why the meat industry ruins the enviroment
When land is used to raise animals instead
of crops, water and soil are lost, trees are cut down to make land for grazing or
factory-farm sheds, and untreated animal waste pollutes rivers and
streams. Cows have to consume 16 pounds of vegetation in order to convert
them into 1 pound of flesh we can eat. Raising animals for food consumes more
than half of all water used in the U.S. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to
produce a pound of meat but only 25 gallons to produce a pound of
wheat. Producing just one burger uses enough fossil fuel to drive a small
car 20 miles. More than one-third of fossil fuels are devoted to raising animals
for food. A typical pig factory makes the same amount of raw waste as a
city of 12,000 people. The meat industry is responsible for 85 percent of
all soil erosion in the U.S. More than 80 percent of the corn we grow and
more than 95 percent of the oats are fed to livestock. The world’s cattle alone
consume a quantity of food equal to the calories 8.7 billion people need. Which
is more than the entire human population on Earth. So being vegan is not only
better for your body but better for the world you live in.
