Go Green!
In Aubree's article about vegetarianism, she shares the benefits and drawbacks of switching to a plant-based diet.
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Go Green!
Go Green!
By Aubree Madsen
By Aubree Madsen
Plant-based is defined as a diet consisting largely or solely of vegetables, grains, pulses, or other foods derived from plants, rather than animal products. Veganism and vegetarianism rose to popularity in the 2010s, but it has been around for thousands of years. Why are people all around the world suddenly following no meat diets? There are actually many pros of cutting out eating animals, such as helping the environment, preventing animal cruelty, and offering additional health benefits. For these reasons, people should convert to plant-based lifestyles.
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One of the main benefits of plant-based diets are the positive effects it has on the environment. Greenhouse gasses are one of the leading causes for global warming. According to the United Nations, an international peace and security organization, raising animals for food emits more greenhouse gas than all of the trucks and cars on earth combined. The amount of water that it takes to produce 1 pound of beef is a whopping 2,400 gallons, whilst only 25 gallons are used to grow one pound of wheat. So, the production of meat takes a huge toll on the environment around us.
Some people tell vegetarians that they do not get enough protein from their diets, and that the only way to get a healthy amount is from meat. However, meat, especially beef and pork, are extremely high in cholesterol and fat. While humans need both of those to survive, the amount taken in from meat puts our bodies at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Harvard Health Publishing, a division of Harvard Medical School, have proven that vegetarians typically weigh less, are at a lower risk of cancers and heart disease, and surprisingly have a higher life expectancy.
Animals are treated cruelly and are exploited for the sole purpose of being eaten. A non-profit organization whose mission is to reduce animal suffering, the Animal Welfare Institution, shares the horrendous, inhumane practices inflicted on animals. In factory farms, animals are facilitated in crowded, unsanitary conditions and are forcibly mutilated; cutting off horns of cattle, beaks of chickens, and tails of pigs and sheep. By not purchasing meat from grocery stores, the demand for those products becomes reduced. This can ensure fewer animals to be forcibly impregnated and slaughtered.
Image of Animal from PickPik
Vegetarianism is beneficial for the human body, helping the environment, and preventing treatment of animals in factory farms. Making the swap to a plant-based lifestyle is a positive choice that everybody should consider and ultimately commit to.
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