Fact #1: Certain practices of the meat industry hurt the environment, and this has consequences for human health and activity on the planet.
Fact #2: The way people consume meat and diary products puts added strain on the healthcare system.
Fact #3: Certain diseases such as mad cow disease and the bird flus are direct consquences of certain practices in the meat industry.
Fact #4: Certain practices within the meat industry are cruel to animals, when we devalue life we devalue it not only for animals, but for ourselves as well.
I\'ve numbered the \"Facts\" for easier referencing.
Sometimes a list of facts is easily understood, other times more information is needed. I\'m not looking for sources, cited in MLA format, or anything but I fail to see how all of these things are \"Facts\".
Lets start with fact #1. Seems pretty straightforeward and I can\'t really disagree. The meat industry does harm the environment, which in turn has consequences that are widespread. However, the agriculture industry is just as, or more harmful. To keep our food free of insects and other organisms, we spray millions of gallons of environmentally harmful pesticides on our crops, which runoff into streams, and eventually the ocean. Some of this is even blamed for the deaths of certain coral reefs, species extinction, and drinking water contamination leading to birth defects and mental disorders in humans.
Fact #2 - I just want more information. I\'m not saying right or wrong, but what do you mean exactly? How does it affect the health care system more say pure vegitarianism, which can be harmful to some people? What exactly is the issue with the \"way\" we\'re eating? Is it ammount/rate of consumption, or something else?
Fact #3 The practices that led to mad cow disease are now well under control. We no longer feed dead cows to cows or dead pigs to pigs, thus eliminating the major way it spread. This practice is long obsolete. As for bird flu, I wasn\'t even aware that it was a prionic disease. For it to be meat practices that are causing it it would have to be, because properly prepared meat kills bacteria due to the high heat. Prions are a different sort of disease causing entity, and thus are subject to different conditions for transmision and control.
Fact #4 is really an opinion not a fact. It is only a fact as far as yourself is concerned, and no matter how wholeheartedly you believe it, this does not make it a fact. Still though, regulations are getting harsher as to animal cruelty, and there are more and more humane ways of putting the animals down now. I know an autistic person who\'s entire job is running the corrals and helping them design animal friendlier slaughterhouses. Also, how un-cruel is shooting a frightened running animal with an arrow, bow, or spear, spilling its blood till it collapses exhausted and bleeding only to be killed later by another arrow or by a rock to the head? Hunting isn\'t pretty either, but what do animals do to each other in the wild? Many high level predators begin consuming their prey before they are even completely dead. Others simply hunt in gruesome fashion. Others eat the children of their competition. My point is really that humans are animals as well, and the animal kingdom is full of ruthless cruel predators, and violence in general. Survival of the fittest is a term that has no bearing on the human race anymore, and as such when we witness it, it seems needlessly cruel to us.
Sadly, the people who are so extremely concerned for animals, while nice sounding, shows just how out of touch people are with nature.
