Going Vegetarian

Are you a meat-eater? Do you want to pay more taxes for eating meat? Are you worried about your health? What do you know about vegetarian foods? What if you know that meat affects the environment by increasing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere? What is the solution? Vegetarian food is the solution. Vegetarian food is food that consists only of plant products and does not depend on or consist of any products derived from animals. Vegetarian food produces less carbon than animals. Reville (2009) writes, “Meat production, particularly beef, is a very heavy emitter of carbon dioxide. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported in 2006 that current production levels of meat contribute between 14 and 22 per cent of the carbon dioxide equivalent gases the world produces every year” (para.4). Meat produces more carbon than vegetarian foods. Everyone should work to encourage people to go vegetarian for a clean environment. The government can help to encourage people to become vegetarian. The health industry can make awareness campaigns to encourage vegetarian foods. People should encourage each other to keep their health.

The government should encourage the people to become vegetarian in many ways. First, let people pay more taxes in restaurants and pay for animals’ activity, since people who eat meat a lot will harm the environment. For example, the government taxes cigarettes to save lives. According to “Higher Cigarette Taxes” (2009), “Increasing cigarette taxes is a WIN, WIN, WIN solution for governments — a health win that reduces smoking and saves lives; a financial win that raises revenue and reduces health care costs; and a political win that is popular with the public” (para.1). By analogy to increase taxes on meat means helping to reduce the consumption; moreover, the harm for the environment will be decreased. Also, people in the world are afraid of heart disease. Brody (1983) writes, “In a 1982 study of more than 10,000 vegetarians and meat eaters, British researchers found that the more meat consumed, the greater the risk of suffering a heart attack” (para.4). People want to keep themselves far away from heart disease. Moreover, people want to live in a clean environment, without pollution, without high carbon dioxide. People try to do everything in order to create a pure environment. According to Massey (2007), “Britain's 40 million motorists face a new 'green' stealth tax that will send petrol prices soaring and force up the cost of a car by thousands of pounds” (para.1). If the people will pay more taxes, they will think a lot before any step that they will go on: people like money and they do not want to pay.

Next, people should go vegetarian because vegetarian food is economical. People can buy vegetarian food; it is cheaper than non-vegetarian food. Vegetarian food saves a lot of water, crops, and gas. Freston and Post (2009) write, “If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would save: 100 billion gallons of water . . . 1.5 billion pounds of crops . . . 70 million gallons of gas . . . 3 million acres of land . . . 33 tons of antibiotics” (para.2). This is for one day in the US. If this happens in all countries for all days, people will take a lot of benefits. Moreover, if the people go vegetarian, a lot of advantages will happen. Also, Freston and Post (2009) write, “If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would prevent: Greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1.2 million tons of CO2 . . . 3 million tons of soil erosion and $70 million in resulting economic damages; 4.5 million tons of animal excrement; almost 7 tons of ammonia emissions, a major air pollutant” (para.3). Moreover, animals want a lot of food and water to produce meat and this amount of food and water can feed many families. For example, according to Vijay (n.d.), “If a sheep eats 7 pounds of grain, it can grow one pound of meat. The fertile land and water that about 100 (20 families) of those who consume only rice and water need, will be needed for the subsistence of animals whose meat can suffice for 15 (3 families) of those who eat meat” (para.7). People want to save food and therefore they will change their life and become vegetarians.

Moreover, people should go vegetarian because awareness campaigns from the medical centers give them a lot of information about the benefits of vegetarian food. They should talk to the people and explain everything about the vegetarian food, its benefits, and what the difference between the vegetarian and non-vegetarian food is. If the doctors explain the risk of eating meat to the people, then many people will change their minds about the food that they eat. When the doctors talk about the relationship between heart disease and eating meat, a lot of people will go to vegetarian food. People listen carefully to what the doctors say more than anyone, especially if this speech is about their lives. Women like to live with low weight, so they should go vegetarian. Going vegetarian has a lot of benefits like human health and environment. According to Feazell (n.d.), “To name just a few health benefits: reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer, control your weight, live longer, and build stronger bones” (para.2). People in the world are afraid of heart disease. Brody (1983) writes, “In a 1982 study of more than 10,000 vegetarians and meat eaters, British researchers found that the more meat consumed, the greater the risk of suffering a heart attack” (para.4). People want to keep themselves far away from heart disease. People are afraid of the diseases and they are ready to follow the instructions from anyone, especially from the doctor, to help them to stay far away from any disease.
Finally, people should encourage each other in order to stay alive with good health. Some people who have a good experience of vegetarian foods should tell their friends that vegetarian foods are healthier than non-vegetarian foods and they have a lot of benefits. One of these benefits is that they did not lose protein in their bodies. According to “Vegetarian and Vegan: Vegan Protein” (2009), “Eating a wide variety of foods is the key to having a healthy, balanced diet. This approach is particularly important for vegans because, apart from a few foods such as tofu, hempseed and 'grains' such as quinoa, most plant proteins have a low content of one or more of the essential amino acids needed by the body” (para.10). People can gain a lot of protein if they eat a variety of plants. Also, other people are interested in their diet, which contains vegetarian foods only. They can do any activity, they do not have obesity, and they say to their friend that anyone can be interested in his life if this person becomes vegetarian. Women are afraid of obesity and of breast cancer. They say that eating a lot of meat will give the meat eater more protein that causes a risk to the health. According to “High protein diet warning” (2001), the author say that “High-protein diets may pose a risk to health” (para.1). In addition, women who are vegetarian say that we have a good health and the breast cancer far from us. They say that to their friends. According to “Red Meat Link To Breast Cancers” (2006), the author say that “Eating large amounts of red meat may double young women's breast cancer risk” (para.1). Women will be at risk if they eat a lot of red meat.

Opponents of people going vegetarian claim that people will lose a lot of protein that they need. However, they can get the protein from peas, beans and soybeans. Some people eat meat every day and they have good health. However, vegetarian foods make your body healthier with low cholesterol and do not affect it negatively. Some people say that vegetarian food is cheaper than meat. However, there are some countries where meat is not too expensive. For example, in the US the meat is cheap, if anyone compares the price with that in other countries. For example, if anyone compares the price of meat, such as lamb, in the US and the price of the same meat in Jordan, this person will see a big difference even though the income in Jordan is less than the income in the US. The price of big lamb is approximately $200 in Jordan while anyone can buy the same lamb in the US from $120 until $140 from the farm. Moreover, some people say that the meat eater is stronger than the person who depends on vegetarian foods only because they have more protein, but the people who eat vegetarian foods only can substitute the protein from beans. Also, meat eaters have a high level of cholesterol and they are fat; some of them are 250 pounds or more.

In conclusion, people should go vegetarian, since they want to keep their health and keep a clean environment, save a lot of money, and follow the instruction of their doctors in order to live more. People must eat varieties of vegetarian food to substitute for the amount of protein that they lost. The environment becomes clean, without a lot of carbon dioxide. In addition, people can spend a little time to prepare their food, since vegetarian food does not require a lot of time over the fire like meat, and they save a lot of money and do not need to buy medicine. People can do good exercise and do all their activities because they are not fat. People will not see obesity if they become vegetarian and so they can do all activities that they want to do. People can help each other since some of them have an experiment and they tell their friends. Going vegetarian is very healthy, is economical, and is better for our environment. If people want to see the new generation, they must change their minds and go vegetarian and look at meat as from the past.

References:

Brody, J. (1983, October 12). Personal health; new research on the vegetarian diet. NYtimes.com. Retrieved June 6, 2009, from http://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/12/garden/personal-health-new-research-on-the-vegetarian-diet.html?scp=1&sq=PERSONAL%20HEALTH;%20NEW%20RESEARCH%20ON%20THE%20VEGETARIAN%20DIET&st=cse

Feazell, K. (n.d.). Three benefits of going vegetarian. CNN.com. Retrieved June 6, 2009, from http://www.causecast.org/news_items/8544-three-benefits-of-going-vegetarian

Freston, K. & Post, H. (2009, April 2). The starting effects of going vegetarian for just one day. CNN.com. Retrieved June 6, 2009, from
http://www.alternet.org/environment/134650/the_startling_effects_of_going_vegetarian_for_just_one_day/

Harris, C. (2009, February 18). Going vegetarian saves animals, the environment, and your health. LUGazette.com. Retrieved June 3, 2009, from http://media.www.lugazette.com/media/storage/paper816/news/2009/02/18/News/Going.Vegetarian.Saves.Animals.The.Environment.And.Your.Health-3636129.shtml

High protein diet warning. (2001, October 9). BBC.co.uk. Retrieved June 16, 2009, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1586574.stm

Higher cigarette taxes. (2009, May 28). CNN.com. Retrieved June 9, 2009, from http://tobaccofreekids.org/reports/prices/

Massey, R. (2007, June 17). Pollution tax will make the cost of driving soar. CNN.com. Retrieved June 17, 2009, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-462558/Pollution-tax-make-cost-driving-soar.html

Meat link to breast cancers. (2006, November 14). BBC.co.uk. Retrieved June 16, 2009, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6143408.stm

Reville, W. (2009, March 5). Carbon footprint solution in diet. The Irish Times, Science Today; p.21. Retrieved on May 25, 2009, from LexisNexis database.

Vegetarian and vegan: vegan protein. (2009, June 16). BBC.co.uk. Retrieved June 16, 2009, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/vegetarian_and_vegan/veganproteins.shtml

Vijay, B. (n.d.). Guidelines of Jainism; Why should not people eat meat? CNN.com. Retrieved June 9, 2009, from http://www.jainworld.com/jainbooks/guideline/29.htm