Three Days In

So I began four weeks of vegetarianism on Monday. To be completely honest, I got one last piece of bologna in at about 11:53pm Sunday night. I really do love meat. Feel free to judge me. Now, writing this entry just over 72 hours after that last piece of meat, I'm feeling pretty good. I haven't had an physical withdrawals, probably thanks to the fact that I've kept my diet fairly balanced. I'm keeping up with protein intake - plenty of beans and rice, chick-peas, a meal with tofu, and a protein drink. Hopefully I won't be over-compensating in this regard.

I wanted to use this post to bring to light the environmental benefits of a vegetarian diet, or rather the detrimental effects of meat consumption. This is what really sparked my interest in the vegetarian lifestyle, as opposed to ethical concerns over meat consumption in general. (Although I do feel that factory farms are wrong. But I digress.)

It is important to know that livestock are incredible sources of greenhouse gases, namely nitrous oxide and methane from digestive processes. The EPA has stated that livestock are the number one source of methane pollution in the U.S. The entire commercial process of meat production releases much more carbon dioxide than crop production per calorie produced. Eleven times more in fact, according to PETA.

Livestock production also has a huge impact on natural resources, a subject near and dear to my heart. (My specialization with in my geography major is environmental analysis and resource management.) The EPA has studied the polluted run-off from factory farms and found that it is a larger pollutant of water supplies than industrial processes. PETA has also pointed to the fact that meat production is less efficient in terms of water use. The production of one pound of meat uses 2400 gallons of water, while one pound of wheat needs only 25 gallons. Furthermore, more and more forests around the world are being destroyed for grazing land for livestock. This results in decreases in biodiversity and loss of those forests as sinks of carbon dioxide.

To read more on the environmental impacts of meat consumption, visit PETA's website on the subject. I realize that PETA may seem like a biased source, as they would like to see meat consumption ended regardless of environmental impacts,  but their calls for decreasing levels of animal agriculture are supported by the U.N., the National Audubon Society, the Sierra Club, the Lance Armstrong Foundation (a.k.a Livestrong) and other organizations. Livestrong's position on the subject, for example, can be found here.

I firmly agree that meat production and consumption should be decreased. The environmental impacts are, as you can see, quite significant. But I do not believe we have to get rid of meat consumption completely. For me, a good steak is one of the great joys of life. And no one should take away hot dogs on June day at a major league ball park. But could I get by on only two steaks a year, instead of the six or so I eat now? Absolutely. Do I need meat once a day? Of course not. We all need to start taking steps in this direction to ensure more efficient resource use, a better environment, and a bright future.

We can do it.