Today, Americans consume far more than is recommended and far more than the rest of the world. Most of that meat comes from factory farms, where animals are treated inhumanely, live in unsanitary conditions and are fed a diet of GMO grains and legumes grown with toxic pesticides. They are frequently pumped with hormones, growth additives and daily doses of antibiotics that, when consumed by humans, contributes to the rise of antibiotic resistance, one of our most serious public health problems. These animals also generate mountains of toxic manure that pollutes our air and water. Animal agriculture is also a major driver of climate change, habitat destruction and deforestation.
Every day, American factory farms slaughter 287 chickens, about 4 pigs, and 1 cow per second, amounting to roughly 9 billion animals a year. Producing that much meat comes at a very high-cost to the environment, human health, animal welfare, workers and local communities.
Here’s some food for thought:
– Globally, animal agriculture accounts for 15% of all greenhouse gases. The average meat eater in the U.S. is responsible for almost twice as much global warming as the average vegetarian, and close to three times that of the average vegan.
– Processed meat and red meat consumption are linked to diseases like cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. In contrast, fruits and vegetables are loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants and vitamins.
– Cutting one pound of beef from your diet conserves more water than not showering for two weeks!
– Meat is a resource-intensive product: It takes 7-10 pounds of grain to produce a single pound of beef. In fact, 20 vegans can be fed using the same amount of land it takes to feed one meat-eater.
Even small changes to our daily routine can make a huge difference. If you simply chose not to eat meat for one day a week, you would make an important contribution to your health and the environment. If every American chose to go meat-free once a week, the environmental impact would be like taking 7.6 million cars off the road!
