Scientific American: Eating Meat Hurts the Planet

By Nathan Runkle 

Responding to a reader-submitted question, Scientific American recently outlined the terrible impact meat, dairy and egg consumption has on the environment and human health. According to the article, from the "huge outlays of pesticides, fertilizer, fuel, feed and water" needed to raise animals for food to the massive amounts of "greenhouse gases, manure and a range of toxic chemicals" released into the environment, animal agriculture is taking a "serious toll on the environment." 

Not only does our current system of raising animals for food hurt the environment, it diverts grain and other resources away from starving people and has led to "the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria that threaten human health and the environment in their own right." Furthermore, the article states that eating meat is "no good for our health, with overindulgence linked to increasing rates of heart disease, cancer and obesity." 

Simply put, adopting a plant-based diet is one of the most effective ways to ease the strain on our planet's limited resources, protect the environment, prevent disease and starvation, and spare the lives of dozens of animals each year. Visit ChooseVeg.com for recipes, tips and information on taking your first step to a vegan lifestyle.


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