some reasons to eat less meat

1. Vegetarianism
So Fresh, So Green

2. Many Different Motivations
 In the Western world, the popularity of
vegetarianism grew during the 20th century as a
result of nutritional, ethical, environmental and
economic reasons.
http://flickr.com/photos/chocolatemonster/84291444/

3. Most important reason for becoming a
vegetarian in the United States, 2002
Health 32%
Because of chemicals and hormones in meat 15%
products
Don't like the taste of meat 13%
Love of animals 11%
http://flickr.com/photos/cajie/2425523656/

4. Animal rights 10%
Religious reasons 6%
Concern for the 4%
planet
To lose weight 3%
To reduce hunger 1% /
and famine
worldwide
TIME/CNN POLL: Reasons for choosing a vegetarian lifestyle
http://flickr.com/photos/wwworks/2222523486/

5. Health Benefits
quot;Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances
of survival for life on earth as much as the evolution to a
vegetarian diet.quot;
-Albert Einstein

6.  Consuming whole
grains, legumes,
nuts, fruits and
vegetables provides
protection against
chronic diseases such
as cancer,
cardiovascular
disease and diabetes
http://flickr.com/photos/jow/53534742/

7.  The total direct medical costs in the United
States attributable to meat consumption
have been estimated to be $30-60 billion a
year, based upon the higher prevalence of
hypertension, heart disease, cancer,
diabetes, gallstones, obesity and food-
borne illness among omnivores compared
with vegetarians.
(Barnard ND, Nicholson A, and Howard JL. The medical costs attributable to meat
consumption. Prev Med 1995;24:646-55.)

8.  Vegetarians are at a
lesser risk for obesity
 Western vegetarians
have lower BMI (body
mass index) and lower
cholesterol levels than
non-vegetarians
/
Photo by Mike: http://www.flickr.com/photos/squeakymarmot/136634791/sizes/l/in/photostream

9.  Eating more fruits and vegetables puts you
at a lower risk for a plethora of chronic
diseases, including some types of cancers,
hypertension, stroke and Type II Diabetes
http://flickr.com/photos/rooona/2852368759/

10. Moral, Human Condition
By reducing the amount of meat you
consume, you will decrease the number of
animals slaughtered.
How many animals do you eat in a given
year?
http://flickr.com/photos/aasgier/489526907/
The time will come when men such as I will look upon
the murder of animals
as they now look on the murder of men.”
-Leonardo Da Vinci

11. By reducing the amount of meat you
consume, you will reduce animal
suffering.
quot;The question is not, Can they
reason? nor, Can they talk?
but, Can they suffer?quot;
-Jeremy Bentham,
philosopher
http://flickr.com/photos/hthg1983/1519121063/

12. quot;The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged
by the way its animals are treated.quot;
-Mahatma Gandhi
“If slaughterhouses had
glass walls, everyone
would be a vegetarian.”
-Paul McCartney
http://www.flickr.com/photos/igualdadanimal/2637067736/sizes/l/

13. Environmental
quot;We did not weave the
web of life; we are
merely a strand in
it. Whatever we do to the
web,
we do to ourselves.
All things connect.”
Chief Seattle
Photo by poonomo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ickypoo/764486170/sizes/o/

14. By not eating beef– and other farm
animals as well–you:
 Save massive amounts of
water – about 3,000 to
5,000 gallons of water per
pound avoided
 Avoid polluting our streams
and rivers and destroying
topsoil
 Avoid destroying tropical
forests
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shikasta/3454543/sizes/l/

15.  Avoid carbon dioxide production (The average car
produces 3 kg/day of CO2. To clear rainforest to
produce beef for one hamburger produces 75 kg of
CO2. Eating one pound of hamburger does the
same damage as driving a car for more than three
weeks.)
 Reduce the amount of methane gas produced
 Reduce the destruction of wildlife habitat
 Help to save endangered species
Steve Boyan PhD, recently retired from his post as a political science professor at University of Maryland
http://www.earthsave.org/environment/foodchoices.htm

16. The End!
 quot;I am not a
vegetarian
because I love
animals; I am a
vegetarian
because I hate
plants.quot;
— A. Whitney
Brown http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickster2000/1319008847/sizes/l/