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Earth friendly, the vegetarian diet is actually more efficient at feeding a greater number of people rather than diet of meat. Many researchers, one in particular, Lappe, who published her work in 1971, found that cattle and other farm animals actually consume more �protein than they provide� (as cited in Messina and Messina, 1996, p. 51). In a total acre of land, the production of soybeans as opposed to raising and grassing of cattle is seven times more consuming in production compared to protein soy plants. Let us not forget that: land, forests, water and fuel are all used up in the production of cattle, whereas only land, water and minimal forest are used up in the vegetarian protein plants. In the meantime, it should be noted that Messina and Messina (1996) state that the World-Watch Institute reports that our worldwide production of grain, has fallen so low that we actually have �less available food per person than we have had several years ago�(p. 55). The World�s population is only going to get bigger and we will have to worry about feeding animals for the sole purpose of our consumption, this is questionable . . .especially when they are grazing on lands that we could use to yield more food per square foot. The cruelty that farm animals face is another ethical issue to be discovered. Maybe I�ll stop there since I�ve made my point through some powerful findings. Enlight of all of this, vegetarians still get a bad rep for being different, tree huggers or being a total radical that goes against the tide. But it�s this type of thinking (vegearianism) that�s going to get the government noticing that something is not right in the sales and interest of the greater good for the people. That yes, eating meat has many health risks and environmental risk involved in the production. Surely though, the cattle industry would oppose this argument and say that it is a large source of revenue for Canadians- but is it worth it? As a health advocate and a hypocritical vegetarian (one who eats meat occasionally), I feel that no it�s not worth most of people�s and animals health to be taken advantaged of in the sake of the government making another profit off of us tax payers. | |