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Desertification
and soil erosion are the direct result of meat eating trends,
which necessitates over- grazing by cattle for the sole
purpose of increased meat production.
Due to unavailability of of pastures for cattle grazing
for the subsequent meat production, rainforests are being cut
and cleaned to make room for cattle ranching. Rainforests are
vitally essential to environment. They are the determining
factors in the occurrence of rainfall, keeping the
atmosphere cool and clear, besides maintaining the ecological
balance. When rainforests are cleared, many species of plants
and animals are killed besides many migrating birds lose their
winter homes, in places like Central America and subsequently
perish. Existence of birds are vital in keeping the population
of insects in control.
Extinction of birds via this unfortunate process give
rise to the increased use of deadly pesticides. Besides the
above, the majority of sources for medicines are derived from
these forests.
Around 1.4 billion tons of carbon-dioxide have been
released from rainforests being cleared and burned for
cattle pastures, since 1970. Cattle dung is an eco friendly
substance encompassing in itself the properties of an
alternate manure and serving as a fuel, as well, thereby
preventing the trees from being pruned, in order to
obtain wood as fuel, and thus in the process also saves the
balance in the environment from being much disturbed.
Use of pesticides in eradicating the menaces of
unwanted pests are increasing, by the day. These pesticides
are harmful to the productivity of the land and besides
polluting the environment, their invasion in the human body
through eatables causes numerous diseases.
The urine of
cattle and of cow, in particular, is the most potent
pesticide. Cattle dung has the properties to purify the
environment.
In today's world, if man is forced to live in
polluted land, drink polluted water and breathe polluted air
besides being compelled to eat polluted food stuff, it is
mainly because of the large number of animals that are
being slaughtered to provide non-vegetarians their
diet.
Pigs, Hen, Fish, Birds keep
the earth and water clean. Plants, which, are eradicated
by overgrazing, give us oxygen and take in carbon-dioxide,
which in return help in keeping the atmosphere clean. The
chief pollutant of the atmosphere is carbon-dioxide.
In the absence of organic manure caused by slaughtering
of cattle, chemical fertilizers and fossil fuel are used. The
increased use of pesticides are also necessitated.
This entire package leaves no stone unturned in
polluting our land, water and air. The release of
carbon-dioxide by emissions of fossil fuel has to be monitored
in order to prevent the atmosphere from being vitiated.
A glance of these data tells all -78 calories of fossil
fuel is required to produce one calorie of protein from beef;
whereas only two calories are needed to produce one calorie of
protein from Soyabean.
Carbon-dioxide is not the only harmful affluent released
due to meat production. Methane is another fume
contaminating the atmosphere, by meat production.
Every two pounds of meat yielded by cattle results in
one pound of methane being reloaded. Eighteen percent of the
total release of methane in the environment, is attribute
directly to meat production.
Scarcity of contamination of water is another
prominent factor, which triggers an environmental
hazard. Half of the total water consumed in the US is for the
activities is related to livestock.
The process of manufacturing of a kg of meat requires
10,000 litres of water, whereas producing a kg of wheat
requires only one hundred litres and a kg of poyato only 92
litres of water.
Nitrogen contents in animal wastes are high and thus
make for good fertilizers but if left alone, it converts
itself in ammonia and nitrate. These wastes are dumped into
our water, making our rural wells dangerously high in their
nitrate levels.
In the book " A diet for a New
America", John Robbins quotes ..... ten to several
hundred times more concentrated than raw domestic sewage...
when the highly concentrated wastes in a run off flow into a
stream of river, the results can be and frequently are
catastrophic. The amount of dissolved oxygen in the waterway
will be sharply reduced, while levels of ammonia, nitrate phosphates
and bacteria soar."
Nitrous oxide is a major gaseous product termed -
chemical fertilizer. The product is instrumental in removing
ozone from the environment.
It would not be out of place to add over here that
though many of us are genuinely concerned as regards our environment,
they do not know exactly what should be done. The answer to
all queries and ecological hazards being -leading of a life on
the lines of vegetarianism. The increasing trend of
consuming animal products has necessitated the reallocation of
resources on a large scale. Besides, the entailing environmental
hazards, it carries with it , its impact on human health, is
in no way negligible.
Thus, in order to get rid of all the pollution from
this earth, besides building a sustainable and wholesome world
for our future generation - an attitude has to be inculcated,
in us all, to change our dietary habits from meat and poultry
to VEGETARIANISM, otherwise, the day is not far off, when the
following lines shall become a reality:
We turn the land barren of all greenery and trees,
instead build a small tree museum. Change a rupee per person -
for a grand view of the trees, hence seen only in the
museum
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