Say No to Animals?

You may be wondering why I chose to be a vegetarian out of all the different things I could have chosen to write a blog about. A part of me was curious as to if I could actually commit to not eating any animal, and there’s always been a part of me that felt bad for eating defenseless creatures.  As human beings I think we are responsible for the way we treat the planet and everything that inhabits it. Sure we’re the most sophisticated being on Earth, but that doesn’t mean we should take advantage of that fact. In Juliana Devries article “Making Choices: Ethics and Vegetarianism”, she describes many of the reasons why I made the choice to go vegetarian. Climate change, workers’ rights, animal rights, and land use are some of the issues she brings light to in the article (Devries). I knew climate change was affected by the food industry, but I didn’t know that livestock farming alone had such a large part in it. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s 2006 report, “Livestock’s Long Shadow,” 18 percent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions are generated by livestock farming, while cars, trains, planes and boats account for only 13 percent (Devries). I was appalled to find out that livestock farms produce more greenhouse gasses than all the modes of transportation combined. Global warming is something my generation is becoming more and more aware of, and I feel as though this fact could change people’s opinions towards the livestock industry. If people pushed for different practices in slaughter houses, this could decrease the emission of greenhouse gases. Not killing cute and furry animals was the original reason behind my conversion; now I am more aware of the economic reasons rather than just the emotional. I feel healthier, and while I still crave meat, the thought of actually consuming some defenseless animal keeps me from giving in. Imagine that cute little calf, chick, or squealing pig being raised in a space that is too small for them, getting fed food they aren’t supposed to consume so they get fat faster, and then being abused before they’re slaughtered just so we can have a steak, chicken breast, or ham. When I see meat now, all I picture is that animal laying on some table with its eyes glazed over, covered in blood and still twitching. I know it’s a disturbing image, but that’s honestly how I feel now. Vegetarianism has become more about others than myself, although it has a lot of popularity because of the health benefits.

            There’s trendiness to being a vegetarian, mostly for its health benefits. Lowered weight and blood pressure and the protection against and management of Type 2 diabetes are some of the advantages to a well-balanced vegetarian diet (Donovan-Kicken & Romo, pg. 406). These advantages draw people to converting to vegetarianism. Switching to a vegetarian diet sounds like an easy thing to do, but from my experience so far, the task is not so simple. The most difficult part about my becoming a vegetarian is the fact that I’m lactose intolerant. As I’ve mentioned before, milk protein (lactose) is how the majority of vegetarians maintain their protein levels. The challenge so far has been finding alternate forms of protein (although I’ve been eating small amounts of dairy). I’m currently doing some research on more protein options, so make sure you keep your eyes out for it in the upcoming posts.

Works Cited:

Devries, Juliana. “Making Choices: Ethics and Vegetarianism.” Dissent. 59.2 (2012): 39-41.ILL. Web. 30 April 2012.

Donovan-Kicken, Erin & Romo, Lynsey Kluever. “ ‘Actually, I Don’t Eat Meat’: A Multiple-Goals Perspective of Communication About Vegetarianism.” Communcation Studies. 63.4 (2012): 405-420. ILL. Web. 30 April 2012.