Why Vegan

We need to look at the current relationship with humans and animals, especially in western culture. The factory farms run by the beef industry is a primary example of the problems associated with excessive meat consumption. Heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes are common outcomes of excess meat consumption. Environmental degradation, loss of resources and cruelty to animals is another byproduct of factory farming.

Vegan diet contains no meat products and also no dairy or eggs, no animal products at all. Vegans get their protein from seeds, nuts, beans, grains, etc. The only vitamin sometimes missing is B12 that can be found in nutriyeast and seaweed. Mixing different types of grains and beans is also important, as some essential amino acids are only found in certain beans/grains. Vegan diet is healthier for the human because less saturated fats and cholesterol are found in meat. A vegan diet is also healthier for the ecosystem given the current human population of over 6.5 billion and the energy lost from meat consumption.

The trophic pyramid shows when energy is transferred between primary producer (plant) to primary herbivore (cattle) to primary omni/carnivore (human), 90 percent of the energy is lost in the extra step between plant‡herbivore‡carnivore. This extra energy loss would be avoided if humans would get their proteins from plants directly, bypassing the energy lost from herbivore consumption. If 6.5 billion people are going to be carnivores, then a great deal more extra energy is needed to sustain carnivorous people. The average carnivorous American eats more meat daily than ten people in Africa do in a week.

We need to look at corporations like McDonalds/beef industry and how their meat products effect the health of Americans (especially lower income people) and also the rainforests of South America/Africa/Asia. Cheap beef at fast food is often the only option available in low income neighborhoods. The result of this is an increase in obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease etc. Much of the cheap beef comes from areas that have been clear cut from rainforests, or feed lots in America that subject cows to unhealthy and cruel living conditions, also injected with antibiotics and bovine growth hormones.

The alfalfa grown to feed the large amounts of cattle is from diverted river water that deprives fish like salmon of their needed water. The 33,000 salmon dead on the Lower Klamath River was a result of water being diverted from Klamath Lake to the alfalfa agribusiness. The big agribusinesses of the naturally dry Klamath Valley grow water intensive alfalfa crops for the beef industry.

Website from the Hong Kong Vegan Society;