Vegetarianism from the outside seems like a choice that only benefits the consumer. When this diet is plant-based, not processed foods and sweets, it can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of diabetes, strengthen bone density and improve asthma symptoms. The decision to become vegetarian seems to be made solely based on a person's preferences and benefit, but this choice goes far beyond personal gains. Everyone should choose to become vegetarian because the meat industry is guilty of mistreating livestock, negatively impacting human health by feeding animals antibiotics and playing a significant role in pollution emitted into the world. environment. In 2018, meat consumption in the United States reached a record 222 pounds per person. That means the average American ate about 10 ounces of meat per day, while the government recommends adults only eat 5 to 6.5 ounces of protein per day. Not only are Americans consuming double the recommended amount of protein, but the meat consumed can have adverse effects on the body. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get the original essay In the 1940s, antibiotics such as penicillin were used during World War II to treat infections in wounded soldiers , which ultimately led to the use of drugs. commercial availability. In the 1950s, scientists discovered that these antibiotics could be used in animal feed to help them live longer and grow. Although this can be considered a success from the farmer's point of view, these antibiotics allow microbes, which are pathogenic bacteria that spread disease in the animal's body, to become immune to the drugs. When meat contaminated with pathogens is consumed, consumers also become resistant and immune to antibiotics. This is called AMR, or antimicrobial resistance. This makes it impossible to treat sick patients with necessary antibiotics if they have already been infected. Even non-meat eaters can also be affected, as the microbes are sometimes not fully metabolized in the animal's body and are often excreted with the manure. If manure leaks into a water supply, microbes will contaminate the water and infect consumers. One study found that 80% of surface water tested was contaminated with microbes. Not only are people affected by eating medicated meat, but also by the large amount of antibiotics used in animal farming. In the United States, 80% of antibiotics sold are used in meat production alone. The Access to Medicine Foundation says “antibiotic supply chains are on the verge of collapse,” making this figure even more shocking. According to Healthday News, there was a shortage of 148 antibiotics between 2001 and 2013, and "the shortage of antibiotics, including those used to treat drug-resistant infections, could put patients at risk of illness and death ". This is why the argument that meat only affects those who choose to eat it is false: mass production of meat harms everyone and will continue to do so as long as consumers continue to buy . The meat industry not only negatively impacts humans, but it also harmsthe environment. The environmental effects of meat production include pollution from fossil fuels, wastewater, animal methane, and water and land consumption. According to the Federal Agriculture Organization, approximately 18% of global greenhouse gases come from meat production (Olivier). In fact, it takes ten times more fossil fuels to produce animal proteins than to produce plant proteins. Among other pollution, we find that of animal excrement, which is thirteen times higher than that of the human population. Runoff carries these animal wastes along with all their antibiotics and hormones. Toxic gases like ammonia are also released from large quantities of manure. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, about 80 percent of ammonia in the United States came from animal waste. These emissions account for a large portion of air pollution and ozone smog. 18% of greenhouse gases come from the meat industry alone, more than all the world's automobiles, ships and planes combined. The climate is also affected since livestock production is responsible for 9% of CO2, 40% of CH4 and 65% of NO2. Water and land consumption for meat production is also at an all-time high. Half of U.S. water consumption is used to raise food animals, with 2,400 gallons of water needed to produce one pound of meat. That's nearly 100 times more water than it takes to produce a pound of wheat. 30% of land area is used for meat production, and 80% of agricultural land is used to grow feed crops. Due to the growing livestock industry, water and air are polluted, land and food are consumed excessively, and the climate is warming. Although vegetarianism cannot reverse these effects or stop them completely, diet is one of the simplest ways for the average person to reduce their carbon footprint. Of course, the negative effects of mass meat production are not limited to the environment or humans. The livestock themselves suffer the most during production, due to suffering and abuse. Factory farms, which are large buildings without windows, often house chickens, cattle and pigs. About 9 billion chickens are slaughtered each year in the United States. On factory farms, chickens are placed in small cages with no space to move or spread their wings. The stress of this situation makes them frustrated and upset, leading them to peck themselves. To prevent this, the tip of their beak is cut off, which is a painful process. In 1958, the Humane Slaughter Act was passed and ensured that animals were stunned before being slaughtered to avoid pain. However, chickens and other poultry are not protected by this law and are often killed while fully conscious. In the United States, approximately 41 million beef cattle are slaughtered each year. The cows begin their lives on a free-range farm, where their ears are pierced with identification tags, their horns removed, their testicles cut off and branded with a hot rod. All this is done without anesthesia. After about a year, they are transferred to a CAFO, which is a concentrated animal feeding operation. Here, they are overcrowded in cramped and unsanitary spaces, which increases the risk of infection. For this reason, they are injected with antibiotics and hormones to keep them healthy long enough for the slaughterhouse. The European Union has actually banned the importation of American beefbecause it does not allow hormone injections. The cattle are fed primarily corn during their stay here, although the cows' stomachs are not intended to digest corn, but to eat grass. They are fed corn because it makes them gain weight very quickly, so much so that they can be sent to the slaughterhouse in just over a year. For the nine million cattle raised as dairy cows, life can be even worse. Dairy cows are kept indoors where they are fed and watered. There, urine and feces are removed mechanically, because they do not come out. To facilitate access to their breasts, their tales are removed. This is done without anesthesia, which makes the process very painful. Cows are artificially inseminated, their calves removed after birth and then milked by machines. When they can no longer produce milk, the process starts again. Their male calves are placed in cages where they lie in their own feces and urine, and are slaughtered after the calf is around 4 months old. Once mother cows are too old to give birth, they are sent to the slaughterhouse along with the beef cows. By the time the cattle arrive at the slaughterhouse, many are sick or weak from lack of exercise and are pushed and pushed. Those who cannot stand up are left for dead. Pigs are often treated the same way, but about 121 million people are killed each year in the United States, three times as many as cows. The life of a factory-farmed pig is not far removed from that of cows. The pigs are confined in small metal cages called gestation crates, which are only two feet wide, leaving no room to move or turn around. They are forced to lie in their own feces and urine on hard concrete floors. When sows become pregnant, they are transferred to farrowing crates where they must lie on their sides for weeks until they are fertilized again. The average factory-farmed pig gives birth to about 20 piglets per year. Due to lack of exercise, the pig's feet can become weak and paralyzed. The air they breathe is unsanitary and can cause them to develop respiratory illnesses, as well as other infections. Once they arrive at the slaughterhouse, the pigs are hung upside down by their hind legs and then “stunned” to reduce pain. But because this process is sometimes done quickly and imprecisely, some pigs may still be conscious when they are moved to the burn tank, which is used to soften the skin. Chickens, cattle and pigs do not deserve the terrible lives and brutal deaths they experience. Everyone deserves the right to see and know about the cruelty and abuse practiced on farms and slaughterhouses. In September 2018, the House banned the slaughter of dogs and cats for food. “I am proud to have supported this effort, which sends a strong signal to the world that animal welfare must be taken seriously,” said Rep. Alcee Hastings. Why is dog slaughter considered disgusting and immoral while livestock slaughter is not? Some would argue that dogs are more intuitive, intelligent and sensitive than animals used for livestock, and are therefore more aware. However, numerous studies have proven that pigs are just as intelligent and empathetic as dogs. Lori Marino, a neuroscientist at Emory University, says: "We have shown that pigs share a number of cognitive abilities with other highly intelligent species such as dogs,.