A threat to our planet - the excess meat.

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A threat to our planet - the excess meat.

Written by Gaviuc Vasile

Monday, 25 May 2009 13:33

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"Nothing will make people better health and will not increase chances of survival of humanity on Earth, but evolution to a vegetarian diet" (Albert Einstein)

Two or more chickens than people

The number of the August 2008 American magazine editors "planet status" published a report of the World Watch Institute (an association observed global organic evolution) on the consequences that excessive consumption of meat has on the environment. The article begins: "Eat less meat and you will save the planet. Whether you like it or not, that eating meat has become a global problem."
Consumption of meat and dairy products has quadrupled in the last four decades and the World Bank believes will increase by 50% by 2020. There are already two times more chickens than people on the planet, over 1 billion pigs, 1.4 billion cattle and 1.8 billion sheep to eat more food than they produce. Considering global population growth, global demand for meat has increased fivefold. Thus, increasingly consuming more meat means, by default, to increase more and more number of livestock: 1.4 billion cattle need expanded space, in addition, eat a lot, so to be fed, in some countries began to cut forests. And these are the lungs of the planet, they absorb carbon dioxide, they grow in wild animals, their ecosystems regulate climate. According to statistics, over the past 30 years, our way of life has done more harm to the planet than they did at the beginning of their existence humans on Earth. More damage in 30 years than in tens of thousands of years! We managed to unbreathable air, water and earth that feeds us bite or sup in the increasingly poisoned. And all this is largely due to our food.
Planet study report on the state point to point alert ecological zones in relation to intensive growth and meat consumption: deforestation, erosion, fresh water scarcity, climate change, spread of disease.

Deforestation

Five square meters of forest for a hamburger

Moist tropical forests contain over 50\% of world biodiversity. Since 1970, more than 20 million hectares have been destroyed to make way for pastures. Thus, for each piece of meat cut from a hamburger five square meters of forest. "In 1990," says World Watch Institute, "global program to fight hunger in poor countries has shown that if the crops had been distributed without diverting corn as feed for livestock, could provide a vegetarian diet for 6 billion people, while a diet rich in meat, as it was widespread in developed countries can not be guaranteed only for 2.6 billion people. "

What we eat animals that eat

1 kg of meat = 16 kg of wheat Currently, 49\% of the world's food crops are consumed by livestock. Food of animal origin is situated on top of the food chain, requiring a total land area larger than plant foods. Producing a kilogram of beef requires 16 kg of wheat. For this reason, most lands are exploited to feed the animals (64\% of arable land on the planet used for meat production).
In addition, this service contributes to land erosion, the use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers in excess. World consumption of synthetic fertilizer has gone from 7 million tons in 1947 to 53 million tons in 1968 to well exceed 150 million tons today! For this reason, destroys the humus layer with a dizzying speed (300 tonnes every minute), and the consequences are extremely serious.
Besides half the world's crops, cattle and most consumed a quarter of global production of fish (animal flours). Because of this, seven of the world's major fishing areas have already come to be emptied.

Drinking water

100 g of meat = 7000 liters of water

Most intensive use of water is caused by the animals we grow for their meat. Thus, livestock uses 60\% of the world's water. However, at present we know very well how much water is rarefiaza ... Is it rational to eat steak every day for? In developing countries, it takes 55 liters of water to produce bread flour needed for making one while in developed countries, it takes 7,000 gallons of water to produce 100 grams of meat.

Water pollution

Urine in springs and lakes

Besides the consumption of huge amounts of water, livestock contributes to its pollution more than all industry and all waste disposal channels together (source - World Watch Institute). Currently, the amount of faeces of cattle is so large that the earth has reached saturation. In Switzerland, for example, lakes Sempach and Baldegg are so polluted that they must be artificially injected with doses of oxygen are allowed to breathe. Every winter, snow and rain washes the earth nitrates contained in animal urine and pour them in springs and lakes.

Climate change

Gases emitted by cows = giant hole in the ozone

If certain gases, like carbon dioxide, are associated with meat (transport to the slaughterhouse, chopping, carrying her to the point of sale, etc..), Other gases, not less toxic, are issued even by animals. Increased cow produces 115 million tons of methane annually (by flatulatie). It is responsible for 28\% of all ozone hole. It is a gas with a very powerful greenhouse action with a magnifying glass on solar energy, goWhen thus warming the atmosphere.
The report made by the World Watch Institute to continue with food production agricultural lands, which takes into account population growth, biodiversity loss and threatened extinction of many species, creating dead zones in the oceans, increasing traffic of meat from wild animals, leading to the massacre of populations of gorillas, chimpanzees and other primates, transmission of disease (only through manure can transmit over 40 diseases in humans), mad cow several years ago, bird flu today. I wonder where our food habits will lead us wrong? "In the field of ecological and economic, that eating meat is a problem, a danger which threatens humanity," concludes the report. So if you want our descendants can ever drink water from a spring or know what a tree must urgently change our diet. Because we're the ones who are to operate these plants for meat and all we have the power to stop, as it is for this destruction.

Conclusions

There are now many well documented books tell us where we vegetarismului and plant proteins. It is also found other books where we can learn from our plates and that steak is not as good as we think, 80\% of animals slaughtered in slaughterhouses there getting sick. They also say that pigs were injected over 100 different products, before being killed. Producers of chicken, pigs, cattle and fish in Canada uses 20,000 tons of antibiotics an.Ca therefore, not everything is tasty and healthy.

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Last Updated on Monday, 25 May 2009 20:59

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