Every year over 70 billion animals are murdered globally at the hands of unfeeling monotonous workers to appease man’s cravings for meat (“Factory Farms”). For many years, the vegan lifestyle has been heavily debated over. To many, cutting out meat, dairy, and eggs seems both extreme and unnecessary. Because science has found evidence for either case there is an immense amount of controversy over the subject. Yet, in today’s society, a plant-based diet is becoming more and more prevalent. People go vegan for a variety of reasons such as better health, concern for the environment, or the mistreatment of animals. It is defined as a diet that does not consume or use any animal products. This includes meat, dairy, eggs, honey, and any other products …show more content…
Because animals are mass produced for the meat and dairy industry, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions are having extreme effects on the environment. Hyner, managing editor at Georgetown Environmental Law Review states, “According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), global agriculture—dominated by livestock production and the grains grown to support it—accounts for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. A 2006 study by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) finds that 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions is directly attributable to livestock production, which is more than the emissions attributable to the entire transportation sector”. He claims that it is the cause of many other issues such as, “overfishing, destruction of wildlife, deforestation, and depletion of freshwater resources to hydrate livestock or irrigate fodder” and that “...livestock is responsible for 65% of all human-related emissions of N20, which has 296 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide” (Hyner). Factory farming has caused a multitude of environmental issues and destruction to the Earth. Any diet that supports the destruction of the environment should be taken more seriously.
A plant-based diet is by far the most ethical diet. There are countless examples of the mistreatment and torture of animals in their short lifetime. According to Modern Animal Farming, a website with information on factory farms, “Male chicks, of no economic value to the egg industry, are typically macerated (ground up alive) or gassed. In some cases, they are simply thrown into garbage bags alive” (“Modern Animal Farming”).