the meat industry

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.