Starting a New Lifestyle

Kezia Maharani

English 9.3

Ms. Michelle Nagel

27 September 2015

Word Count: 854

Starting A New Lifestyle

        Imagine a life without ice cream, burger, and pizza. This is a little part of what a vegan life means. Though one of the primary reasons of going vegan is for the fight of animal rights and ethics for many vegans, there are those who chose to be vegan because of the concern towards the unsustainability of animal-based diets for the environment and for health reasons. Studies show that starting a vegan diet can be a solution to many worldwide issues. Based on these investigations, a global shift to a vegan-diet is the only solution of solving environmental crisis, world hunger, and chronic diseases.

        Concerns toward the increasing environmental crisis due to animal-based diets have been one of the many reasons to start a plant-based diet. While reducing the usage of transportation might help a stop to climate change, none makes a big impact as much as switching to a vegan diet. It is clear that the increasing pollution causes climate change, but many do not realize that producing “animal products, both meat and dairy, in general require more resources and causes higher emission” (Hertwich, Professor Edgar). Thus, without veganism, climate change will proceed, worsening Earth’s atmosphere. Other than slowing the rate of greenhouse-gas emissions, veganism is arguably able to reduce land-use (Puskar-Pasweicz, Margaret). Many scientific investigations have proven that, “Agriculture, particularly meat and dairy products accounts for… 38% of total land-use…” (Carus, Felicity). This shows how factory farming contributes to excessive land-use. Veganism is a movement against environmental crisis, along with other world issues such as world hunger.

        While poverty plays a major part in world hunger, a vegan lifestyle can have positive consequences towards world hunger and the lack of clean water. Alongside poverty, raising animals for food contributes a big role to lack of clean water. Raising animals for food requires more resources than raising plants, as it “takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef, while producing one pound of tofu only requires 224 gallons of water” (“Meat and the Environment”). That being so, more than half the water in the US is used to farm animals for little amounts of animal-based food. Where as little amounts of water can produce larger amounts of plant-based foods that will provide more food and water for the people without access to clean water. Therefore veganism is a more effective alternative to save water. Other than lack of clean water, seven billion people in the world need food and “the only way to produce enough food is, according to the Worldwatch Institute, ‘to cut back sharply in meat consumption, because conversion of grazing land to food crops will increase the amount of food produced” (“More Reasons to Go Vegan”). Large amounts of land, water and plant-food resources are being used to feed animals. 805 million people are suffering from world hunger (“2015 World Hunger “) yet 60% of the world’s grain is being fed to farm animals (“Meat and the Environment”). Therefore, animal-based diet is not sustainable and will possibly allow world hunger to affect thriving cities. Ending world hunger and improving worldwide food security can only be done through shifting to a vegan diet. Furthermore to solving environmental crisis and world hunger, a vegan diet is also a solution to many human health problems.

        Evidence of the benefits of vegan diet on human health has also been one of the primary reasons of going vegan. Veganism prevents many diseases that are hard to cure or recover from such as cancers, heart diseases and many more chronic diseases. All that are highly associated with animal-based foods. Research done by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine shows that “a vegetarian diet lowers blood pressure… cholesterol levels… cancer rates by 20-50%... and [vegetarians are] less likely to be obese” (Goldstein, Myrna Chandler, and Mark A. Goldstein). The study shows the difference between a vegetarian and animal-based diet, and thus can conclude that a vegan diet can lower the chances of these diseases. Therefore going vegan can help prevent cancers, high blood pressure, and heart diseases. Other than diseases, going vegan prevents the consumption of dangerous unwanted materials and particles. Survey found that E-coli, salmonella, and other foodborne pathogens, carried by animal feces can be found in 20-50% of retailed animal products (“More Reasons to Go Vegan”). Thus, show the danger of consuming animal-products even if they have been processed. Therefore, a vegan lifestyle may actually be the ultimate solution or prevention to fatal modern health problems.