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Shelby Cavalier
Ramsey Mathews
ENC2135
20 February 2016
The Solution to Global Warming: Vegetarianism
Unless you live on Mars, or are completely ignorant to the world around you, you know
global warming is occurring. The growth of earths temperature and heightened sea levels have
concerned scientists for decades now. Living in a world that is advancing in technology day by
day, it seems difficult, or near impossible to stop the changing climate. However, the human race
might not have to give up all hope just yet, as there may still be a chance for our species survival.
Vegetarianism would call for enormous change that many people, especially Americans, may not
be ready to face. With the meat industry accounting for more greenhouse gas emissions than all
transportation combined, you may wonder how the question of why have we not changed this?
has yet to be answered. There are countless reasons as to why the United States government and
the American population feel as if we cannot change this fact. People have become accustomed
to the way crops are produced, and the manner in which animals are raised has been the
normality for more than fifty years, which differs from the more organic standards held in the
tens of thousands of years prior. Without a transition to a more sustainable source of food intake,
we may continue to see the climate affected quicker than ever before. Not only would the switch
to vegetarianism benefit humanity, it has also been proven that switching to a little to no meat
diet may present infinite benefits, whether that being health, ethical or environmental. With the
current evidence of the correlation between the meat industry and global warming, unless
humanity can find it within themselves to adjust everyday eating habits, we may soon see a

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warming earth not suitable for this generation or those to come. The effects of the booming meat
industry are apparent, it is and has been depleting humanities natural resources for multiple
decades, causing a massive spike in global warming. With a possible solution being to commit to
vegetarianism, you may too begin to ask yourself, why not?
Every American citizen at one point or another learns the significance of our carbon
footprint. Humanity is reminded about how important it is to reduce, reuse and recycle; however,
what is commonly overlooked can be referred to as our water footprint. This term refers to the
amount of water humanity utilizes and disposes of. Roughly, humanity wastes nearly 27% of our
water resources due to the production of animal products. Think back to your worst day ever;
you spilled coffee on yourself, stepped in gum, and got a speeding ticket. All you wanted to do
was go home, and take a soothing, lengthy shower. The steamy shower had you in a trance and
before you realized it, thirty minutes had passed by. Now imagine that every person has done this
at least once, the amount of wasted water seems unfathomable. Contrary to this belief, this water
only contributes to about 4% of our water footprint (Hoekstra, 4). That means 23% more water is
used up by animal production than everyone in the world, all seven billion of us, taking thirtyminute showers. Programmed to save water we turn off the sink when brushing our teeth, or
wash bigger loads of laundry rather than smaller ones. If we do all that, what is the meat industry
doing to conserve water? The volume of water consumed or polluted measures water use. Many
would hypothesize that watering plants wastes much water and that vegetables are to blame for
the large water footprint. However, livestock does not raise themselves and the process of raising
livestock is strenuous. First, you must grow food to feed the livestock, and then the livestock
needs water for drinking and every step after that; from food processing, to the retailer, to the
consumer, also uses water. Furthermore, because the meat industry has skyrocketed in recent

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decades, the way animals are raised has changed. Animals have gone from open areas, where
grazing and roaming was a lifestyle, to a factory farm where animals are only given enough
room to stand. Our water footprint has increased due to this change. Roughages such as,
grassland, have a lower water footprint than industrial farms where there are feed concentrates.
Producing any animal crop shows a higher water footprint than any crop with equivalent
nutritional value. In Belgium, a study calculated that the water footprint to produce one liter of
soymilk was three hundred liters of water, where the water footprint to produce one liter of milk
from cows, was approximately three hundred times greater (Hoekstra, 6). The dietary habits of
humanity influence our water footprint greatly. In industrialized countries, moving toward a
vegetarian diet can reduce the food related water footprint of people by 36%. Products of
vegetables require five times less water than products of animals. A vegetarian diet cuts out the
use of animal products drastically, but not completely because of dairy products being consumed.
Nevertheless, this reduction in animal products reduces the food related water footprint to twenty
three hundred liters of water per day (Hoekstra, 6). These values are also only for the average
meat eater, many people consume more meat daily than the average person does, thus the
reduction of our water footprint could be even more. Similarly, 70% of all agricultural land and
30% of the worlds surface land area is already used by livestock (Hoekstra, 5). Our water
footprint is not the only wasted resource humanity needs to worry about.
There is no escaping the meat industry. With ads taking over television, and billboards with
pictures of detailed burgers that look too juicy not to try, the meat industry controls our thoughts
and our actions. Imagine watching huge industrial building blow dark clouds of smoke into the
air, filling the entire sky that you cannot see the sun anymore. No one would choose to live in a
world like this, blinded by the smoke our food produces. This apocalyptic type world seems

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terrifying, but it is what is happening right now. The meat industry is killing our beautiful planet
right before our eyes. In 2006, farmers produced two hundred-seventy six million tons of meat,
five times as much as in the 1950s (Brazier, 1-2). The rise in meat consumption is one of the
concerns for many activists. The constant escalation of meat consumption contributes to the
enlargement of factory farms, thus the increase in greenhouse gas emissions and the overall
climate change we are seeing. To illustrate, it takes around thirty-seven pounds of grain to
produce a mere three pounds of beef, pork and poultry combined. Each pound of grain takes
considerable energy and water to produce, process and transport. On top of this, meat requires
refrigerated transportation and storage, extensive packaging and cooking at high temperatures for
long periods. Aside from the livestock themselves producing methane and other harmful gases,
the agricultural practice itself affects the climate. Pesticides and fertilizers are often made from
fossil fuels. To manufacture and transport these synthetic chemicals produces significant
quantities of greenhouse gases. Furthermore, nitrogen fertilizers produce nitrous oxide, which is
a greenhouse gas that is three hundred times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat
inside the atmosphere (Wolfson, 21). The numbers are frightening, but the effect is has is even
more alarming.
The industries hide in faraway places where few people live. This is not by mistake either;
the government does not want consumers visualizing the harmful effects the meat industry has,
because then people may want to change their habits. With the rising epidemic of obesity, many
people look to dietary guidelines for help. Dietary guidelines such as My Pyramid or My
Plate direct people towards a healthier diet. The environment would benefit from the same
guidelines, for example, if the USDA taught people the healthier alternatives for our planet. In
spite of this, the USDA is reluctant to change any guidelines that involve in the meat industry

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and its practices. Livestock production produces 80% of greenhouse gas emissions from
agriculture (Brazier, 2). Driving a car one hundred and fifty five miles produces the same amount
of greenhouse gases that it takes to produce two pounds of beef. The production of those two
pounds of beef consumes one hundred-sixty nine mega joules of energy, enough to light a 100watt bulb for twenty days (Brazier, 1-2). Obviously, if the government wants to hide these facts
and their contaminating facilities, there is something wrong.
A farmer can feed up to thirty people throughout the year on one hundred acres of land with
vegetables, fruits, cereals and vegetable fats. If the same area is used for the production of meat,
milk or eggs, the number of persons fed plummets to about five to ten. Additionally, a vegan
living for seventy years will pump an average of one hundred tons less carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere than someone eating meat and dairy products. With these facts, it is easy to
understand why loads of people have made the switch to meatless eating. On the other hand, it is
also easy to understand why many people have not made the switch. Meat consumption has
become part of our culture; we are raised to eat meat daily, it is part of our rituals and our dietary
heritage. It seems virtually impossible to stop humanity from devouring meat, however take the
tobacco industry as an example. Fifty years ago, about half of Americans smoked cigarettes and
now, only about 17% of Americans smoke. This number is at an all-time low. By focusing on
young people to avoid cigarettes and tobacco, campaigning against huge tobacco industries and
passing anti-smoking laws, such as the one here at Florida State, the tobacco industry declined
drastically. Furthermore, cigarette taxes and inflation skyrocketed prices. With this increase in
price, it was no longer affordable to smoke. These efforts nixed smoking and benefited people
not only health wise but also environmentally. Together, people have the influence necessary to
change the meat industry and change our world. By switching to a vegetarian diet, prices of meat

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would not only decrease, but also the huge meat industries would get the hint. If they do not
change their ways and practices, we will put them out of business. Becoming a vegetarian is
plausible for everyone; contrary to belief, it is cheaper than eating meat and is healthier than any
other diet out there.
On the night of the Oscars this year, Leonardo DiCaprio won an Oscar for his fantastic
acting at last. In his speech he included how to film his movie, the crew had to travel to move to
the southern tip of the planet to find snow. The world is becoming hotter every day that goes by.
Actors, not even scientists, like DiCaprio see what is happening, and support activists fight for
change. As Leo said, Climate change is real, it is happening right now. Climate change is the
most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop
procrastinating. This mentality is what all humanity should encompass. By ourselves, it may
seem impossible. That one person switching their diet to vegetarian or vegan is not going to
make a difference. However, together we can revolutionize our planet and save it from the
disaster we caused in the first place. Passing laws on taxed meat, or working toward baby steps
such as, "Meatless Mondays" or "Vegan before Six" will make a difference. The transformation
is certainly not going to happen over night, or in a year for that matter, nevertheless, it can
happen. A vegetarian diet is proven healthier than consuming meat and it is also healthier for the
environment. By learning and researching the facts, more people become aware of what is
happening before their eyes and behind their backs. In doing so, we have the wisdom necessary
to take the next step in conserving our precious planet. If our generation can lower the number of
people who smoke tobacco to record lows, then we can do the same for the meat industry.

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Works Cited
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