vol. 33. Issue 3. p447.
“Getting the Roots of a Vegetarian Diet.” International Food Information Council (IFIC).
“Humanity in the Food Web.” University of Illinois.
Inge, Karen. “Vegetarianism.” Nutridate. Vol. 7. Issue 2. p1.
Pultar, Edward. “Vegetarianism.”
Rachels, James. “Vegetarianism and ‘The Other Weight Problem.’” Environmental Ethics. Ed. Louis P. Pojman. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 1994: 301-308.
Robbins, John. Diet for a New America. Stillpoint Publishing, Walpole, NH 1987.
Witherell, Thomas D. “Notes from the Vegetarian Underground.” America. Vol. 170. Issue 14. p16.
